Ask an Alien

OK, we admit this offshore oil drilling discussion can get pretty confusing sometimes, with all the claims and counter-claims, so we thought we would seek out some "expert" advice from a more advanced civilization. We were pleasantly surprised by the results.

2,350 oil spills into the Mediterranean... in one year

2,350 oil spills into the Mediterranean... in one year

Decisions Nearing; Oil Companies Lobbying; Fishermen Worried

NATIONAL

Interior Secretary Sees Offshore Leasing Plan in 30-45 Days
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100219-713491.html?mod=WSJ_World_MIDDLEHeadlinesEurope

Salazar closes in on offshore drilling decision
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/82385-salazar-closes-in-on-offshore-drilling-decision

CALIFORNIA

Oil company spending lavishly to get around Carpinteria law
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hiltzik21-2010feb21,0,3506662.column
This is proposed onshore drilling, but it affects coastal and offshore resources.

FLORIDA

Florida legislators consider lifting ban on offshore drilling
http://www.theolympian.com/2010/02/19/1144607/florida-legislators-consider-lifting.html

VIRGINIA

Va. Senate backs bill to send offshore-drilling cash to transportation, environment
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/state_regional_govtpolitics/article/DRILGAT22_20100222-130201/326049/
“What a difference a few days makes. Voting 21-19, the Virginia Senate today backed legislation earmarking cash from offshore oil and gas exploration for education, the environment and transportation. The Democrat-controlled Senate had rejected a similar bill earlier in the 2010 session, largely to send a message to Gov. Bob McDonnell to go public on his remedy to the state's fiscal crisis. The House bill passed this afternoon and the defeated Senate measure are largely symbolic measures. That's because it will be years, if ever, before Virginia sees royalties from offshore drilling.”

Uncertainty not worth spoiling coast
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/opinion/columnists/article/uncertainty_not_worth_spoiling_coast/52592/

NORTHEAST

Tribes concerned about loss of fishing due to oil spills
http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/2010/02/22/tribes-concerned-about-loss-of-fishing-d?blog=53
“After having been essentially excluded from the commercial fishery in Nova Scotia for some time, Aboriginal fishermen have seen a dramatic growth in their ranks in the past ten years and they are worried that this productive period could come to an abrupt end by the dangers posed by recent moves to approve oil and gas production on Georges Bank.”

Oregon Decides that Offshore Drilling is NOT THE ANSWER in its Territorial Sea

Yesterday, the Oregon State Senate passed HB 3613 by a vote of 22-8. This bill restores the moratorium on offshore drilling for oil and gas within Oregon's Territorial Sea (0-3nm) until 2020. This bill was supported by a diverse coalition of businesses, organizations, fishing groups and the Siuslaw, Newport, and Portland Chapters of the Surfrider Foundation.

Read More:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/02/oregon-offshore-oil-drilling.html

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/02/oregon_senate_endorses_10-year.html

http://olcv.org/resources/moratorium-offshore-drilling-passes-oregon-senate

Waiting for Drilling Decisions, But Why Wait for Conservation?

Florida

Experts: 2010 may not be make, break for drilling
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9DU20F82.htm

East Coast

US Reviews East Coast Exploration Timeline
http://www.energyintel.com/DocumentDetail.asp?document_id=659078
“In a letter to Congress, the Interior Department said it will complete the necessary steps to plan for the possibility of "multiple geological and geophysical activities" in federal waters off the US East Coast in two years. The department plans to hold environmental reviews, scoping meetings, and public comment periods before issuing a final decision on offshore energy activities in the Atlantic by April 2012. Any exploration drilling would not occur until at least 2014.”

National

Offshore Oil Drilling Will Not Make Us Conserve Oil
http://oceanswavesbeaches.blogspot.com/2010/02/offshore-drilling-will-not-make-us.html
“The way to address an addiction is to seek alternatives to the addiction. We need to stop producing large, wasteful vehicles. We must embrace the fact that we are running out of a natural resource and act accordingly. We can not drill our way out of this problem. Offshore drilling wouldn't even allow us to top our cars off, we'd only get 10% from offshore drilling and the trade-off is massive as we would put coastal economies and ecosystems at risk.”

Thousands of Hands Across the Sand in Florida

Hands at St. Pete Beach

Hands at Cocoa Beach

Here is just a sample of the media coverage for last Saturday's Hands Across the Sand event in Florida to protest proposed new offshore oil drilling there:

Thousands Hold Hands Against Drilling Off Florida Beaches
http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2010/2/13/thousands_hold_hands_against_drilling_off_florida_beaches.html
Protestors rally to fight oil drilling off Florida coasts
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/feb/13/protestors-rally-to-fight-oil-drilling-off/

TC Palm: Editorial: Oil drilling could change Florida for the worse
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/feb/16/editorial-oil-drilling-could-change-florida-for/

Protesters across Florida rally against offshore oil drilling

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-hands-across-the-sand-20100213,0,2132843.story

Activists unite on beach in protest against oil drilling
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/1479494.html?asset_id=1479124&asset_type=gallery

Surfers, Scientists Say No To Oil Drilling Off Florida Coast http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2010/02/jesse_bull_a_surfer_with.php

Hands Across the Sand sends message
http://www.tbnweekly.com/pubs/belleair_bee/content_articles/021510_bee-01.txt?archiveview&print&print

Floridians protest offshore oil drilling
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61C2LT20100213

Hands join to protest offshore drilling
http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/local/hands-across-sand-021410

Protesters draw line in sand
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Enviro/bchEAST04ENV021410.htm

Florida Beach Goers Protest Offshore Drilling
http://florida-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/florida-beach-goers-protest-offshore-drilling

Hundreds line Pinellas County beaches to protest near-shore oil drilling
http://tampabay.com/news/environment/water/hundreds-line-pinellas-county-beaches-to-protest-near-shore-oil-drilling/1073098

Hundreds say 'no' to offshore drilling
http://www.pnj.com/article/20100214/NEWS01/100214001/1006/Hundreds-say-%E2%80%98no--to-offshore-drilling

Surfrider to Host Community Forums around California

During March and April, the Surfrider Foundation and Environment California will be hosting community forums to discuss the threat of offshore oil drilling and what local communities can do to keep the oil rigs at bay!

This first community forums will be held in:

• San Diego on March 3 (7pm) 
• Los Angeles on March 17th (7pm)  

View the invitation for the San Diego and LA forums here (and below) ....and stay tuned for information about the forums being held in LA, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Francisco.