Congress thirsts for oil drilling in Florida waters

[DoYouEverWonder]

May 20, 2005

WASHINGTON - Florida lawmakers helped defeat an impromptu challenge in the House on Thursday that would have weakened, and perhaps eventually eliminated, the moratorium on drilling for oil and natural gas off the state's coast.

But the battle is just a sign of what is to come.

Skyrocketing fuel prices and a reluctance to rely on foreign energy sources has Congress feeling growing pressure to allow offshore drilling in Florida and other parts of the United States.

"We have never seen such a high intensity and orchestrated effort," said Mark Ferrulo, director of the Florida Public Interest Research Group. "Every time we turn around there is a new proposal."

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/05/20/State/Congress_thirsts_for_.shtml


Too bad these guys don't have enough vision to see that spending all that money on investing in alternative energies, would be a lot cheaper in the long run then destroying Florida's coasts.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Drill and Spill in Florida.

Nice big spill, too. Let's really foul their wetlands. Maybe that will wake the idiots up. Let them see the realities of how they vote.

If they want their intolerance, then I claim my right to it.

[wakeme2008]

2. Both Jebbie and W promised no drilling off Florida

And they would never lie :sarcasm:

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Jebbie's stepping down next year

he doesn't give a shit anymore.

[wakeme2008]

8. While that may be true

If he wants to run for the WH... This could cost him Florida.

[Benhurst]

11. Nothing will cost him Florida as long as the Repubs control the

voting machines.

[bemildred]

4. Hey, just wait until it's all underwater, it won't be that long. nt

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. Actually, if it wasn't for what's going on in Antartica

Florida would already be under water. Check out the link for some new info about the climate change that we are experiencing.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1486709

[splat@14]

6. I think we need to invade Florida. I saw some aluminum tubes.

n/t

[DoYouEverWonder]

10. And we harbor terrorists

n/t

[Samurai_Writer]

7. Yeah, let's turn Florida into another Texas Gulf Coast...

Florida is the only state on the gulf with clear(ish) water and clean beaches. Yeah, let's start drilling off of Florida and then Sabal Island can look like Galveston beach in no time. :eyes:

[C_U_L8R]

9. Their only motivation is

to get rich quick.

There is no foresight... no long term plan...
what happens in someone else's lifetime
is not their concern. They just want to get in
there and steal as much profit as they can
before leaving (and leaving a huge mess behind
for someone else to clean up)

It's all pretty predicatable if you realize
that the right wing represent the absolute
worst qualities in human nature.

[Pirate Smile]

12. Sen Bill Nelson said on the floor of the Senate (during the Filibuster

debate yesterday) that in 2001 he was able to get a promise from the Secretary of the Dept. of Interior that there would be no drilling off the coast of Florida. He said that after last November's election, the Secretary would NOT make the same promise again.

He mentioned how the drilling amendment was able to be defeated in the House this time but in the future, it may not and with the Filibuster in trouble, it would be bad news for Florida.

If they get rid of the filibuster for judges, then it makes it much easier to get rid of it for legislation also.

[JerseygirlCT]

13. Could be an interesting showdown

the Bushes like NIMBY, but this might put the rest of the oil-hungry, short-sighted GOP against them.

[Mika]

14. America is not Bushies back yard - its their toilet...

.. after all, all they do is shit on America.


.. and wipe their asses w/the constitution.

[kysrsoze]

15. Is there a way to drill all over Florida's land rather than the Gulf?

Other than the manatees, I could care less. Sorry, Floridians, but I'm sick of Jeb Bush, Terry Schiavo and all the trash that vote for Bush there.

[DoYouEverWonder]

16. The only other place there is oil in Florida

is in the Everglades and Big Cypress Preserve, where they already do some drilling.

[BeFree]

17. Sad to say...

...Florida will not remain free of off-shore wells much longer. Since we use so much oil everyday it is just a matter of time before we have to get those reserves. I am of the opinion that we go ahead and drill now before it becomes a crisis situation and all safeguards are overridden.

The other option is to use less and less oil - well, I'm doing my part to keep Florida free from oil wells, but is it of any use?

[DeepModem Mom]

18. House Rebuffs Push to Soften Offshore Drilling Ban (tougher battles ahead)

Los Angeles Times:
House Rebuffs Push to Soften Offshore Drilling Ban
Environmentalists and industry officials alike see tougher battles ahead over moratorium.

By Richard Simon, Times Staff Writer


WASHINGTON — A bipartisan coalition of coastal-state lawmakers beat back an effort in the House on Thursday to weaken the decades-old ban on new oil and gas drilling offshore, but it is bracing for a potentially tougher battle ahead.

The vote was 262 to 157 to defeat an effort to exempt new natural gas drilling from the federal moratorium, which covers most coastal waters except for large parts of the Gulf of Mexico.

Opposition to easing the restrictions came from coastal-state delegations, including those from California, New York, Massachusetts and Florida.

While environmentalists celebrated their victory, they said they were worried about other efforts in Congress to break through the federal moratorium on new offshore drilling.

Bipartisan efforts are underway in the Senate, for example, to offer billions of dollars to entice financially hurting states to opt out of the moratorium....


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-drill20may20,0,2952911.story?coll=la-home-nation

[FlaGranny]

19. How about

windmills and tidal power instead? Florida's beaches and water are the cleanest left in the continental US, although deteriorating quickly.