Who wants to Surf in Oil??? Photo Credit: Sasso
Last year, as many of you remember, there was an ill-conceived legislative to reverse three decades of Federal and state bans on offshore oil drilling, which have protected our state’s most treasured and valuable resource – its coastlines. This bill was advanced by, as noted by the Bradenton Herald, “a secretive group of powerful legislators, business groups and Texas oil companies.” (Bradenton Herald, 8/30/2009 http://www.bradenton.com/news/breaking_news/story/1672172.html).
Well, they’re back again – and we all need to get active on this issue and remain fiercely opposed to dangerous and destructive drilling that would offer no relief at the gas pump, but would threaten our pristine beaches and endanger our vital tourism industry.
Please contact the Cocoa Beach Chapter surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com or edavanzo@surfrider.org on how you can get more engaged on this issue.
READ SURFRIDER SPEECH at first Legislative Committee Hearing
Supporting Documents/Videos
TAKE ACTION:
Hands Across the Sand, February 17th!!! – Dont Miss this Event!
List of Local Govt Resolutions OPPOSED to Drilling – Tell your Community to Do the Same!
FL Gov, House Speaker and Senate President ACtion Alert
Florida Chamber of Commerce Survey
RELEVANT ARTICLES
Offshore oil drilling still worrying Pasco commissioners
Faulty promises in bid to drill off Florida?
Offshore drilling opposed by Ft Myers Beach leaders (FL)
Senate President Oil Drilling Memo
Oil Spill Contaminating Indonesian Waters Now
Australian Oil Well Catches Fire… After trying to plug the leak
Fourth Attempt to Fix Oil Spill
Alabama, Texas Revenues Below Florida Estimates
Lawmakers’ Love Affair with Big Oil – Carl Hiassen piece
Wondrous Claims about Offshore drilling bogus
Australian Oil Spill Fuels Debate
Drilling on the East Coast (Interview with TC Chapter)
Offshore drilling debate spurs interest across Florida
Drilling Ourselves Into a Hole?
REGION: President Bush proposes offshore oil drilling
Comprehensive Analysis of Offshore Oil Drilling Debate
Legislator’s proposal backs oil drilling off Florida’s coast
Oil drilling vote shocks opponents
Florida House approves offshore drilling
Florida oil drilling debate turns testy
Campaign to drill off Florida’s coast has cash, confidence – Florida – MiamiHerald.com
A few questions for those who would drill for oil off of Florida’s shores
Offshore Drilling Bill Passes House; Panhandle Chambers Oppose
Floridians should unite against drilling
Florida solar energy group backs offshore oil exploration
Oil Platform Spill a Disaster in the Making
Lee County Commissioners Vote to Oppose Offshore Drilling Bill in Legislature
Florida solar group criticized for oil drilling support
United States Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz
10 Reasons Not to Drill for Oil Offshore of Florida
Australian Oil Spill Continues – The Impact On Whales And Dolphins Can Not Be Ignored
NTT residents concerned about oil spill in Timor Sea
ONGOING AUSTRALIA EXAMPLE
A massive oil spill is happening off the coast of Australia (see photos below) beginning over 2 months ago, at least 17,000 gallons of crude oil a day have been gushing into the ocean near critical habitat for sea turtles, dolphins and the endangered pygmy blue whale. The sick irony is that the lobbyists pushing to drill in Florida waters have touted Australia as a model, and the oil rig that caused this ongoing ecological disaster was acclaimed as safe, new technology when it was built just a year ago.
Below are photos of the current spill in Australia: http://www.flickr.com/photos/skytruth/sets/72157622226354812/detail/
You can download satellite pictures and get the daily updates by going to:
http://www.amsa.gov.au/Marine_Environment_Protection/Montara_Well_Head_Platform/2009September_MontaraLeakUpdate3.asp
You have only to go the beaches in Texes that are near the oil rigs and experience the tar sticking to your feet to realize that this is not what we want for our beaches.
By: cindy on September 18, 2009
at 2:09 pm
I am with you, and want to get more involved. I have a facebook group called “No offshore drilling” with a lot of oil spill disaster pics, including satilite photos after Hurricane Katrina. Katrina was the second largest pil spill inhistory, but it is not talked about. There are slicks over a hundred miles long. I am going to post this site on the group, if that is ok. Grass roots networking is the only way to offset the mega-money add campaign we are about to get in 2010 , when they try to overturn the ban and drill within 10 miles of our shore. There is also some nice reef pictures, and information links and contact your politician links.
I invite all to join the “no offshore drilling ” group. I am here in Miami Florida.
By: Tim Brockland on September 20, 2009
at 8:03 pm
By the way Cindy, the shoreline in Louisiana is totaled also. Walk it, and throw away your shoes.
By: Tim Brockland on September 20, 2009
at 8:04 pm
As a Florida surfer I’d just like to say that offshore drilling is the absolute LAST thing we need right now. For one, Oil is not the answer anymore, we need to find a new global alternative to such a poisonous, destructive substance (like the Sun maybe..), 2: have you people seen the results of oil spills, not exactly the safest environment for marinelife, nor the easiest clean up, and 3: with the world in such an unstable state as it is today, Oil should be the LAST thing on our minds, maybe trying to save the Earth from our destructive ways might be a better way to use our time instead of continuing to pollute and poison the most beautiful environment in the universe. Just a thought.
By: Dylan Palmer on October 2, 2009
at 10:50 am
[...] [...]
By: Hands Across the Sand-Join us to stop near shore Oil Drilling In Florida Waters - SoWal Beaches Forum on October 5, 2009
at 12:30 pm
DO NOT DRILL!!! ive worked in the oil industry for years in louisiana and its disgusting. leaky platforms and dirty bilges are just a few things we wil have to deal with. its all about the bottom line nobody care about the environment out there. they just want that fat paycheck.
By: jason king on November 24, 2009
at 10:06 am
how can I help
By: mary werther on April 27, 2010
at 9:53 am
Just read the MMS report on oil spill damage caused by hurricanes Rita and Katrina due to underwater pipleline breaks. See URL below.
Hurricanes, oil spills are a fact of life in the Gulf of Mexico. Texas gets the worst tar balls because of prevailing SE winds.
No drilling off Florida !!!
Kindest Regards,
John Jelks (former Oil & Gas geologist)
http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/581/44814183_MMS_Katrina_Rita_PL_Final%20Report%20Rev1.pdf
By: John Jelks on April 27, 2010
at 5:37 pm
Did you read the report? Here a bit from the summary:
DNV evaluated the available failure reports and industry practices and has concluded that the
vast majority of GOM offshore pipelines performed well during the passage of Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita. Public and personnel safety experience with respect to the offshore pipeline
operations has been excellent. Evacuations of non-essential personnel, and other operational
precautions taken prior to hurricane events, including training, planning, spill response exercises,
and industry alliances provided results that have protected life as the first priority. The impact to
the environment has been minimal in hurricane events, primarily due to the design features, and
industry practices intended for protection of life that are also focused on minimizing releases to
the environment through planning, preparedness and response. The most significant impacts
appear to have been the disruption of the oil and gas supply, and financial losses from the oil and
gas infrastructure damage. While these are not desirable outcomes, the overall goal of
prioritizing protection of life and the environment is clear in the demonstrated performance of
the industry, meeting two of the major goals of the MMS for personal and environmental safety.
By: Scott on February 10, 2011
at 10:03 am
We must focus our money and time on finding viable ways to implement renewable sources of energy instead of nonrenewables. Corporate greed once again is devastating our people, our economy and our environment. BP’s billions can’t recuperate the loss of life and destruction of fragile ecosystems that will take decades if not longer to once again begin to thrive. Where is the advanced technology that all the Drill Baby Drill advocates keep talking about? I hope they are not only showing up for clean up duty on the oil damaged coasts but are also now realizing that Florida can’t afford to be susceptible to any of these type of irreversible disasters.
By: Martha on May 3, 2010
at 2:41 pm
It is time for a nationwide/worldwide protest against off shore drilling.
We need intense, focused Solar R&D, cheap solar equipment, and cheap solar cars.
We need the environmental community to have a “One Organization” that can mobilize.
We need one central website – connected to all involved – to go to and find out about when where and how to protest. We need one place to create power for this group. We need to get organized!
We need environmental groups, social groups, labour groups, you name it – the non profits need to join together to organize a defense against these coming worldwide environmental issues.
By: andrea Metz on May 15, 2010
at 11:14 am
It is incredible that in this day and age most people are still depending on oil to keep”going”…
Why isn’t more money invested to find alternative energy? Why isn’t the government BANNING gas guzzling cars and replace them with more efficient engines. Europe is doing it… their cars can go 6 times the distance with just one gallon!
Well, I’ll tell you why: most Americans are too lazy to pull away from stupid computer games and read a newspaper (and not just the Sunday edition with all the coupons), or even put aside for just one minute the “me ” attitude and think about the bigger picture. Americans are brain washed by stupid ads they blindly believe because they are too ignorant and lazy to do a little research and find out what the truth is. It is such a shame to see a great nation full of people who care so little about their future, a nation of sheeps…
(by the way, I am American, but iI find it harder and harder to be proud of it.)
By: OB on August 21, 2010
at 12:12 pm
My therapy is recreational fishing with my grandchildren. The long term effect of aquatic life is devestating with decades for their recovery, some species could be extinct.
These petroleum companies will threaten with high gasoline prices if we do not offshore drill, that is bull manure, we know better and will not be fooled any more.
NO OFFSHORE DRILLING
By: Fred Romero on September 10, 2010
at 9:44 am