My opinion on offshore drilling (beach, oil, farms)

[nucat78]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

If Floridians want to make good money in the oil industry they'll have to drive all the way to Louisiana and Texas to go to work, my Dad and my partner have to do this every two weeks. The state of Florida just doesn't realize how much revenue they are losing because of this silly drilling ban.

If oil spills were that common the whole Texas coast would be covered in oil, and it ISN'T!

How much is too much though? Do the people of Florida want to accept this level of risk?

At Least 500,000 Gallons of Crude Oil Spilled Into Gulf Due to Hurricane Ike - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

[lavender]

I kind of agree with the idea about oil from Alaska being better than oil from the gulf waters.
The damage that could be threatened every hurricane season worries me. I am certain there must have been serious environmental issues with the series of hurricanes that went through the gulf even pre katrina and after. Why would this be a good idea? I'm not saying it because it's in my back yard, I'd be thrilled if some power company would start erecting those mystical looking wind turbines out a few miles from shore, I think they look cool. I have seen them in the South of England and Spain on hillsides and think they are quite impressive and lets face it folks, they would create jobs, no pollution and lower our energy costs. and dont get me going on solar energy......................

[vaughanwilliams]

It really doesn't matter what the people of Florida want-they're going to drill, and soon. I hate to see it, but the way Floridians suck down energy they might as well share the pain. The saddest thing about drilling is most of the jobs will go to out of state oil employees-local residents won't see much of the little benefits that come with off shore drilling.

[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by vaughnwilliams

The saddest thing about drilling is most of the jobs will go to out of state oil employees-local residents won't see much of the little benefits that come with off shore drilling.

That is not true. There's more than just "big oil" jobs in the oil industry, theres also smaller suppliers that go along with them (just like the auto industry). There's jobs for deckhands, boat captains, mechanics, cooks, galleyhands, safety techs, etc.

Even an entry level deckhand can easily make over $35k per year, that's a lot better than making minimum wage at a fast food joint. Like I said, I have family that drives from the panhandle all the way to Louisiana every two weeks to go to work, they would work in FL if they could but there's no jobs here.

[debidibly]

Estimates in the last few years place Florida's tourism revenue at between 45 and 60 billion dollars. That's not all Disneyworld folks. Beach tourism represents the cornerstone of Florida's economy. We have more than 800 miles of coastline at risk here. Many tourists won’t want to gaze into the horizon and see this rigs, the drilling muds that are produced are toxic, kill off sea life, etc. These things may also adversely affect our beach tourism revenue – no fishing, no snorkeling, no boating, etc. It’s not just about the spills – everyone has heard of Prince William Sound and the Exxon Valdez. In 1993 a barge collision in Tampa bay resulted in a massive oil spill in Pinellas county which forced beach closures. But the effects of these spills linger for generations to come. I find it hard to believe that any revenue generated in drilling would exceed that of our tourism industry and taking a chance with anything that would threaten it just seems foolish to me.

[noland123]

Originally Posted by matt_sfl

After reading numerous threads in the Florida forum about the proposed offshore drilling, I've come to my verdict. I say yes to it for at least this reason, they're neat looking! Come on, I can't be the only one who thinks so.

That is the most ridiculous statement I have ever heard,I guess you don't care about your local environment. put some oil on your head sometime and see how you like it.

[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by debidibly

Many tourists won’t want to gaze into the horizon and see this rigs

They must have some damn good vision if they can see them over 100 miles offshore.

[debidibly]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

They must have some damn good vision if they can see them over 100 miles offshore.

I’m certainly no expert on the topic and I haven’t been following this all that closely, but I don’t know where you’re getting 100 miles from. Proposals have been on the table to permit drilling within 3-10 miles of Florida’s coastline. Even if it was 100 miles now it doesn’t mean that if there’s a better chance of striking oil 3 miles off the coastline they won't set up rigs there. The view from the beaches represents the least of dangers to our beach tourism industry.

[nucat78]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

They must have some damn good vision if they can see them over 100 miles offshore.

What is your source for asserting the rigs would be 100 miles offshore?

Again, I'm using my experience in southern California, but you can clearly see the rigs and they are maybe (yes, I'm guestimating) 1 to 2 miles offshore. You can't see the support pillars but you can certainly see the platforms and the superstructures. Lights are also clearly visible at night.

(BTW, we have wind farms in northern Illinois and while cool looking, they have not helped ease unemployment as far as I know.)

[wiltznucs]

Originally Posted by algia

THIS would destroy our marine life and beaches.................it would be HORRIBLE,
Tampa doesn't need off shore drilling........

This is not true, in fact its quite the opposite. The Louisiana and Texas coast boast of far healthier fish populations. Why? Each and every one of those oil rigs acts like an artificial reef. As a result the commercial and recreational fisheries in those states are now surpassing Florida.

Dont get me wrong, I dont like seeing the rigs from the beach and I think alternative energy should be explored. But in the meantime, if theres a domestic energy source that will bridge the gap between now and the future then it should be explored.