A Call To Protect Your Coast
May 12, 2009
If you value the quality of life on Florida's Gulf Coast -- the clean water and beaches, the boating, swimming and fishing, the view of a clear horizon -- you need to contact your local legislators.
If you work in or own a business tied to tourism or real estate -- or which depends even slightly on the qualities cited above -- you need to contact your local legislators.
If you want true energy independence and policies that move Florida away from fossil fuels and encourage the development of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, you need to contact your local legislators.
The Impact of Drilling
May 11, 2009
Proponents of a recent plan to allow oil drilling as close as three miles from Florida's west coast beaches say the environmental impact is exaggerated.
State Rep. Seth McKeel, R-Lakeland, who voted with the Florida House majority that approved the drilling bill, later criticized opponents who continue to evoke images of unsightly, polluting oil rigs.
"To me, one of the key components of what we did this year was get the conversation started about new technology," Mc-Keel told the Herald-Tribune's Joe Follick. "They have this image of 30-year-old technology that just isn't there."
Florida's Warm-up Drill
May 10, 2009
Proponents of a recent plan to allow oil drilling off Florida's coast came far too close -- in more ways than one. Their progress has encouraged them to try again next year. And opponents had better be ready.
The legislative proposal -- which would have permitted oil and gas drilling as close as three miles off Florida's Gulf Coast beaches -- surfaced without advance notice, only 10 days before the end of the Legislature's 60-day session. The measure went far beyond any drilling plan previously considered. Congress last year considered a proposal to allow drilling 50 to 100 miles from the U.S. coast, but it was defeated.
Nevertheless, the legislation was quickly and overwhelmingly approved, 70-43, by the Florida House of Representatives.
Fortunately for Floridians who value their tourism-based economy and clean coastal environment more than they do oil-drilling royalties, we have a Florida Senate. And Senate President Jeff Atwater refused to take up the far-reaching, last-minute legislation without what he called a "serious review."
