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Regarding the above article on drilling off of Florida.
"Florida's senators do not want drilling closer to the coastline of their state. Critics of the provision in question fear it would be a precursor to further loosening eastern Gulf drilling bans. "
I wish someone would say " We want to save some oil for our children and grandchildren."
An honest inventory would be good information but opening up new areas for drilling so we can waste it by continuing business as usual seems criminal on a generational scale to me.
Living in Florida, I would like to hear Mr. Nelson say that also. I know it's just a matter of time before you can see rigs from Tampa, but I don't think a inventory at this time is a bad idea either.
neon9,
its very hard to see rigs producing more than 10 miles offshore, due to the horizon line, or wind turbines.
And, some of us actually think they're pretty. Offshore waters should be for the use of all the people, not just the yacht owners in the St. Petersburg harbor.
Bob Ebersole
Bob,
Well, if I had my choice, I'd rather see wind turbines...
As the oil supply depletes it'll only be the yacht owners who can afford it anymore. If they do drill off Florida the "common man" won't see a drop of it by the time those wells actually start producing.
I live in Florida also and think that the main reason that Floridians and some Florida politicians do not want offshore drilling is fear of an oil spill washing onto a beach. Florida is dependent on tourisim and bad press about an oil spill would hurt businesses wherever the oil might wash ashore, not to mention what it would do to marine life.
I agree with those that think that the US should do all possible to make the most of all oil (and all energy) prior to drilling in Florida waters where the possibility of spill could do serious damage to Floridas economy. I noticed that even the CEOs of large oil companies are calling for more oil efficency in autos, homes, businesses, etc. We need an administration that will put energy efficiency at the top of their agenda. Jimmy Carter realized the energy problems and attempted to take action but Americans were too foolish to pay heed...many Americans have very short memories. The current administration is too weakened by other matters, and too discredited by bad decisions to take effective measures to implement energy efficiency. Florida is already hurting as the number two state in mortgage foreclosures, we do not need an environmental disaster. One hurricane or ship hitting an offshore rig could be a nightmare on a nearby beach.
Oil and tar on beaches in Texas are a real drag. Folks down there seem to be used to it and all the hotels and condos pass out free "tar-off" moistened towelettes. Pretty gross. Florida is right to be cautious, but I agree that a survey of what is out there would be a good idea.
Odysseus,
You're right, oil and tar on the beach is a drag, but 99.9% is from natural oil seeps, not from shipping or production. One of the reasons that Texas was an early target for exploration was our oil seeps. Same in California-LaBrea tar pits, Iraq-the ancient Sumerians used pitch as a mortar-and many other areas of the world. If you want I could go on ad nauseum.
The Coast Guard regulations are extremely strict. A ship or rig can't even dump used cooking oil in the water. So while I understand your concern, its based on practices that were stopped 35 years ago.
Bob Ebersole
No kidding! I'd rather use up SA's oil now while things are easy, and have oil for us to use after SA refuses to sell it to the rest of the world due to their own supplies running out. We shouldn't use any more of our own oil until everybody else's has run out. Sure, it's selfish, but would you expect a person to be any other way?
~Durandal (http://www.wtdwtshtf.com/)
You don't think most other producers are having the same thought?
The increasing occurrence of resource nationalisation tells you they are... with the exception of some countries who seem actually to believe in the concepts of globalisation and free markets rather than just paying lip service to them
Let the hoarding begin.
And now they're even hoarding uranium. The nerve!
There's no need to.
If the pace at which we use up the stuff teaches you one thing, it's that we possess the unbridled optimism that our children and grandchildren will be a hell of a lot smarter than we are. If we weren't confident in that, we wouldn't be doing this, right?
And after all, what's wrong with optimism? It's morning in America (and Iraq, and Darfur, and Zimbabwe). You may be too daft and thick and stupid to do anything but squander it as fast as you can, but that seed you've spawn will move seamlessly into cold fusion, free-point and sub-atomic refuting of thermodynamics.
Plus, if for some unforeseen reason they wouldn't turn out to be that gifted, if they're more like you, let's say, they'd probably only use the remaining oil to blow each other to Kingdom Come.
Better use it now, just in case. It's win-win-win.
Don't forget morning in Somolia...
As for your win-win-win scenario, you could call it the w-trifecta. Hope for the future. Optimism of the present. Fear of the past.
I'd rather see solar on roofs, wind turbines offshore and reasonable drilling. We need it all.
The Gulf is gas prone in the continental shelf areas east of the Mississippi. One big problem is gas pipelines. Florida has practicaly no sales pipelines in the central and southern regions because of no production. Doesn't Tampa already import LNG? Bob Ebersole
I would support knowing what is down there. I might not want the Oil drilled out right now, but I would certainlly want to know how much we might have there as a cushion.
We are depending on Oil from other coutries that we should not depend on, this would be our oil, not anything we would have to pay through the teeth for. Cost of extraction and if we had too, make it a state run affair. But in the end we would want to have this cushion for at least the chemicals we would get out of it.
come a future of climate change, most of Florida will be salt water marsh lands and the people will be living a bit further north in the hills of Georgia.