Risks Outweigh Benefits of Drilling

Risks Outweigh Benefits of Drilling

Map of Florida State Waters. Click to Enlarge.

As the debate continues over the potential of allowing offshore drilling in Florida's state-controlled waters, which extend 3 miles into the Atlantic Ocean and 10 miles into the Gulf of Mexico, it is important that the public be made aware of not only the environmental consequences of offshore drilling, but also potential economic implications.

These pocketbook issues tend to be a driving force behind voter opinion on the subject, so it is important for us to ensure the public is well-informed. Here we have laid out some of the basic facts about Florida's economy as well as the economic potential (both 'positive' and negative) from allowing drilling rigs near our shores.

Based on these findings, we can say with absolute confidence that the risk of damaging Florida's tourism and fisheries far outweighs any value that could be gained by lifting the current moratorium banning exploration and drilling in our state waters.

Florida's Tourism Industry:

• Tourism brings in nearly $60 billion to Florida each year, which amounts to $3.4 billion in state tax revenues, and directly employs over 900,000 people. It is the state's largest employer¹

• If Gulf Coast counties lost just 10 percent of their tourism and leisure jobs and spending, the estimated losses would be 39,000 jobs and $2.2 billion. If that number is increased to 50%, 195,000 Florida jobs would be eliminated and $10.9 billion lost – and that's just in the Florida Panhandle²

Florida's Fishing Industry:

• Florida is the nation's number one spot for sports fishing, attracting nearly 3 million anglers and accounting for nearly $5 billion in revenue annually³

• Commercial fishing off Florida's coasts generates over $6 billion annually and directly supports nearly 20,000 jobs³

Potential Economic Benefits from Offshore Drilling:

• There are an estimated 236 million barrels of oil and oil equivalents in Florida's state-controlled waters, according to a study commissioned by the Florida Legislature and conducted by the Collins Center for Public Policy⁴

• Global oil usage is approximately 86 million barrels per day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration⁵ Based on that number, Florida's total oil and gas resources amount to little more than a 3 day supply (236 million/86 million).

• The United States uses over 20.8 million barrels of oil per day, while Florida uses nearly 360 million barrels of oil each year⁶ That means Florida's offshore oil and gas resources amount to only 11 days worth of oil nationally and less than a year's worth of oil supply to the state (assuming 100% of the oil came to the state, which is impossible since oil is an internationally traded commodity and there is no state-owned oil company).

• Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama combined bring in between $300-500 million from offshore drilling each year, and the total number of direct offshore drilling jobs comes to just under 12,500 for the entire Gulf of Mexico⁵ Florida could only expect to see a fraction of that number if we allowed rigs off our shores.

Resources:

¹ Florida Department of State. http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/fgils/tourism.html

² University of Central Florida's Institute for Economic Competitiveness. http://www.iec.ucf.edu/post/2010/05/01/Gulf-oil-spill-could-be-disastrous-for-Florida-economy.aspx

³ Florida Wildlife Commission. http://myfwc.com/conservation/Conservation_ValueofConservation_EconSaltwaterImpact.htm

⁴ Collins Center for Public Policy. http://www.collinscenter.org/members/blog_view.asp?id=548214

⁵ U.S. Energy Information Administration. http://www.eia.doe.gov/

⁶ National Priorities Project Database. http://www.statemaster.com/graph/ene_pet_con-energy-oil-consumption

Picture Credit: Collins Center

Read More

Canvassing for Florida's Coasts

Canvassing for Florida's Coasts

This summer, Florida residents can look forward to one of our dedicated and passionate activists knocking at their doors or waving them down in select public areas and events to talk about protecting and restoring our coastal environment.

This is a critical time for Florida's marine environment and coastal economy, and we will be working to engage community members in thousands of one-on-one conversations, build public support for our campaigns, and increase our member base of individuals dedicated to protecting and restoring our most important natural resources.

If you speak with a Save Our Shores! Florida canvasser this summer, please take advantage of the opportunity to sign up as a new member. It is membership support like yours that gives us the resources to tackle the most pressing threats to our marine environment.

For information on how you can work as a canvasser for Save Our Shores! Florida this summer and fall, or to learn more about becoming a member, please send an email to info@sosfla.org

We look forward to speaking with you soon!

Read More

Join Hands Across the Sand on June 25

Join Hands Across the Sand on June 25

In Florida on Saturday, February 13, 2010, a statewide gathering against offshore oil drilling occurred. 10,000 Floridians representing 60 towns and cities and over 90 beaches joined hands to protest the efforts by the Florida Legislature and the U.S. Congress to lift the ban on oil drilling in our coastal waters. The event was the largest gathering in the history of Florida against expanding oil drilling near our shores.

Then on June 26, 2010, in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, Hands Across the Sand went national and global. It became the largest gathering of people in the history of the world united against expanding offshore oil drilling and championing clean energy. Events took place in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Events were also held in 42 countries outside the U.S. Over 1,000 events were held worldwide.

The mission:

The first goal is to bring together like-minded individuals and organizations with the conviction to organize a global movement to promote a clean energy future for our earth and end our dependence on dirty fuel sources. These gatherings will bring thousands of people to our beaches and cities and will draw metaphorical and actual lines in the sand; human lines in the sand against the threats fossil fuels and offshore oil drilling pose to our present and future planet.

The coalition also hopes to convince our State Legislators, Governors, Congress, the President and other world leaders to adopt policies encouraging the growth of clean and renewable energy sources in place of oil and coal.

What to do on June 25:

STEP 1:
Find an event near you by clicking your state on the map located here.

STEP 2:
Go to the beach at 11 AM in your time zone for one hour, rain or shine.

STEP 3:
Join hands for 15 minutes at 12:00 PM in your time zone forming lines in the sand against oil drilling in your coastal waters.

STEP 4:
Leave only your footprints.

STEP 5:
Share pictures and press coverage of your event on our Facebook group.

Read More

Haridopolos Calls for Drilling Near Our Beaches

Haridopolos Calls for Drilling Near Our Beaches

This week, Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos said that new oil drilling is needed in the Gulf of Mexico, a reversal from last year, when, in the wake of the BP spill, he said Florida was going to “turn the page” away from drilling.

Haridopolos, who is now planning to run for U.S. Senate, said that gas prices have changed the paradigm. (*NOTE: Independent research shows that this isn't true. New drilling off Florida wouldn't affect gas prices and would place the state's coastal environment and economy directly in harm's way).

“We have to start drilling, we need to become more self-dependent,” Haridopolos said in the interview. “We need to open up those new opportunities in the Gulf and ANWR (the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge). Four dollars-plus in gasoline is crippling the middle class….America needs to lead by example.”

Haridopolos’ remarks contrast with what he said last July when he acknowledged after the BP oil spill that his previous push for new drilling in the Gulf didn’t account for the possibility of a spill:

“We tried to look at oil and natural gas production in the Gulf. We trusted that, at least in my lifetime … there had not been a major spill,” Haridopolos said then. “But guess what? We went to verify the scenario and it didn’t work for Floridians. So we need to try the unconventional way, the alternative way. We’re going to turn the page.”

Haridopolos, who had been pushing for new drilling in the nearshore Gulf up until the April 20, 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that resulted in the largest oil spill in U.S. history, called that spill “a game changer,” on the issue shortly thereafter.

But in December, he appeared to open the door up to changing his position, putting out a statement after President Obama extended a ban on drilling in the Gulf.

“While now is not the time to open up new drilling because of this summer’s Gulf oil spill, taking it off-the-table is irresponsible,” Haridopolos said in December. “We must ensure that innovative technology guarantees safe drilling and would not impact Florida’s environment or tourism industry. When safe drilling is available, we have an obligation to provide for the long-term economic well-being of our country and state.”

In the months after the spill, there was a federal ban on all new drilling in the Gulf, but that has since been lifted, and new deepwater drilling permits have been issued in the Gulf.

But a 2006 federal moratorium prevents drilling within 125 miles of Panhandle beaches and the state has its own two-decade-old ban on drilling in state waters, which extend about 10 miles from the Florida coast into the Gulf and 3 miles out into the Atlantic.

Lawmakers were close to ending that state water drilling ban when the spill happened. The House had voted to end the ban, but the measure was awaiting a Senate vote. At that time, the idea was scrapped.

Full story here.

How You Can Help:

Become a member of Save Our Shores! Florida and Donate today. Click Here. 

Call Senator Haridopolos and let him know you don't want drilling just 3 miles from Florida's beaches. His Tallahassee office can be reached at (850) 487-5056.

Read More