The Florida House of Representatives celebrates Earth Day… by passing a bill allowing off-shore drilling
April 22nd, 2009 by Susan Nilon in News, Politics, Sarasota-Manatee
In 1969, Wisconson Sen. Gaylord Nelson, conceived the idea of a nationwide grassroots demonstration on the subject of the environment. The story goes that Senator Nelson was so outraged by what he saw when he took a trip to see the devastation of an oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara California that he went back to Washington and passed a bill designating April 22 as a national day to celebrate the earth. Earth Day (April 22, 1970) marked the first day of the modern environmental movement.
Flash forward 39 years and you will begin to appreciate the irony of yesterday’s exploits in the Florida House of Representatives. The House passed the Enviornmental Control Bill, HB 1219, which will lift the ban of off-shore drilling off the coast of Florida and allow Gov. Crist and his cabinet to grant leases to oil companies for gas and oil exploration, and allow the construction of oil rigs three miles off the coast of Florida. The Senate is currently working on their version of the same bill.
HB1219 was introduced by Representative Cannon (R-Winter Park) yesterday morning without any warning. It was well planned because his crew had been working on it for three weeks under the radar. If the politicians are supposed to be doing the people’s will, how is it possible that no one other than Rep. Cannon’s crew knew about this? Environmentalists have been pounding the hallways of the capitol for months working on the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and promoting the support of renewable energy to meet the Governor’s goal of 20 percent Renewable Energy by 2020. Without any indication by the House of Representatives that off-shore drilling was going to be introduced and voted on in one day, the people were given no opportunity to present their arguments and/or considerations. How is it that the House had time to work on off-shore drilling, but can’t seem to move on the governor’s goal for renewable energy.
Why does it feel like back-room politics?
The truth is, off-shore drilling is just a panacea for our problems.
Fifteen years is what it takes to have an oil rig up and running. Assuming that they are actually sucessful at finding oil off our coast, where will that leave us? Are the oil companies agreeing to reduce the use of foriegn oil gallon by gallon for every barrel that they produce here? And what about the fact that the release of carbon dioxide into the air at the current levels is dangerously altering the climate?
What we should be asking is “Where is Gov. Crist in all of this?” He set the goals for the RPS. Why haven’t we heard a word from him? If back-room politics is the way to play, then the House and the Senate just showed thier hand. Gov. Crist will now have the power to either sign off-shore leases or veto the bill. He also has the power to demand an RPS that meets his 20-percent goal without nuclear and coal.
Will Governor Crist follow in the footsteps of Sen. Nelson and champion the environment for the sake of the people? Gov. Crist, the future of renewable energy lies in your hands. What will you do?
April 22nd, 2009 at 8:36 am
They are just ridding the Earth of of the toxic crude.
Look at it as if the Earth is getting an enema, which is healthy!
/Why is our state run by substandard individuals *facepalm*?
April 22nd, 2009 at 10:17 am
Good point, JP. We should thank these guys! Stupid dinosaur bones…
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:30 am
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April 27th, 2009 at 7:54 am
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April 30th, 2009 at 7:52 am
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June 5th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
[...] “The Florida House of Representatives celebrates Earth Day… by passing a bill allowing off-shore dr…” April 22nd, 2009 by Susan Nilon [...]
June 5th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Oil rigs three miles off the coast of Florida will harm our our waters and our tourism. We have a confirmed sighting of a whale shark 35 miles off the coast of Tarpon Springs. Just think of the unique aquatic life that is three miles off of our coast and how quickly things will die due to oil spills. More oil is not the answer.
June 25th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
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October 20th, 2009 at 1:33 am
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