Oil & Water Don't Mix: Stop Offshore Oil

Oil and Water Still Don't Mix: Stop Offshore Oil Drilling in Fragile Marine Areas; Protect Our Coral Reefs with a Sustainable Energy Policy

"The nation's anger over rising gas prices has produced some theatrics at the White House, in Congress and on the presidential campaign trail," reports H. Josef Hebert of the Associated Press. "But the politically charged proposals have little chance of becoming law - and even if they did, motorists would not see any relief."

The New York Times editorial of 6/19/08 says that "This is worse than a dumb idea. It is cruelly misleading. It will make only a modest difference, at best, to prices at the pump, and even then the benefits will be years away. It diverts the public from the tough decisions that need to be made about conservation."

President Bush has proposed opening up areas of America's Outer Continental Coast that have been off limits to offshore oil exploration and development for the past 27 years, including areas of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico that would have debilitating impacts on the downstream coral reefs of the Florida Keys. Presidential candidates and Congressmen are generally following party lines - Democrats opposed and Republicans in support. Governors in California (R), North Carolina (D) and New Jersey (D) are just saying "No." One remarkable exception in Florida is Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R) who is on record saying: "Our energy policy should not completely disregard the importance of protecting our environment."

Florida's Gov. Charlie Crist now supports drilling. His position is a stark reversal for the governor, who is seen as a possible vice presidential pick. The decision puts him at odds with Floridians who derive the bulk of their livelihoods from marine industries related to the coral reefs, beaches, fishing, and tourism.

The Eastern Gulf of Mexico is where some domestic oil companies hope to drill. Wells in the Western Gulf are grossly profitable right now. The problem is that the Gulf Loop Current would carry toxic drilling muds that contain mercury, lead and cadmium into the fragile breeding and nursery grounds for shrimp and lobster in the lower Florida Keys and then up the reef tract. The routine discharge of thousands of gallons of toxic pollutants would also include benzene, arsenic, naphthalene, zinc and toluene as well as radioactive agents. These continuing discharges would further degrade the already endangered coral reef ecosystem that sustains the Florida Keys commercial fishing and tourism economy. Add to that accidental spills (a routine occurrence on rigs), hurricane damage, or a tanker accident and beaches all over Florida could be affected. It just doesn't make sense to risk losing Florida's biologically rich coral reef ecosystem.

Reef Relief has been on record opposing offshore oil development in fragile marine areas such as the Florida Keys since 1988 and is part of the OCS coalition of organizations working to protect America's oceans and shores from inappropriate oil development. We received a Point of Light from former President George H. Bush in 1990, while actively opposing oil development affecting Florida. Bush Sr. subsequently recommended a 10 year moratorium. Congressional moratoriums on offshore oil drilling were first established in 1981 and extended since then for good reason. There are better alternatives.

Last year, Lease Sale 181 in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, that will directly impact the Florida Keys, was quietly transferred to Louisiana's jurisdiction so that Florida's long term opposition was circumvented. Louisiana is pursing its development, eager to get a cut of the lease revenues that recent legislation promises. So now, Floridians are partially protected by the 125 mile ban off the coast negotiated last year by Florida Senators and Congressmen. There are 240 current leases in the Eastern Gulf that could be activated by lifting the existing moratorium.

The fiction is that huge deposits of oil are hands-off to the oil industry when in fact, studies by the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Wilderness Society show that roughly two thirds of federal leases - or roughly 68 million acres, are not being drilled. Americans have 3% of global petroleum reserves but consume 24% of it. It's time for the Sunshine State and our federal government to adopt solar and other renewal energy sources. If we subsidized this instead of oil companies, we would not be experiencing an energy crisis.

Oil prices have spiked because of stock market speculators and oil companies are making record-breaking profits. Legislation to tax the industry and reform the securities market is going nowhere, despite its potential to help solve the price problem. And energy tax credits for solar and other renewables were not renewed by this same Congress recently.

Take Action Now to Save Coral Reefs!

Frankly, we need your help now. The political momentum to risk fragile coral reefs by expanding offshore oil development is growing, despite its irrelevance to gas prices. Please contact your Congressmen and Florida's Governor Crist to let them know you oppose offshore oil development in fragile marine areas such as the Florida Keys coral reefs. Tell them to end oil subsidies now and invest in solar and other renewable energy sources that provide a sustainable future for us all. We can't drill our way out of the energy crisis!

To find the email for your representatives, go to: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

Contact Florida Governor Charlie Crist at Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com or call (850) 488-7146.

Thank you. Together we can make a difference for coral reefs.

Reef Relief is a global nonprofit membership organization dedicated to preserve and protect living coral reef ecosystems. Be A Sea Fan! Help sustain these efforts by becoming a dues-paying member today. All donations tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Contact Reef Relief online to make a secure donation. Email us at reef@reefrelief.org. Call (305) 294-3100 or write to Reef Relief, Post Office Box 430, Key West, Florida 33041-0430. When in Key West, visit us at the Reef Relief Environmental Center, 631 Greene Street. Your support makes it all possible!