Companies begin quest for oil, gas off Florida

[Alicia Leonard]

Record crude prices fuel backing for exploration off nation's shores


PENSACOLA, Fla. - Oil companies once viewed drilling in the deep waters off Florida as cost prohibitive. Politicians feared even the slightest sign of support would be career suicide.No more. Record crude oil prices are fueling support for oil and natural gas exploration off the nation's shores. In Florida, movement was under way even before President Bush called on Congress last month to lift a federal moratorium that's barred new offshore drilling since 1981.



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25534266/

 

[jodiFL]

Hopefully now that there is not a Bush here as governor (although Crist's about- face has me worried) we will have a shot at blocking this yet again. I was REALLY afraid that the one last thing Jeb would do before he left office would be to allow this to happen. As much as I would love for the US to be self-sufficient when it comes to oil, I DONT think it should be done at the expense of our environment, or quality of life. By that I mean, by possibly ruining the area that most Americans come to vacation and relax and enjoy the gulf. I realize we have alot more coastline in this country but our area is the only protected shores that are not on a OCEAN, with the waves, temperatures, etc. that the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans have. Big oil just needs to be told "BACK OFF B*t*H" and be made to update their refineries and oil producing methods before we let them invade our back yards to line their pockets.

 

[Matt J]

How about instead of being "oil self-sufficient" we become "oil independent"?

 

[futurebeachbum]

Hopefully now that there is not a Bush here as governor (although Crist's about- face has me worried) we will have a shot at blocking this yet again.

Yeah, it would be a shame for us to step in and take some of the oil that China (thru Cuba) has its eyes on.