Time to ascend the soapbox again on this topic.
I agree with those contending that drilling for oil nearshore or offshore will probably not result in environmental destruction. I base this on my experiences growing up in Louisiana. I have to laugh at those who talk about Louisiana's beaches and wetlands as though they look like Prince William Sound after the Valdez spill. The fact is that the beach in Louisiana is muddy, dank, dirty and the water is brown. Not because of oil, mind you, but because of a certain river you might have heard of named the Mississippi. Does that mean the beach is ugly? Well, that depends on your point of view;they are beautiful to marine life and host what I dare speculate is the richest biomass in the country. They also call like sirens to anglers, crabbers, shrimpers, hunters, birders and naturalists. But they are ugly in the sense that they do not shimmer and glow white like our beloved Florida panhandle beaches.
What is interesting to me is the fact that drilling proponents try to ease our fears by noting that petroleum processing will take place in Louisiana or Texas. Well, let me once again shout it out-Louisiana's coast is DISAPPEARING! Not slowly, but quickly. Why? First, and most important, building levees prevents natural river flooding that naturally would dump sediment into the marshes to renourish them after hurricanes, high tide, etc. Secondly, and more important to note for Floridians, is the effect petroleum companies have had. They have cut a patchwork of canals in the marsh over time, and these certainly have contributed to the washaway. You might figure that the petroleum companies might be willing to step up to the plate and fix what they have damaged, but you would be wrong. Hundreds, if not thousands of these cuts remain today, disappearing only after they have been consumed by open water, along with the terra firma surrounding them. So it makes you wonder, if they are not willing to 'make it right' in light of the devastating hurricanes that have struck Louisiana over the last few years, made deadlier in part by the wetland destruction, what might they be willing to overlook in Florida?
I propose that before ANY new waters be open to drilling, FIX Louisiana's wetlands first! Doesn't that make sense in light of the fact that much of the petroleum scheduled for extraction in Florida is supposed to be brought to Louisiana for processing?
Please take a few minutes to view the attached video to get a better understanding of where I am coming from!
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKMogtYhduU&feature=channel"]YouTube- America's Energy Coast[/ame]
