The Spectacle Blog
Florida, Can You Spare Some Oil?
The Miami Herald headline writers show their anti-energy development bias (NIMBY!) with today’s headline, “Obama offshore drilling plan spares South Florida,” as though it had averted some kind of disaster.
The Miami Herald headline writers show their anti-energy development bias (NIMBY!) with today’s headline, “Obama offshore drilling plan spares South Florida,” as though it had averted some kind of disaster:
South Florida’s coastline would not be affected under the plan. Previous federal studies have found little oil and gas there.
Obama, who wants Congress to act on climate change legislation, has sought to reach out to Republicans by signaling he is open to domestic energy exploration and steps to curb global warming. But a number of Republicans panned the proposal, saying it keeps more promising areas of oil and gas exploration, including California and Alaska, off limits.
“The President’s plan is flawed because it fails to open the Alaskan and Pacific coasts to drilling but allows oil rigs off the eastern Gulf of Mexico, threatening our natural resources and tourism-based economy,” said Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota.
Recent polls have suggested that Floridians may be wavering in their opposition to drilling.
The story is loaded with quotes from opponents. Meanwhile, Daniel Kish of the Institute for Energy Research writes today in the Washington Examiner that Obama’s plan opens no new territories for drilling:
The spin from his image-makers was clear - a major shift in policy was underway, which would open new areas on the Atlantic Coast to drilling. He would even allow drilling off of Virginia. But these areas were already open for drilling, following a national outcry in the summer of 2008 when the price of oil reached $150 per barrel.
President Bush and the Democratic Congress acted then to drop the decades-long embargo on U.S. oil and gas supplies, leaving only a small area in the eastern Gulf of Mexico off limits for energy production.
The only holdup since then to leasing U.S. waters has been the foot-dragging of his choice for Secretary of Interior, Ken Salazar.
Meanwhile, in other news brought to you by the Herald:
- South Florida was spared heavy rains and flooding that have plagued the Northeast
- South Florida was spared the terror inflicted by serial killer Rodney Alcala
- South Florida was spared an objective news reporting approach on energy by the Miami Herald.
View all comments (11) | Leave a comment
Related Blog Posts
More Blog Posts by Paul Chesser
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/04/01/florida-can-you-spare-some-oil
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
SPONSORED LINKS
FLASHBACK TO: 1995
-
Pope Culture
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
-
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
-
Dames at Sea
-
In the Absence of Guns
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
-
The Metaphysical Martini
-
Counting the Costs of Clintonism
The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
-
Chuck McHagel
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
-
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted
-
It’s the Best Time of the Year
The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
-
The Bush Crack-Up
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
Clip of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
ITSA PLOY| 4.1.10 @ 11:15AM
P L O Y
This is a well timed political maneuver. Nothing more, nothing less.
Ob has read the tea leaves and wants to cool the center-right even though it will bring wrath from a segment of the left. Just a matter of applying political leverage at the right time. Before the election it was all about clean energy. That message resonated with the entire left. Now, it’s about robbing power from the energy debate before the coming election & creating a diversion for environmental pursuits. Timing is everything. Ask Ob’s squeak toy Gibbs. He’ll tell you so with a straight face as long as the cameras are rolling.
We could have been accessing huge reserves of oil & NG long ago without the offshore debate. Don’t believe me? Google “USGS Bakken.”
owyheewine| 4.2.10 @ 9:48AM
This is a typical lawyer lie by deception. The areas that are opened up are only marginally attractive. The areas locked up contain the best propsects for real significant production.
The second lie by deception is that the areas are suddenly opened up. Every new area has caveats attached that will delay by years or maybe decades any meaningful drilling and production. I'm sure the strategy is to make the annointed one look thoughtful and open to energy development.
If you believe that I do have some nice waterfront land that you might be interested in.
Anita Stewart | 4.2.10 @ 9:21PM
This DOES affect S. Florida and the areas that have been opened up are much less than the 125 miles that are supposedly in force now. Here is the plan including maps from the Department of the Interior:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=127ba78cc6015c10&mt=application/pdf&url=https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=de4892076c&view=att&th=127ba78cc6015c10&attid=0.1&disp=attd&zw&sig=AHIEtbR42rz-L5hAkcSk0Og-5W9sdbYzSA
louis vuitton | 4.26.10 @ 10:41PM
This illustrates the awkward position red- and purple-district Democrats find themselves in after a year of tough votes forced by the Obama administration and the congressional Democratic leadership. canada goose another ACORN revelation (presumably from the O'Keefe/Giles video duo) is coming tomorrow, and he characterized it as "devastating.