Stop Florida Oil Drilling Deal
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kchFLA
Guest
The one thing that people fail to mention in these threads is in the Panhandle this goes beyond pollution. There is concern that it could impact Eglin's Mission. I don't know the validity of that since a lot of what is done is classified weapons testing. But it is still a concern.
And the argument that the other states already have wells; that's like telling your parents "everybody else has XXXX" why can't I. I also think everyone would agree that the Panhandle's beaches with the fluffy white sand is unique. Walton County has coastal dune lakes - lakes that open up every so often letting salt water in and fresh water out. I believe the only other place this occurs is in Africa. I personally don't trust that pollution isn't a problem with these unique natural resources.
And the middle east argument has a flaw of its own. If I remember correctly Canada and Venezuela are ahead of the middle east - i.e. we import more from those countries.
And the argument that the other states already have wells; that's like telling your parents "everybody else has XXXX" why can't I. I also think everyone would agree that the Panhandle's beaches with the fluffy white sand is unique. Walton County has coastal dune lakes - lakes that open up every so often letting salt water in and fresh water out. I believe the only other place this occurs is in Africa. I personally don't trust that pollution isn't a problem with these unique natural resources.
And the middle east argument has a flaw of its own. If I remember correctly Canada and Venezuela are ahead of the middle east - i.e. we import more from those countries.
SuPrBuGmAn
Contributor
I don't know anything about Eglin's mission, so I won't comment on that.
FL panhandle is NOT the only place with white sands. Gulf Shores, AL has sugary white sands as well as oil rigs. Its not so apparent at the moment, not because of any oil drilling, but because of not-so-picky dredging practices. We didn't dredge only the purests sands back to the beach, like Destin did. We just sucked up whatever was directly offshore, which happened to be quite a bit dirtier than our normal white sands. The sands are naturally coming back to their normal conditions however. Destin's sands would look far less pure if they dredged sand directly off their coasts like coastal AL has done. A few more years(with a lack of needing to dredge again) and the sands here in Gulf Shores will be sugary white again.
Bringing up the rigs off AL, MS, LA, and TX has nothing to do with "everybody else has XXXX". It has to do with, the rigs at those locations having brought in a tremendous amount of marine ecosystems, just like any other artificial reef, in addition to jobs and more domestic oil. The existing Gulf rigs are mentioned because they show first hand how they can create ecosystems. They set a precedence, its wise not to ignore whats been learned.
Canada, Venezuela, Middle-East, whoever; whats it matter if we don't have to import from them. Providing for ourselves seems to be a much better alternative than importing oil from any other country, middle-east or not.
FL panhandle is NOT the only place with white sands. Gulf Shores, AL has sugary white sands as well as oil rigs. Its not so apparent at the moment, not because of any oil drilling, but because of not-so-picky dredging practices. We didn't dredge only the purests sands back to the beach, like Destin did. We just sucked up whatever was directly offshore, which happened to be quite a bit dirtier than our normal white sands. The sands are naturally coming back to their normal conditions however. Destin's sands would look far less pure if they dredged sand directly off their coasts like coastal AL has done. A few more years(with a lack of needing to dredge again) and the sands here in Gulf Shores will be sugary white again.
Bringing up the rigs off AL, MS, LA, and TX has nothing to do with "everybody else has XXXX". It has to do with, the rigs at those locations having brought in a tremendous amount of marine ecosystems, just like any other artificial reef, in addition to jobs and more domestic oil. The existing Gulf rigs are mentioned because they show first hand how they can create ecosystems. They set a precedence, its wise not to ignore whats been learned.
Canada, Venezuela, Middle-East, whoever; whats it matter if we don't have to import from them. Providing for ourselves seems to be a much better alternative than importing oil from any other country, middle-east or not.
OCDinNC
Guest
It would be cool if we didn't have to drill wells, didn't have to buy oil from dictatorial-type countries (heck, fom ANYBODY), didn't have to pay $3/gal for fuel...
Hey, it would be cool if we didn't have to work for a living, if summer lasted all year long, if chocolate ice cream were free...
Who are we kidding? We live in the real world; we have what we've got. And what we have is lives dependent upon energy, and lots of it. Everything we use is made with it, or uses it in some way. I live in NC, but I LOVE to come to FL to dive. Guess what, it takes me a lot of gas or diesel to get there. Sometimes I fly: jet fuel. I bet it even takes energy to make neoprene wetsuits!
So lets drill the oil out and dive the platforms.
Hey, it would be cool if we didn't have to work for a living, if summer lasted all year long, if chocolate ice cream were free...
Who are we kidding? We live in the real world; we have what we've got. And what we have is lives dependent upon energy, and lots of it. Everything we use is made with it, or uses it in some way. I live in NC, but I LOVE to come to FL to dive. Guess what, it takes me a lot of gas or diesel to get there. Sometimes I fly: jet fuel. I bet it even takes energy to make neoprene wetsuits!
So lets drill the oil out and dive the platforms.
billblack
Registered
Not to be argumentative, but... All the oil produced goes on the world market. Whether we buy it directly from the Saudi royal family, the little wacko that is in charge of Venezuela, or our pals in Canada, we compete for it in what amounts to a global auction. If the Chinese (for instance...the largest growing economy on the planet) care to pay more for oil than we do,they'll get it and we won't. If the Middle East goes offline the global oil pool goes short and the price goes up. I heard a prediction by an ex-CIA director that if the Saudi fields were to go offline for any reason, the market price was predicted (by their model) to top $200 @ barrel.
Maybe I am just a paranoid old guy, but I spent 20 years in the natural gas production business- most all of them when it was just barely making money- and I don't believe our economy could stand much 200 dollar oil.
If oil prices stay in these rarified regions...$50-$70 per barrel, all those alternative energy sources start to look economical. I suppose, though, that offshore wind generators are going to be protested because they are unsightly. Nuclear power is the target of constant fear mongering, hydroelectric power interferes the natural flow of rivers. Perhaps all those folks who are strict conservationist could stop using all outside energy sources as an example to the rest of us. I don't know if it would help, but they'd sure be a lot quieter without phones, faxes and Internet access.
Rant concluded.
Maybe I am just a paranoid old guy, but I spent 20 years in the natural gas production business- most all of them when it was just barely making money- and I don't believe our economy could stand much 200 dollar oil.
If oil prices stay in these rarified regions...$50-$70 per barrel, all those alternative energy sources start to look economical. I suppose, though, that offshore wind generators are going to be protested because they are unsightly. Nuclear power is the target of constant fear mongering, hydroelectric power interferes the natural flow of rivers. Perhaps all those folks who are strict conservationist could stop using all outside energy sources as an example to the rest of us. I don't know if it would help, but they'd sure be a lot quieter without phones, faxes and Internet access.
Rant concluded.
BHB ScubaTroll
Contributor
Please, don't stop the Florida Oil Drilling Deal
There are known accumulations of petroleum---large ones--significant ones---off California but they cannot be drilled due to their strict environmental laws. Why is Florida risking damaging their ecosytems and toursit revenue for a shot in the dark? It will create a huge and ugly infrastructure like the mess all around Houston and Louisiana around Baton rouge and New orleans---ugly, polluting, cancerous mess.
One thing, I happen to be a petroleum geologist and I did work in the field for a decade and I have a MS plus in the Geology and I did participate in internal surveys for petroleum within the eastern Gulf and the results are not promising but not completely unfortuante either--unfortuantely. Not totally bleak but not terribly exciting. There are structures but for there to be a commerical reserve you need a source rock, a trap (structure/fault/stratigraphic trap--facies change), and a conduit for migration of the petroleum to the trap and a few other things. All requirments must be met, example, a structural or stratigraphic trap with no source is nothing of value. The Sunnyland field in Cental Florida is an interesting field case. Thus, petroleum is not unheard of or impossible. There are deep prospects in the Gulf that are more promising than coastal Florida. I think I might prefer a few oil rigs than ugly wind plants spoiling the view for hundreds of miles. Talk about an eco nightmare.
Why don't we just pave the planet and kill everything and get it over with.
N
One thing, I happen to be a petroleum geologist and I did work in the field for a decade and I have a MS plus in the Geology and I did participate in internal surveys for petroleum within the eastern Gulf and the results are not promising but not completely unfortuante either--unfortuantely. Not totally bleak but not terribly exciting. There are structures but for there to be a commerical reserve you need a source rock, a trap (structure/fault/stratigraphic trap--facies change), and a conduit for migration of the petroleum to the trap and a few other things. All requirments must be met, example, a structural or stratigraphic trap with no source is nothing of value. The Sunnyland field in Cental Florida is an interesting field case. Thus, petroleum is not unheard of or impossible. There are deep prospects in the Gulf that are more promising than coastal Florida. I think I might prefer a few oil rigs than ugly wind plants spoiling the view for hundreds of miles. Talk about an eco nightmare.
Why don't we just pave the planet and kill everything and get it over with.
N
del_mo:
387 posts. I was involved in the original debate. Cuba and China are going to be drilling near the Dry Tortugas in a joint effort.
Ive actually written my Senators several times to encourage them to allow drilling. Florida cant be selfish, and the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.
billblack
Registered
387 posts?
Hmmmm...so...who won?
Hmmmm...so...who won?
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