From The Energy Front: Florida House Says DRILL

Now we just need the Senate to follow their lead.

Hey folks,

As you know, there is this major push to become Energy Independent. To seek out alternative Energy and remove ourselves off of Oil. That is great. I agree. Yet the reality of the situation is this. THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE ENERGY! Not yet.

For us to get off Oil, we have to:

1- Find the Alternative Energy Source.
2- Find a way to harvest it.
3- Find a way to mass produce it. Convert it into something we can use.
4- Find a way to make it available on a mass scale.

We are DECADES away from doing this. We have not really if started step one yet. Wind, Solar? Of course these are possibilities. But do we even have the technology yet in which to do anything with it? Nope.

True story folks. I ran into a guy installed a Solar Panel on a house. I called him down off the roof and said "I'm interested in making my home completely Solar. I want to be off the grid. What would something like that cost me?" His reply? Oh, we don't do that. This is for their pool. I do not know any company in Florida that will do the entire home. But you would be looking at about $20,000 plus. Just a guess though."

That would be just one house. Mine. No company in Florida, the "SUNSHINE STATE" does entire Solar Houses? Yet some think that tomorrow we will be a Solar Nation? No folks. We have the answer. While we pursue the Dream of Alternative Energy, we can be Energy Independent, TOMORROW. {Relatively speaking} All we have to do is use what we have more of then anyone else in the World. As long as we use what makes the World Economy RUN. Oil.

Turns out that the Florida House had a Vote on Drilling off the coast of Florida. To say it passed is an understatement. It passed 70-43. Now of course there were those that hate this. Those that out of lack of understanding, or them being agenda driven, made the normal uneducated statements.

"This is something serious, a dagger in the heart of the economy in my district and the districts of other coastal communities," said Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, a Sarasota Democrat. "Just the smallest of spills will send people elsewhere."

Could you name me a major spill? All those hurricanes that came right through the Drilling area, NOT ONE DROP? Can you tell me in the years of Drilling where the economic destruction EVER happened? Please Representative Fitzgerald, please tell us.

"History will judge us on this vote, whether it be 10 years or 20 years," said Rep. Richard Steinberg, D-Miami Beach. "We are gambling with the future of Florida."

Yeah? I bet it will pay off BIG TIME! Gov. Crist said this.

"It may have some promise. What I mean by that is if the technology can be proven, if it can be shown to be safe, I'm sympathetic to the notion we might be able to be more independent in terms of weaning off our dependence on foreign oil," Crist said.

It HAS been proven. Now we just have to do it. Not to mention more than $6 billion annually for the state and create more than 16,000 jobs. That should help boost Florida's economy.

API President Jack Gerard comments on Florida House vote on offshore development
WASHINGTON - American Petroleum Institute President Jack Gerard today issued the following statement on the Florida House’s overwhelming passage of a bill to authorize oil and natural gas development in Florida state waters:

“Florida’s House of Representatives - like the majority of Americans - recognizes that domestic oil and natural gas development is necessary to preserve and create jobs, generate revenues for cash-strapped state and local governments and bolster America’s energy security. It also recognizes the nation’s oil and gas industry uses state-of-the art technology and strict operating practices to ensure that any development would be done in a way that protects both the environment and state’s vital tourism industry. We hope that the state’s Governor and its Senate can see the wisdom in the House proposal, and re-open the door to offshore oil and gas development that would benefit not only Florida but the entire nation.”

AMEN! You see what happens when people get educated with FACTS, instead of just blindly repeated false talking points. We make progress. Now to the Senate. Let's hope they open their eyes as well.
Peter

Sources:
Business Week - Fla. House passes bill to allow offshore drilling
API - Press Release