OPPOSITION TO OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING SOFTENING
Monday, June 23rd, 2008With over $4 a gallon of gas, states, like Florida and California, strongly opposed to offshore drilling are now considering it a possibility. “Floridians are suffering, and when you’re paying over $4 a gallon for gas, you have to wonder whether there might be additional resources that we might be able to utilize to bring that price down,” said Republican Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.
McCain, who originally opposed new offshore drilling in 2000, is now supporting lifting the ban initially issued in 1991 by then President George H.W. Bush then extended by President Clinton in 1998. At the moment, much of country’s coastal waters are off-limits to new oil and gas leasing until 2012. However, he continues to oppose drilling in the Arctic refuge.
“For years I have argued that we should avoid offshore drilling and tapping into underground reserves in ANWR [-Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -] until there was an emergency that left us with no choice,” Rep. James T. Walsh (R-N.Y.), a longtime backer of the drilling ban, said recently. “That time has come.”
Not an answer says the Obama campaign. Along with environmental groups, Obama states that offshore drilling would not increase supplies or even lower the price for ten years, which is the approximate time it would take to actually have oil bursting out of the oceans and ready to use.
Additionally, California politicians are fighting the lifting of the ban.
“The people of California feel strongly about protecting the coast of California from offshore drilling. And so do I,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said Tuesday. “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger opposes lifting the moratorium but “still absolutely supports” McCain, said Aaron McLear, a spokesman for the Republican governor. And, by 2020 California would have reduced the carbon emission by 10 percent.
OPPOSITION TO OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING SOFTENING
By Richard Simon and Bob Drogin (LA Times 6/18/08)
And Tamara Lytle (Orlando Sentinel)
William E. Gibson (So. Florida Sun-Sentinel)
Abstract by Johana Nadler