POINT, POINT, COUNTERPOINT: Debating the line in the sand on gulf drilling

POINT: Lawmakers are ignoring the line in the sand

On Feb. 13, 2010, a statewide, bipartisan grass roots protest occurred titled “Hands Across the Sand.”  

Thousands of people around the state on over 80 beaches gathered to send a message to their elected officials that they do not want the near-shore oil drilling industry in our state waters. As its founder, David Rauschkolb, said after the event that “I hope our elected officials are listening.”  

Well, they apparently were listening, but not in the way he hoped. They are choosing to ignore both the “Hands” effort and the voices of 50-plus Chambers of Commerce and military officials — all of whom have voiced opposition to the invasion of our state waters (within ten miles) by the Texas oil industry.  

Four days after Hands Across the Sand, the Florida House of Representatives, through its general government policy council, passed House Memorial 563. A copy of House Memorial 563 can be found by clicking here.

In essence, the text makes bold statements about Florida’s collective statewide opinion on oil production off of Florida’s coast and ultimately resolves and requests that the United States Congress remove the moratorium on exploration and production of oil and natural gas in federal waters surrounding Florida.

Currently, there is a federal limit of 125 miles from Florida’s shores, which prohibits oil and gas exploration.  The memorial, along with its Senate companion piece, makes no attempt to negotiate any number less than 125 and asks the U.S. Congress to open up drilling from the 10-mile mark to the 125-mile mark.

These memorials undermine U.S. Senator Bill Nelson’s efforts to maintain the 125-mile moratorium or, at a minimum, negotiate with the federal government on a reduction of the limit to some level that will still protect and preserve the state of Florida’s economy, military missions and pristine natural environment.

The memorials will go to the House and Senate for vote.  If they are passed by the House and Senate, the resolutions will be sent to the U.S. Congress, the president of the United States, the president of the U.S. Senate, the Speaker of the House and each member of the Florida delegation to the United States Congress purporting to show the resolve of the state of Florida in regard to this issue.

Not a single local elected official, be it our local state representatives or senators, held a town hall or other public forum to tell our community about this historic and important decision to open up all federal waters off our coast as set forth in these resolutions, nor to seek the input of the population. It is a blatant move by our elected officials to ignore our local business, civic and government communities, as well as individual citizens.

Also, in late breaking news, the Florida Senate has filed a bill (SB 2622) last Friday which would allow oil drilling from the beach to the 10-mile mark with easements to the shore for transportation and pipelines and above ground oil rigs three miles from beach.  A similar bill passed the House last year by overwhelming majority. If this bill passes the House and Senate and is signed by Gov. Christ, it becomes law July 2010, this summer.  

This is a full frontal assault on the soul of Florida’s heritage, history, economy and natural environment.

Now that the general legislative session has begun, demand to know your local elected official’s positions on these resolutions.  Let your elected officials know how you feel about this issue and make them understand that the people that have elected them to office are watching and will hold them accountable for their actions.    

David B. Pleat is a Destin attorney and candidate for the Florida House of Representatives District 7 seat.

POINT: Centuries-old book offers a new view of gulf drilling

How far can we see oil rigs from the beach?

I have asked this question of many different people and gotten many different answers. So I looked it up. Nathaniel Bowdich was a ship captain and a bona fide genius. He is my mathematical hero. There is a boat named after him in the harbor captained by my good friend Rex Walley.

Nathaniel B. wrote a book in 1802, "The American Practical Navigator". It's a book known to all deep sea sailors simply as "Bowditch," after the author.

Table No. 8 in the book shows distance of the horizon from any height of eye. It shows that a six foot man, standing at the water's edge can see three miles. If an 80-foot rig was built three miles out, he would see all 80 feet of it. If different heights are concerned, they must be added together before entering the table. Thus, if that six-foot man stood on the 20 ft dunes at Miramar Beach, an 80-foot oil rig would have to be almost 14 miles offshore to be invisible. (6+ 20 + 80 = 106). For a person in a fourteenth floor condo (approximately 150 feet + and 80-foot rig = 230), a rig would have to be 20 miles off the coast to be out of view. TO CHECK OUT THE CHART, CLICK HERE.

It is my experience that normal vision extends about 18 miles to sea, but at night, lights can be seen much further off than that.

Why do I care about this?

My introduction to a life at sea started when I worked as mate on the fishing boat "Lorna Dee" out of Destin in 1967. Captain Darrow Price was my skipper. Since then, I have gotten on bigger and bigger boats and gone further and further. Now I run a research ship for the Navy in the South China Sea. I have been on all the world's oceans and most of its seas. I have seen beaches famous and infamous, and none is better, more beautiful and pristine than the scene at the end of my road in Miramar Beach. Tahiti, Hawaii, the French Riviera, none is better nor even half as beautiful.

I wonder if we know what we have.

I have worked in the oil fields of Louisiana and Texas. They are a mess, as any Destin boatman who has worked out there will tell you. I don't think there is any way to make the operation clean. Production is the prime value there — and drives everything. People make mistakes. I went to California and stood on the beach at Santa Barbara where tar balls wash up in the sand.

I was the only one there. Nobody goes to that beach.

People ask me what Destin was like in 1967, and ask if I'm disappointed in all the changes that have taken place since then. All the condos and the like, they do not bother me. Because when I walk out to the water's edge and look south onto the sea, the view is the same as it ever was.

Capt. John Fink lives in Miramar Beach.

COUNTERPOINT: There’s nothing dirty about drilling, protecting our economy

Last week’s Hands Across The Sand events were an attempt to dissuade lawmakers from passing legislation that would open Florida’s waters to offshore oil and natural gas exploration.  While the events received a lot of attention from the media, many news reports did not reflect the views of a majority of Floridians who do believe it is time to tap into the domestic fuel sources off our shores.  

Contrary to the rhetoric of opponents, those of us who favor increased exploration for oil and natural gas are not looking for a quick fix at the gas pump. We know that is not going to lower the price we pay per gallon.  

What concerns us is our nation’s and our state’s energy future. Without a comprehensive energy plan in place that combines alternative energy, conservation and more domestic energy production, we will face decreased access to energy sources and increased energy costs.  

Further, we are concerned about the implications of rising energy costs on our economy.  Florida has suffered enough job loss in the last year.  Do we really want to compound that by hitting struggling industries and small businesses with higher operating costs thereby forcing them to lay off employees?

Just this week, tourism officials announced a drop in the number of visitors to the state. Policies that result in making it more expensive to bring visitors to Florida certainly will not help revitalize this anchor industry.

For those who say offshore drilling will hurt our tourism industry, I urge you to learn more about the cleaner, safer and less intrusive technologies that can find and extract oil and natural gas without hurting our pristine coastline.  

Protecting our environment and tourism industry is important, but strengthening our economy and energy future for generations to come is paramount.  

Nicolás Gutiérrez, Jr., is Chairman of the FLA Energy Forum, a non-partisan group of Floridians concerned about energy issues affecting the state and he can be reached at flaenergyforum@gmail.com.