Bay State faces political reality of offshore drilling

[YankeyMCC]

(snip)
Environmentalists and fishermen, who pitched hard-fought battles in the 1970s and 1980s to protect New England's prime fishing grounds from offshore drilling, say they are dismayed to learn that new legislation, to be voted on as early as today in Washington, could open Georges Bank to oil and gas companies.

Changes in technology and the political atmosphere have made drilling a political reality once again, despite failed explorations off Massachusetts a generation ago.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, facing political pressure from high gas prices and a struggling economy, has backed off her emphatic opposition to offshore drilling. With a congressional drilling ban set to expire Sept. 30, she announced the outlines of a proposal last week that would, with state approval, allow drilling as close as 50 miles from shore on both coasts, although Massachu setts is not likely to allow that, the state's top environmental official said. Even without a state's OK, the legislation would allow drilling 100 miles offshore. If the ban expires, drilling would be legal as close as 3 miles from shore.
(snip)

(snip)
Offshore drilling, on Georges Bank and elsewhere, is bad policy, environmentalists and many fishermen argue. "Basically, it's keeping us stuck addicted to oil and in the energy past," said Warner Chabot, vice president of the environmental group Ocean Conservancy
(snip)

(snip)
Pelosi "doesn't want some of the Democratic members - especially from the more conservative districts, and there are a lot of them - to lose their seats," said former congressman Mickey Edwards, a lecturer at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public & International Affairs at Princeton University.
(snip)

my comment: oh no because keeping Seats is so much more important than effective and safe management of the ecology! I understand the need to compromise for the better long term goal but this is going to far.

(snip)
"Even if the technology and economics have changed, the value of Georges Bank as a fishery . . . would set an extremely high bar for opening up the area for any competing uses, like natural gas, that could put those fishery resources at risk," said Secretary Ian Bowles. "Drilling at Georges Bank proved to be a bad idea 30 years ago, and we have no reason to believe it would be a good idea today."
(snip)

(snip)
"This is the same piece of ocean that people have tons of regulations to protect from overfishing, habitat destruction, you name it," said Angela Sanfilippo, president of the Gloucester Fishermen's Wives' Association, a nonprofit promoting the fishing industry. It is outrageous "now to even think they would open it up to drilling."
(snip)

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2008/09/16/bay_state_faces_political_reality_of_offshore_drilling/

[curse10]

1. Grrrrrrrrrr

How can we get these idiots to realize that offshore drilling will do nothing but make things worse???? It's not even a band-aid for the problem. It's like one stitch on a gash that needs 120.

[YankeyMCC]

2. Looks like Markey did some good work

at least getting some protection language into the Bill:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/09/17/us_house_approves_offshore_drilling/?page=2

"(a) In general.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this or any other Federal law, no lease or other authorization may be issued by the Federal Government that authorizes exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas in—

(1) any marine national monument or national marine sanctuary; or

(2) the fishing grounds known as Georges Bank in the waters of the United States, which is one of the largest and historically important fishing grounds of the United States.

(b) Identification of coordinates of Georges Bank.—The Secretary of Commerce, after publication of public notice and an opportunity for public comment, shall identify the specific coordinates that delineate Georges Bank in the waters of the United States for purposes of subsection (a)."

[fascisthunter]

3. I'm Sick of all the Bullshit... the lies just continue

and politicians use them as cover.... disgusting.