Virginia ga-ga over offshore drilling

Submitted by scharrison on Mon, 02/08/2010 - 2:30pm

Including its two Democratic Senators:

Virginia could become the first state on the Eastern Seaboard to open its coast to energy exploration since a decades-old federal drilling ban expired more than a year ago.

The new Republican governor, Robert McDonnell, pledged to make Virginia the "energy capital of the East Coast" at his swearing-in last month. The state's Democratic senators, Jim Webb and Mark R. Warner, are also urging the Obama administration to begin selling leases next year for drilling 50 miles offshore.

If Kenneth, Elaine and Cal are reading this, what say you? Where do you stand on offshore drilling?

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Can't wait to see how the Eemm Ess Eemm in NC covers this

Submitted by usernamehere on Mon, 02/08/2010 - 3:46pm.

Will they blindly use terms that provide no context?

Thus speaks Quit-mid-term Palin.

MSM once again fails to challenge blatant lies out of her mouth.

Facts at Media Matters.

Will WRAL talk about "energy supply" or "petroluem produced?"

Will McClatchy-NC fact check any NC politico that speaks about this (pro or con)?

Not holding my breath.

 

Here are some headlines:

Submitted by scharrison on Mon, 02/08/2010 - 4:11pm.

"North Carolina Falls Behind In Race To Drill"

"Virginia Cavalier About Its Resources"

"Drill There Now, Drill Here...Never?"

"Virginia Drinks Our Milkshake! They Drink It Up!"

:)

That last one is gold, I tell 'ya.

Breaking

Submitted by James on Mon, 02/08/2010 - 5:00pm.

VA to C-Bay: Drop Dead

After decades of struggling with the grossly polluted Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads Harbor, Virginia politicians are moving ahead to extend their dark reach to the entire continental shelf.

"Screw a bunch of fish," said Senator Jim Webb. "They don't vote in Virginia, and they don't deliver the oil I need to keep all my SUVs running."

Senator Webb's clone in North Carolina, Waker Andrew Brock, said the same of his state's fragile fisheries. "Fish, schmish, who gives a flying flip," said Brock. "Real men eat red meet, not scaly crap from the ocean. This is America, god damn it. If we can't kill something, why even bother to live?"

James, you are being funny here,

Submitted by loftT on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 10:59am.

right?

Progressives are the true conservatives.

Well, maybe not funny

Submitted by James on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 11:01am.

Sometimes the absurdity of human greed and gluttony gets the best of me. Webb is supporting offshore drilling ... and I know he's smarter than that. Such a sad state of affairs.

Drilling

Submitted by Lawrence on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 9:50am.

Off shore drilling could make a lot of people happy. The more energy we can get from our own resources the less we will need to depend on other countries. Then there are going to be those who are opposed no matter what. So I am sure you are going to have a lively conversation here. ONLINE-CASINO

"Resources"

Submitted by usernamehere on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 10:04am.

The more energy we can get from our own resources the less we will need to depend on other countries

It's a damn shame no one is making use of NC's wind or solar. We've got plenty of that without destroying fisheries -- which happen to be another of "our resources"

NC Fisheries vs. ExxonMobil

Choose up!

 

What "we" can get out of this

Submitted by scharrison on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 10:15am.

is debatable, but I'm sure it won't be what you expect.

Here are some facts about Louisiana's offshore benefits:

In 2001, the Minerals Management Service collected over $7.5 billion in oil and gas revenues from federal offshore leases. Of the $7.5 billion, $5 billion came from offshore Louisiana.
80% of oil and 87% of gas from this nation's offshore waters comes from offshore Louisiana.

On federal lands within a state, the state shares 50% of the revenues. In 2005, Wyoming received over $878 million in revenues.

Outside of 6 miles offshore, Louisiana receives no share of revenue. In 2005, Louisiana received only $32 million, less than of one percent of the federal revenues generated off of its coast.

In 2005, the total revenue collected by MMS from OCS was $5,705,953,872. Offshore Louisiana provided 74.2% of that total.

Louisiana has been trying for decades to get its hands on more than just a pittance of the oil and gas revenues acquired off its shores, from hundreds of platforms. Do you honestly believe North Carolina would fare any better? Even if we got a better (percentage) deal than Louisiana, which is not a foregone conclusion, our volume would be a fraction of what's being sucked out of the Gulf, meaning our payoff would be a fraction of what Louisiana gets, also.

Not to mention the price Louisiana

Submitted by loftT on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 10:56am.

payed in losing their wetlands because of offshore. We know now that NOLA suffered damages because of a poorly designed levee but the storm surge may not have made it inland if there was a buffer that existed before the oil companies destroyed it.

There all sorts of costs to be considered when we sell away rights to big energy.

Progressives are the true conservatives.

And just like the Alaskan pipeline that 'we' built, none of ....

Submitted by denno on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 11:47am.

that oil comes to us. It's sold on the international commodities market and heads to Japan mostly. So now Exxon is running ads on TV to let us know that by 'opening' 'our' federal offshore land to be leased to 'Big oil', it will alleviate our supply of fuel. Just more bullshit for the teabaggers to lap up!

One could also say the Titan Cement Plant or the Navy

Submitted by Stan on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 11:28am.

Landing Field would make lots of people happy. It would make them happy as long as they were receiving some personal gain. Never mind the Navy destroying the Pocosin Wildlife Refuge and hundreds of thousands of swans and geese and other wildlife with poisons, and never mind the air, sea and aquifer pollution Titan will bring.

People need to get a grip on what all this REALLY means to our future and our lives. It's not all about money and jobs....those things are temporary. The damage is permanent.

Beyond wind and solar there are other renewable energy sources...like HEMP....but we couldn't possibly grow that (even though it's not the kind one smokes) becuz just the word HEMP makes legislators wince. That's because they all have such high moral standards and such, ya know! The same folks that legalize gambling...

Stan Bozarth

HEMP, HEMP, HEMP!!!!

Submitted by loftT on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 1:42pm.

Do you think I'll be drummed out of the NC Democratic Party if I write a resolution in favor of agricultural hemp? Didn't that happen to some poor guy a few years ago?

I'm so fed up with the feigned stupidity that our legislators posture around this issue.

Progressives are the true conservatives.

Hemp And more Hemp help is on the way!

Submitted by MadameJusticeWatch on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 1:58pm.

Do you think I'll be drummed out of the NC Democratic Party if I write a resolution in favor of agricultural hemp? Didn't that happen to some poor guy a few years ago?* Loft T

Nope! We got them outnumber now! Hemp is everywhere and has a vast majority in the new marketplace of real ideas....In fact! George Washington grew the stuff by the wagon loads........Hemp floated the Brit Navy for a 100 years not counting the American Navy.......Hemp was the rope on the Ships........

http://www.hempusa.org/product_info.php?cPath=6&products_id=24

I like it.... Instead of the tired ole cliches

Submitted by Stan on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 3:42pm.

about "Help (hope) is on the way..." it can become "Hemp is on the way." Corse, sum durn nawtherner ewl jus thank we'z tawkin wif marbles in our moufs......

Hep me.....jeebus. :-)

Stan Bozarth

I am with you loftT

Submitted by Foxtrot on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 3:40pm.

Hemp is a lot of things for a lot of people . It should not be illegal to grow and, at the end of the day, any use of it should not be illegal.

Good post.

___________________________________________________
“Discussion is an exchange of knowledge; argument is an exchange of ignorance" __ Robert Quillen

another idea that will not happen in my lifetime

Submitted by momoaizo on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 3:55pm.

is that electric companies invest in solar panels for everyone. They could just build it on everyone's roof and charge them about $150.00 or so per month. There wouldn't be a need for nuclear power plants or coal power plants AND we would have power even if the local lines are knocked down.

Makes too much sense doesn't it?

Hmmmm

Submitted by Foxtrot on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 4:09pm.

Well, now, Momo, that is certainly a great "pie in the sky" kind of thing, but there are just so many difficulties currently with solar power, it probably will "not happen in my lifetime". Be great, though, if technology could get that done for us. I support the effort. I would far rather use tax dollars to develop such a thing than to throw away tax dollars on "bridges to nowhere" and piers out of the NC coast and so forth.

I will just evade discussing the nuclear power issue with you because I am a proponent of that and all we would do is banter around everything that has ever been said on that issue from both sides previously and cite this link countered by that link and so forth.

I'd LOVE to see a concerted effort going to solar power. I think that could be developed and be a solid alternative to our reliance on fossil fuels that further endanger our environment.

___________________________________________________
“Discussion is an exchange of knowledge; argument is an exchange of ignorance" __ Robert Quillen