http://www.collinscenter.org/resource/resmgr/OilDrilling/oilHome.html
Report punches holes in offshore drilling claims
Thursday, April 01, 2010
BRADENTON HERALD EDITORIAL | Little impact at gas pump, low reserves refute goals
Despite a report prepared for the Florida Senate that should cripple efforts to allow oil and gas drilling in state waters, the push will continue.
The report, prepared by the Collins Center for Public Policy in conjunction with the Century Commission for a Sustainable Florida, estimates offshore reserves at a level so paltry there would be no noticeable impact on pump prices or on American reliance on foreign oil.
The amount would only quench America’s thirst for oil for less than one week, the report states.
Grand forecasts of billions in state revenue would thus not materialize, rendering the primary arguments in favor of drilling obsolete.
The “drill, baby, drill” proponents will have a tough time discrediting the report. The Collins Center, a reputable think tank that researches state issues, and the 15-member nonpartisan Century Commission, appointed by the legislators to investigate economic and environmental issues, conducted the study at the behest of Senate President Jeff Atwater.
The resulting 40-page report, chock full of information gleaned from private and government sources, should withstand attack.
While the report also states the odds of accidental oil spills are low because of drilling technology advances, the threat remains. With such negligible reserves believed to be beneath state waters, the risk is not worth the return.
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About the Collins Center/Century Commission Process
This is a report prepared for the Century Commission for a Sustainable Florida by the Collins Center for Public Policy. The Century Commission will consider the information in this report along with the public comment collected from stakeholders and the public. At its March 15 meeting in Orlando, the Commission will consider what if any observations or recommendations it will pass along to the Governor, the Legislature and policy makers.
Many people contributed to this initiative. The primary researchers and authors of the questions and answers were Frank Alcock and Tom Arthur. Dr. Alcock, a Collins Fellow, is also the Director of a Marine Policy Institute at Mote Marine Laboratory and an Associate Professor of Political Science at New College of Florida. Mr. Arthur is the Director of the Collins Center News and Information Service and a former Senior Editor for the Tampa Tribune.
Collins Center staff could not have completed its work without the valuable assistance provided by an expert Advisory Committee. Advisory Committee members were as follows:
Assistance from the Advisory Committee included 1) critical input on the range, scope and content of questions; 2) information, data and suggested sources for answer text; and 3) comments, concerns and suggested revisions of answer text.
Beyond the Advisory Committee a number of individuals provided helpful input or assistance: See Acknowledgements. Collins Center senior management was responsible for the final editorial decisions. Feedback and comments from Century Commission members, stakeholders, and the general public will be compiled and submitted to the Florida Legislature and Governor in late March.
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