Hands Across the Sand at Neptune State Park. Photo by Gus Gates, Oregon Surfrider.
If you missed the weekend protest against offshore oil and gas drilling, here’s a way to experience it on your computer.
We’re getting video and photos from some of the Hands Across the Sand events in Oregon. There were 17 of these gatherings in Oregon on Saturday, part of a national movement to draw attention to the dangers of offshore drilling, and to promote clean and renewable energy.
Hundreds of Oregonians, maybe thousands, will join hands tomorrow to send a message about offshore oil drilling.
It’s called Hands Across The Sand. More than a dozen events are planned across the state.
I’ve not written before about the Gulf Oil Spill because I haven’t seen a good Oregon angle to the story.
But a couple of interesting ones came up today.
With words like “disaster” and “offensive”, it’s not hard to see what Northwest environmental groups think about President Obama’s plan to expand offshore oil drilling.
Governor Kulongoski even had something to say, although it’s hard to tell from the press release if he thinks this is a good or bad idea.
The environment community’s first victory of the special session is almost complete.
Today the Senate voted to approve HB 3613, a ten-year ban on offshore oil and gas drilling in Oregon’s territorial sea.
The bill now goes to Governor Kulongoski for his signature. Brock Howell of Environment Oregon says that the Governor’s staff testified in favor of the ban, so it’s likely Kulongoski will sign it.
A unanimous Environment and Natural Resources Committee voted this afternoon to send HB 3613 to the Senate floor.
The bill bans offshore oil and gas drilling in Oregon’s territorial waters for ten years.
The Senate is expected to vote today on SB 1032, the BPA ban. The bill prohibits the manufacture and sale of baby plastic bottles and cups that contain bisphenol A.
But just before the Senate opens for business, OPB’s Think Out Loud program features a discussion about BPA, the new concerns about its health impacts on young children, and if regulating the chemical should be up to the states, or to the federal government. The program begins at 9am and features speakers from the Oregon Environment Council, Northwest Grocery Association, the Safer Chemicals Healthy Families Coalition, and Eden Foods.
Three Arches Rock. Photo from Environment Oregon.
Allowing oil and natural gas drilling off the Oregon coast is not worth the risk, according to a new report from Environment Oregon.
The environmental dangers are well known. Offshore oil spills can kill or harm marine life, fish and seabirds. They damage coastal ecosystems and can be awfully expensive to clean up.
But this new report argues there’s an economic risk too. The coastal economy depends on a healthy coastal environment, says Nicole Forbes with Environment Oregon. “Our clean beaches and ocean enable coast business and jobs from tourism, commercial fishing and recreational fishing.” The group puts a price tag on this economic activity at about $1.2 billion annually.
So how does this compare to how much oil and gas there is off our shore?
It’s hard to make a precise comparison. This information about Oregon is part of a much bigger nationwide report released by Environment America and the Sierra Club. But here’s what it tells us.
Along the Pacific Coast, there’s an estimated $23.1 billion worth of oil and natural gas to be extracted on a yearly basis. That’s based on energy prices as of Spring 2009 and a production life of about 25 years. But the value of coastal tourism, recreation and fishing is almost three times more, at $65.5 billion per year.
But since most of the West Coast energy is off California, that difference grows when you look at just Oregon and Washington. For these two states, the value of tourism, recreation and fishing is about ten times bigger than the value of oil and natural gas.
Which is one of the reasons why State Rep. Ben Cannon (D-Portland) also appeared at the news conference where this information was announced. He wants to see oil and natural gas exploration permanently banned from Oregon territorial waters which extend about three miles offshore. Cannon will introduce this legislation during February’s special session. Meanwhile, the current ban runs out in early January.
While there may not be any current interest in exploring Oregon’s coast for oil and natural gas, Cannon believes that if a permanent ban becomes law, it sends an important message. He says it tells federal regulators, and the oil and gas industry, that Oregonians don’t want offshore drilling in state or federal waters. ”Oil and gas are very successful at opening new areas,” he says. ”But there’s not enough of it (off Oregon) to make it worth the cost.”
The news comes as the Interior Department gets closer to making a decision about allowing more exploration for offshore oil and natural gas. The public comment period on the plan was closed about a month ago.
