By Brittany McDaniel

Gas prices, tourism, the Florida economy, beaches; what do these things have in common? They can all be effected by offshore oil drilling.

Oil drilling is a big business in places like Texas, but in Florida offshore oil drilling has been banned.

Recently, the topic of offshore oil drilling has been brought back to the attention of our legislature.

Legislature will soon review this new offshore oil drilling proposal and decide if Florida beaches will be turned into oil drilling sites.

While waiting on legislature to make their move, let’s go ahead and take a look at the matter of oil drilling.

Protectfloridasbeaches.org, a website dedicated to preventing oil drilling in Florida, is working to keep oil drilling banned because they’re afraid Florida’s beaches are going to get ruined.

Protect Florida’s Beaches argues that if there should be an oil spill then the crystal clear water, clean sandy beaches, and marine life will be ruined.

Energyfla.com explains that they use a technique called Safe Energy Exploration. EnergyFLA says that newer technology has “significantly reduced environmental risks and established an impressive safety record.”

Even with this new technology, Protect Florida’s Beaches is still skeptical. Referring to past oil spills that caused havoc to oceans and beaches, PFB continues to push the negative possibilities.

But what about the good that can come from oil drilling in Florida?

If oil drilling off the Florida coast does start up, the outcome will be a good stimulus for the Florida economy and it will ensure the employment for thousands of Floridians.

Florida’s economy could gain $7 billion a year due to off shore oil drilling and more than 40,000 people employed overall. But that’s the minimum; it wouldn’t be unlikely to see those numbers rise significantly.

Florida coast oil drilling would open up a wide variety of jobs for people in areas of construction to areas of diving along with many other areas of employment.

Funds from the oil drilling would then be used to financially stimulated the Florida areas of local government, economic development, education (Grade schools and Universities both) and environmental preservation.

PFB argues that oil drilling can hurt the Florida economy.

Going back to oil spills, PFB says that ruined beaches not only lead to ruined environments but ruined tourism also.

Florida’s tourism industry makes an estimated $53 billion a year. Florida tourism is largely because of beautiful beaches. If our beaches are ruined, then so is tourism profit.

Beaches aren’t the only tourist attractions though. If tourists can’t go to the beach, they have the options of places like Sea World, Disney and Universal to visit.

But, tourists will always have beaches to visit here in Florida. Even if an oil spill occurs, it wouldn’t cover every inch of beach outlining Florida.

Forget fears of a ruined environment and economy. Safe Energy Exploration is the answer for our energy and economy needs.

Support Florida drilling and it’ll support you.

Trust EnergyFLA, they’re “securing Florida’s future”.