By Pam McVety, Physicians for Social Responsibility Florida
Our state government from the governor to the Legislature to my former agency, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, keep demonstrating that protecting Florida’s natural resources is not something they do very well. We just came through another anti-environment legislative session and now for the third time, there is a pending permit to drill for oil in the Apalachicola River system.
I wrote about this several years ago, explaining what a “stupid” idea this was and how previous administrations spent a lot of time and money to protect this special system. But, when Republicans are in charge, protecting this river system for some reason is no longer a priority and all the money and resources spent protecting it don’t seem to matter.
I also am dismayed that a polo family from South Florida thinks it is OK to come into our backyard and propose to drill for oil during the midst of a climate crisis, when the last and worse thing we can do in the middle of the crisis is to produce more fossil fuels. I don’t think they would like it if someone proposed to drill an oil well on their polo field.
But here we are, and I will explain it again and hope that all you folks who think drilling in such a special area is OK, because of the money to be made, will read this.
First, we don’t need more oil. The burning of oil and other fossil fuels is destroying the livability of the planet. The whole world is transitioning to clean renewable energy. If you want to make money, invest in clean renewable energy. Build more solar panels in Calhoun County, but, please, not in the floodplain.
Second, this river system is magnificent in its natural state. It’s the crown jewel of this state’s natural resources. Go spend a few hours there. Paddle down the river. Hike in the woods. Smell the earth and spring flowers. Sit on the bank and watch the river meander south to the Gulf of Mexico. The trees, the floodplain, the birds, the wildlife and the drinking water all will suffer as the result of this project, especially if there is a spill or the drilling site floods as it did in the past and will do again.
Third, this reckless attitude that if there is money to be made, then it is OK to disrupt or harm a natural area is just plain wrong. Think this through. With this approach to making money, there won’t be an inch of this state or the planet that isn’t disrupted or destroyed. We have to learn to make money by working with nature in a sustainable manner, not by destroying or damaging it.
In this case, we already have another viable, healthier and cheaper alternative to fossil fuels – clean renewable energy. And, there just are some areas, like this one that should be protected no matter how much money can be made from it.
Please, Gov. DeSantis, and state and local governments, say a loud “no” to this and all future drilling permit requests. There is no way that oil drilling is in the public interest or compatible with this being an Outstanding Florida Water and one of the most pristine river systems in the country, maybe in the world. And to those of you who haven’t caught on to the fact that the world is switching to renewable energy and that fossil fuels have to be phased out to address the climate crisis and keep our planet livable, please stop embarrassing yourself.
Tallahassee resident Pam McVety is a retired scientist who worked for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for 30 years, a climate justice advocate and board member of Physicians for Social Responsibility Florida. This opinion piece was originally published by the Tallahassee Democrat, which is a media partner of The Invading Sea.
If you are interested in submitting an opinion piece to The Invading Sea, email Editor Nathan Crabbe at ncrabbe@fau.edu. Sign up for The Invading Sea newsletter by visiting here.
