If YOU had the power, what would you do to get gas prices lower?

[The Blob]

Originally Posted by Turbo RX-6

It's Official, Cuba Hires China to Drill Oil Off Florida Coast
Although, US law will not allow American companies from drilling for oil off the coast of Florida, the US laws will not stop the Chinese from setting up 36 new oil wells there for Cuba.

"No Zone" laws pushed by the current minority party and passed by the US government, will not stop China with its abyssmal environmental record from drilling WITHIN 50 MILES from the Florida Keys:

What are "No Zone" laws? I have never heard of them and neither has Google.

There is currently a moratorium on drilling off the Florida coast, but that was intended to "protect" the panhandle beaches after Exxon started drilling some wells up there in the early 80's. I am aware of no laws.

So while I agree that we should drill off the coast of Florida, or anywhere else that might have oil, I think the China thing is a red herring.

And whose waters are those? I would have to assume Cuba so it's not like we could go drill there if we wanted to anyway. And we certainly can't stop someone from drilling in their own waters regardless of how close they are to us.

Bottom line: Yes, we should drill up the FL coast but this Cuba/China thing doesn't seem to be any particular outrage.

[Turbo RX-6]

Originally Posted by The Blob

Bottom line: Yes, we should drill up the FL coast but this Cuba/China thing doesn't seem to be any particular outrage.

Theres not any outrage, the outrage is that they are smart enough to do it and we're not.

Heres the whole article that explains the no zones.

It's Official, Cuba Hires China to Drill Oil Off Florida Coast


Although, US law will not allow American companies from drilling for oil off the coast of Florida, the US laws will not stop the Chinese from setting up 36 new oil wells there for Cuba.

"No Zone" laws pushed by the current minority party and passed by the US government, will not stop China with its abyssmal environmental record from drilling WITHIN 50 MILES from the Florida Keys:

The Cuban government is to allow China to station 12 oil rigs in its waters in the Gulf of Mexico.

Fidel Castro's government has stepped up work on 36 new oil wells in partnership with Chinese and Canadian companies, officials said on Thursday.

The Cuban government is generally silent about oil matters, but this week Communist Party newspaper Granma also reported that Cuba had drilled its deepest oil well yet near Varadero, east of Havana.

Diplomatic sources said Indian, Norwegian and Spanish companies would begin searching for crude oil in the gulf.

"China, as our National Security Strategy points out, is trying to lock up resources around the world, and they are locking up resources in our own back yard where we can't even compete," Senator Craig (R-ID) said in his own speech to the Senate on Thursday.

The current "No Zones" prevent American companies from drilling, well, anywhere off the US coastline.


On Thursday, Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) gave Senate speech explaining the current MiNOrity "No Zones" for drilling and exploration:

We are experiencing higher gasoline, oil, and natural gas prices today because of decades of restricted development of new sources of petroleum.

From ANWR to off-shore development such as Lease Area 181 in the Gulf of Mexico, we have identified oil and natural gas reserves that can be developed and used responsibly. Yet time and time again efforts to increase supply, and reduce prices, are blocked. For instance, ten years ago President Clinton vetoed development in ANWR.

For decades, the minority party has blocked one effort after another to responsibly develop the energy resources our country possesses, transforming vast areas of opportunity into "The No Zone."

Because of current U.S. policy, U.S. companies are prohibited from developing oil fields that lie in Cuban waters and come within 50 miles of Florida.

However, Cuba is exploring and potentially developing these oil fields, estimated by the U.S. Geological Survey to possess more oil than the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, and Cuba is partnering with China and other countries, such as Spain, France, and Canada.

Now, as we sit idly by, worried about development 100 miles from Florida, China is actively exploring oil fields 50 miles from Key West, Florida. U.S. companies are barred from working in this area because of U.S. policy . So, instead of allowing the most environmentally responsible companies to operate there and increase our domestic supply, China, who has a dismal environmental record, is sucking close, lucrative oil reserves dry.

Cuba's national Granma reported the news about the bill presented in Congress that would change current oil policy:

TWO Republican Congressmen presented a bill on May 12 that would make it possible for U.S. companies to make investments for oil prospecting in Cuban waters, according to the AFP...

...Senator Larry Craig of Idaho said that the U.S. people would be surprised and amazed if they knew that the country was suffering a serious energy crisis while foreign oil companies like "China, India, Norway, Canada and Spain have already…bought the rights to undertake exploratory drilling in the North Cuba Basin," just 50 nautical miles from the U.S. coast."

It is time to change the law and allow U.S. industries to explore and extract resources in "our own region" before foreign companies monopolize potentially profitable resources, he added.

With this bill, both Congressmen were responding to legislation proposed in Congress recently by supporters of Cuban-American Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican representative from Florida.

The speech by Senator Craig on Thursday could not have been more timely. While the senator was giving his talk, Cuba was announcing that China will start drilling operations off the coast of Cuba and within 100 miles from the Florida coast.

If America is lucky, maybe we'll be able to purchase oil from Fidel Castro some day soon!

[The Blob]

Originally Posted by Turbo RX-6

Theres not any outrage, the outrage is that they are smart enough to do it and we're not.

OK, I get it now... agreed.