Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke made a stunning admission in exempting Florida from the Trump administration's proposed offshore oil drilling plan. His decision implicitly acknowledges that offshore oil drilling harms the coastal economy and tourism. He exempted Florida because, he said, its coasts “are highly reliant on tourism as an economic driver.” Under that rationale, he now will need to remove many more coastal states from offshore oil drilling.
I agree that Florida is a unique home to treasured wildlife in the Everglades and gorgeous beaches all around. We know the president feels that way, having made his Palm Beach property the de facto winter White House. But, by that measure, just about every coastal state uses its beaches as an economic driver: Every summer, hordes of people flock to see the roses that dot the coastlines of Massachusetts, the wild horses that roam Maryland beaches, and the sea turtles that find their bearings off of the coast of Texas.
Read Full Article »