It's the water, stupid

"Whether that is in the Everglades or whether that is in the eastern Gulf region, or whether that's in North Dakota, we need to go where the energy is," Michele Bachmann said during a Florida stop Sunday: "Of course it needs to be done responsibly. If we can't responsibly access energy in the Everglades then we shouldn't do it." Why, oh, why, did she volunteer the Everglades in a Florida stop? We're with Debbie Wasserman Shultz (!), Allen West, John Hayward, the alligators and the manatees (above) on this. But it's all in how you frame the argument (see below).

"As a Floridian, I can see that Michele Bachmann's outrageous proposal to drill for oil and natural gas in the Everglades demonstrates just how out of touch Republicans are with the needs of Floridians and all Americans," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D FL-20) today, tarring all of us on the right side of the aisle with a broad, holier-than-thou JournoList brush. We hate the land — especially the wetland — and all things bright and beautiful! Water purified by natural systems? Who needs it. Contrast her vitriolic tone with the measured rhetoric of her fellow Sunshine stater Rep. Allen West (R FL-22), who had this to say about Bachmann's proposal:

West also said fellow tea party celebrity Michele Bachmann made "an incredible faux pas" this week during her presidential campaign swing through Florida when she said she'd consider allowing drilling for oil and natural gas in the Everglades if it can be done safely.

"The Everglades is one of the natural wonders of the world …

"When I see her next week, I'll straighten her out about that," West said of the Republican Minnesota congresswoman. Freshman West is a member of the House Tea Party Caucus that Bachmann chairs.

"I happen to live quite near the Everglades, and I’m prepared to believe they should be eternally off-limits to drilling … provided that case is made with facts and reason," says John Hayward, puting things in perspective:

We’re reaching a major crisis point between environmentalism and industry. It’s been a long time coming. Too much of the debate is shrouded in illusions that we can’t afford any more. Too much has been declared “unthinkable” by hysterics and political opportunists like Wasserman Schultz. We need to start thinking about these issues …

That is a binary choice: if we want job growth and energy independence, we're going to have to drill in someone's "backyard."

Update: Bachmann maintains her stance (why, Michele, why?):

Crossposted at Riehl World View.

Comments

[goomp]

Drilling for oil or mining for iron has to be done in a responsible manner, and it usually is. Eliminating human needs for a theory that nature cannot be touched from the way the first humans found it is intellectual ignorance.

[chickelit]

a theory that nature cannot be touched from the way the first humans found it is intellectual ignorance.

You are correct goomp. The theory is called preservation. Protected land is set aside in preserves to take care of itself.

Conservation is the philosophy that resources can be managed.

[chickelit]

If the Everglades are geographically like the Netherlands (and I suspect that they are), there is likely little oil there, lots of swamp gas, and tons of peat. The latter was mined and used by the Dutch to sustain their energy needs during their own "Golden Age." But that was centuries ago. The more valuable liquid and gas resources are likely significantly deeper, and lie offshore.

[Tennwriter]

Bachmann is giving ya'll in Florida a gut check. Are Floridians really and truly serious, or not?

Do you want a politician who will lie to you, or do you want someone to tell you the truth?

Ragspierre at Riehl World says there have been 'bay rigs' working in wetlands for some time now. Do we respect science, or do we let the Left dictate the terms of the debate?

Now, I can see the argument for snowballing up to bigger decisions, but if you actually have a 'General who will Fight' as Lincoln said of Grant, you don't say 'hey there, hoss, slow it down.'

We've been saying we want honest, trustworthy, and radical pols....were we lying to the pols and ourselves? If so, we deserve destruction.

[elixelx]

Bachmann calls out the NIMBY's in Florida, and lo and behold, the Republican NIMBY's come out of the woodwork first!
So, no log felling in the Amazon Basin, oil drilling in the Fjords, gas fracking in upstate New York, wind farms off Nantucket
What gives Floridians the right to say "my natural wonders are REALLY REALLY natural wonders, while yours are Feh!"

[Gayle Miller]

I have finally come to the reluctant conclusion that all those on the left are a bunch of self-righteous, bigoted buffoons! With very minor league IQs!