Do you support offshore drilling?
A ruptured oil well is spewing at least five thousand barrels of crude into the Gulf of Mexico each day in what threatens to be the worst-ever U.S. oil spill. Last week, in San Pedro, residents expressed concerns about the potential risk of an oil spill in light of exploration licenses approved for offshore drilling. There is now outrage coming from NGOs about the large number of exploration licenses given. Our question today is: Do you support offshore drilling? Send your comments and responses using your SMART phones to 8668 or post your vote on our e-poll at channel5belize.com. You can also send an email with your comments to questions@channel5belize.com.
I think they should drill offshore if it will help the economic crises.
I think they should drill offshore if it will help the economic crises. and we the Belizean will benefit
I support it because Belize do need financial resources and tourism alone can’t and won’t support the economy. Belize is in a huge debt and how can it pay its bills. Oil is the ticket and if oil is found offshore, it is the money that Belize needs. It will create employment, foreign exchange, and reduce Belize’s debt. Oil disasters happen but very rarely. Each accident, oil companies learn from it. There are so many oil wells functioning in the gulf of Mexico and aorund the world but only one accident is making headlines. If oil is found off shore, we could be like Dubai & Saudi Arabia. Small countries but so rich that they don’t know what to do with money. So they built a man-made island, created the largest scientific school in the world, and foreigners are heading there to invest. I see potential for Belize.
I don’t support it. If there was ever a catastrophe, it would be far beyond Belize’s means to manage it. NO, for now, at least, just no!
No offshore drilling! our barrier reef is too important to risk it to a careless spill. Drill for oil inland. We will never be on the map for our oil production because we simply don´t have enough but we are world renown for our barrier reef and clear waters and we should protect that heritage.
No! I do not support oil drilling in Belize. Accidents can happen, especially here in Belize with the main cause being human error, not the technology that will be used. These accidents can include everything from leaks, spills, blowouts, barge collisions, pipeline corrosion, and explosions. If an oil spill was to occur, how much of that will be able to be cleaned up. Also too, everything in Belize takes a long time to do, so one can just imagine how long it will take them to get these things under control.
Offshore drilling can produce routine pollution people! Questionable fluids (radioactive material) this is especially when the workers will have to drain off the decks of these rigs, it’s in the water that it will go. I took ecology in course of my studies (not that I had an option) and one of the marine animals that I know for a fact that will be harmed in this process is sea turtles. They are attracted to light. They become infertile when they come in contact with weathered oil. The little off-springs would become attracted to the lights on the rigs and predator fish can be hiding there too. These offshore drilling can cause large amounts of trash to be disposed into the sea (as if we don’t have enough problems with garbage already). The wells can accumulate thick waste (or debris) that can last for years! We are a country that is faced with that of hurricanes, we might not be hit; however, the strong winds can cause scattering of mud which can last for even longer years as much as 40!
Think of these things…the effects of offshore drilling are not simply felt by the surrounding environment, but also by the marine life. These effects have damaging consequences for our fisheries (lost of job can occur too), food chain, balance of the ecosystem, health, and the enjoyment we Belizeans and tourists have (the beautiful barrier reef). Government please think of the marine life that can be killed during the drilling for oil and gas, which in return, will have a negative effect on various of our marine mammals, including our adorned manatees and the lack of knowledge in this area can have an ensuing impact on many of the marine mammals.
At the end of this all, ultimately I still don’t see why our government need to attack our sea when there is much land to be explore. The drilling can benefit a country’s economy but it can harm surrounding marine life and mind you too that we humans rely on those same marine animals for food and again it can damage our food chain. We the Belizean people, and yes, WE the Belizean people Mister Prime Minister and Financier of the Nation are barely receiving any monies from the oil production in Spanish Lookout, this oil drilling offshore seems to be of little to no benefit to us. When we see you all demanding more money and receiving it, then and only then will many even consider maybe taking such a task into consideration.
However, if government insists in exploration offshore, take these things into consideration: Make platforms and rigs safer. Let extensive training be absolutely mandatory which can reduce the number of spills by workers’ mistakes. Improve the technology too so that the amount of pollutants can be reduced or eliminated.
The best decision would be to eliminate offshore drilling all together, no ifs, ands, or buts. By completely eliminating them, the marine ecosystems would be preserved. Likewise, many lives would be saved (mostly those of marine life), all aspects of nature would be preserved (i.e. the food chain would not be disrupted), and there would be less tension between the government, the oil companies, environmentalists, and the public. More importantly, we would be following and respecting nature, which is what God wants us to do!
Sincerely, 20 year old Belizean chick (Still can’t believe I retained so much information about ecology, evolution and the environment! – A course I had a little interest in… Wow!!!!)
BP told US regulators that they had 20 safety systems checks to prevent a oil spill, they also told them that they had a plan for a catastrophic oil spill.Not one has worked knowing how Belize writes contracts with foreign company i am pretty sure they will get the shorter end of the stick Belize does not have the technology or the equipment to stop a oil spill,this would be the most idiotic thing that the Belizean government could have done.The lost to the environment would out way any jobs or profits from oil.When will we have elected officials with common sense?I guess its not that common.
NO OFFSHORE DRILLING FOR BELIZE!!!!!!!
Lets just look at what is happening in the USA at the moment with that huge oil spill that they can’t even contain even though they claim that they are 30 or more years ahead of the world in technology. They have technology to wipe us all out and look at Belize what if something like that would dare to happen to us what would be the result. we would be losing oil plus tourism, we would become like Ethiopia a starving nation with no jobs and no resources to look forward to, lets be smart in our thinking. an oil spill doesn’t only affect a country for a few days or few months but it has long effects even after 10 years or even more. Below are some great examples of oil spills that have happened around the world and then let us consider if we want to go down that same route? Let us not be greedy!!! Lets think about the future of other generations that are coming who would like to enjoy the beauty that we have at the moment.
Examples:
1. Jiyeh Power Station oil spill: an environmental disaster caused by the release of heavy fuel oil into the eastern Mediterranean. The spill affected one-third of Lebanon’s coastline. Beaches and rocks were covered in a black sludge up to Byblos, north of Beirut and extended in to the southern parts of Syria. The slick was reportedly killing fish, and threatening the habitat of the endangered green sea turtle. The oil spill potentially increased the risk of cancer and its recovery from the spill is taking years maybe at least 10 years or more to fully recover.
2. Karachi oil spill devastation:On August 14th, the Tasmin Spirit, a 24-year-old Greek oil tanker, spilled 15,000 tonnes of crude oil across a 14 kilometer stretch of the Karachi coast.The ship leaked out thousands of tonnes of crude oil which spread all over the major beaches and coast line. This spill created a disaster for the marine life killing thousands of sea animals including hundreds of rare species for example lobster, sea horses, and jellyfish. The stinky smell became so strong that the adjacent areas of the entire coastline became inaccessible for living. People including small children and senior citizens became sick with severe respiratory and digestion problems including vomiting, diarrhea and other … diseases. Also about 90,000 fishermen lost their jobs.
3. Exxon Valdez: The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989, when the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker bound for Long Beach, California, hit Prince William Sound’s Bligh Reef and spilled an estimated minimum 10.8 million US gallons (40.9 million litres, or 250,000 barrels) of crude oil. It is considered to be one of the most devastating human-caused environmental disasters ever to occur in history.
Both the long- and short-term effects of the oil spill have been studied comprehensively. Thousands of animals died immediately; the best estimates include 100,000 to as many as 250,000 seabirds, at least 2,800 sea otters, approximately 12 river otters, 300 harbor seals, 247 bald eagles, and 22 orcas, as well as the destruction of billions of salmon and herring eggs. The effects of the spill continued to be felt for many years afterwards. Overall reductions in population have been seen in various ocean animals, including stunted growth in pink salmon populations. Sea otters and ducks also showed higher death rates in following years, partially because they ingested prey from contaminated soil and from ingestion of oil residues on hair due to grooming.
Almost 20 years after the spill, a team of scientists at the University of North Carolina found that the effects are lasting far longer than expected. The team estimates some shoreline Arctic habitats may take up to 30 years to recover.
4. The Prestige was an oil tanker whose sinking in 2002 off the Galician coast caused a large oil spill. The spill polluted thousands of kilometers of coastline and more than one thousand beaches on the Spanish and French coast, as well as causing great damage to the local fishing industry. The spill is the largest environmental disaster in Spain’s history.
These examples are of oil spills whether they are from sinking ships or from shore drillings the effects are the same. So we need to think deeply when it comes to our environment!!! The USA doesn’t care where they cause disasters their eyes are not on the environment but on the big money that they can make.
Sincerely, A young concerned Belizean woman.
a simple answer, NO NO NO NO. I want my kids and grand kids to enjoy our reef. Imagine the damage it will cause. Mother Nature is already angry everything that we take out of her she will replace back somehow. Belize does not need this please. Belize is the BEST KEPT SECRET
The Barrier Reef is our most precious asset, more valuable than any oil they MIGHT find by destroying it. The Reef can never be replaced. Mother Nature has given the gift of the reef to us; to protect us from hurricanes, provide for our fishing industry, and attract tourists for our tourism industry. The reef is what Belize is known for, and it is already endangered. Why should we let anyone (foreign or local) drill holes in it and possibly cover it in oil, killing the delicate coral and marine life. Belize belongs to ALL of us, no one has the right to destroy OUR JEWEL.
All this argument about how this will help the economy is plain BS. Every industry that have been developed so far used the same argument and we have yet to see them benefit the Belizean people. There is so much hunger, and homelessness and uneducated youths begging on the streets in 2010, I do not recall seeing any of this back in the 70’s and 80’s when there wasn’t tourism, and oil in Spanish Lookout so what happened to all the benefits from these industries who is benefiting, obviously not Belizean people. Offshore drilling is a no brainer, we absolutely do not need that anywhere near Belize as it is the ships are tearing up our very valuable reef imagine what an accident would do and the question is not if the question is when, because the way I see it things are never done the right way in Belize so I could just imagine what kind of precautions would be in place for an offshore drilling rig in Belize waters. Please protect our country LORD.
There is two sides to every story. I think I have an interesting one to share with you all.
“For those interested in evidence over hysterics, by simply looking bayou-ward, a lesson in the “environmental perils” of offshore oil drilling presents itself very clearly. The production of oil is relatively clean and safe. It’s the transportation that presents the greatest risk. And even these spills (though hyped hysterically as environmental catastrophes) always play out as minor blips, those pictures of oil-soaked seagulls notwithstanding. “Environmentalists” wake up in the middle of the night sweating and whimpering about offshore oil platforms only because they’ve never seen what’s under them. This proliferation of marine life around the platforms turned on its head every “environmental expert” opinion of its day.
The original plan, mandated by federal environmental “experts” back in the late ’40s, was to remove the big, ugly, polluting, environmentally hazardous contraptions as soon as they stopped producing. Fine, said the oil companies.
About 15 years ago some wells played out off Louisiana and the oil companies tried to comply. Their ears are still ringing from the clamor fishermen put up. Turns out those platforms are going nowhere, and by popular demand of those with a bigger stake in the marine environment than any “environmentalist.”
Every “environmental” superstition against these structures was turned on its head. Marine life had EXPLODED around these huge artificial reefs: A study by LSU’s Sea Grant college shows that 85 percent of Louisiana fishing trips involve fishing around these platforms. The same study shows 50 times more marine life around an oil production platform than in the surrounding Gulf bottoms.
An environmental study (by apparently honest scientists) revealed that urban runoff and treated sewage dump 12 times the amount of petroleum into the Gulf than those thousands of oil production platforms. And oil seeping naturally through the ocean floor into the Gulf, where it dissipates over time, accounts for 7 times the amount spilled by rigs and pipelines in any given year.
“A key measure of the health of a reef is the amount of area taken up by coral,” according to a report by Steve Gittings, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s science coordinator for marine sanctuaries. “Louisiana’s Flower Garden boasts nearly 50 percent coral cover. In the Florida Keys it can run as little as 5 percent.”
Mark Ferrulo, a Florida “environmental activist” uses the very example of Louisiana for his anti-offshore drilling campaign, calling Louisiana’s coast “the nation’s toilet.”
Florida’s fishing fleet must love fishing in toilets, and her restaurants serving what’s in them. Most of the red snapper you eat in Florida restaurants are caught around Louisiana’s oil platforms. We see the Florida-registered boats tied up to them constantly. Sometimes us locals can barely squeeze in.
In 1986 Louisiana started the Rigs to Reef program, a cooperative effort by oil companies, the feds and the state. This program literally pays the oil companies to keep the platforms in the Gulf. Now some platforms are simply cut off at the bottom and toppled over as artificial reefs; over 60 have been toppled thus far.
A few years back, Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries officials were invited to Australia to help them with a similar program. Think about it: here’s Australia, the nation with the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s biggest natural reef, the world’s top dive destination – they’re asking help from “the nation’s toilet” about developing exciting dive sites by using the very structures that epitomize (in greenie eyes) environmental disaster. ”
Come on Belizeans, stop getting hysterical and paranoid about offshore drilling without knowing the real facts!
Aren’t we as a global community trying to promote alternative sources of energy? This is a backwards move as we try to go green.
Belize has great potential for alternative fuels. How about algae biodiesel or wind energy? As for the “nation’s toilet” there have got to be some odd chemical compounds in seafood off the Gulf Coast.
Stop sucking the blood from under the earth, and stop poising the air that we must breed
to survive. (There’re lots of other alternative ways to more useful clean and efficient energy.)
Oil is very important to our( Mother Earth). Oil servers as a lubricant for the Earth’s Plates.
Most modern day scientist will say it not so, but that’s because oil is a trillion $ business, and most
of these scientist are bought and paid for like Politicians.( In the future just prepare for more frequent and more violent earthquakes.)
i don’t supported because we still paying high price. that will only benefit those oil ppl and our reef will go dead. soon we will have to import seafood.
To “The Real Dean” poster above, who is trying to say that the old oil rigs can serve as artificial reefs: We don’t need an ARTIFICIAL REEF! We already have our great barrier reef. That is simply an example of Mother Nature trying to make the best of the human intrusion. You say “these spills always play out as minor blips”, well guess what? Belize is the size of a minor blip, a spill the size of the one in the Gulf right now would totally devastate the entire country! Why don’t you go to a beach in Louisiana or Texas and you see that you WILL step in TAR. Nothing about drilling for oil is “relatively clean and safe”. We are not getting “hysterical and paranoid”, we know the value of our treasure, and it is worth far more to us than any amount of ‘black gold’.
At a time when the rest of the world is trying to get away from petroleum and looking for new kinds of renewable, green sources of energy, Belize is going backwards. If the great United States of America can’t control that spill with their unlimited resources, technology, not to mention man-power, what do you think Belize could ever do to handle such a situation. The spill is now estimated to cover AT LEAST 2,500 square miles of ocean; our reef is 200 miles long. How’s that for relative?
Bravo, Save our Reef, Bravo!!
four general questions to Belizeans, relating to offshore drilling:
1.) Do we have the resources (human, financial, technological) to control a oil spill?
2.) Is Belize benefiting from the Spanish Lookout oil production?
3.) Have fuel prices decrease because of the oil industry in Belize?
4.) Do you know the curse of oil to our marine SYSTEM (motherland heritage and protector of hurricane) and other industries (fisheries and tourism)?
Answer these questions and see the pros and cons…Belize does not have vast amount of oil reserves; moreover, oil demand will gradually be reduced because of alternative fuel..
I know it will require a heavy investment (as would offshore drilling) to really get something started, but I believe there’s tremendous potential in Belize for algae as a source of renewable, clean energy. Algae grows very fast and yields 30 times more energy per acre than land crops such as such as soybeans. And, its simple cellular structure, allows it to grow in saltwater and other harsh conditions.
A small village could start an algae cooperative, perhaps partner with some energy companies for research.
A Promising Oil Alternative: Algae Energy (Washington Post, Jan. 6, 2008)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/03/AR2008010303907.html
Algae initiative aims to produce fuel while helping the environment: (Sept. 30, 2009, Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
http://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2009/algae-initiative-aims-to-produce-fuel-while-helping-the-environment001.php
Government will smell the oil, and the cash incentives to overide any objections to offshore drilling. They are already sewing deeper pockets in their pants to hold the extra ‘incentives’!
Trust me, like it ot not, they will go ahead and start drilling within a couple of years!
I say ban all offshore drilling, no amount of money could compensate for any environmental damage cause to our pristine waters and reef should an accident occur. Do not kill the goose that lay the golden egg just to benefit a few greedy and selfish people.
As long as we stay divided,we’re never going to accomplish anything.Look at the amout of people that turn out for demonstrations to five the crime situation in Belize.Not even a thousand.But yet they expect to see changes by just complaining.Wake up Belizean.We are the only Doh-Doh Birds let on this Planet.
Drill, Drill, Drill Away!!!! The GOB needs this money for their condos in Miami and LA.
Ms. Estella Ramirez… Please do not use my signature ending ok!!!! I thought not to rebut because this might seem immature of me but then I began pondering as to why in the world would you use my signature ending. I dont want people to think that what I write is what you write. I do NOT copy and paste! What you need to do is post the links that you want people to reference to in the comment space provided here!!!! I use that ending so that people can know that not all young people have poor sense of reasoning and are into committing crime and other social ills of society. I want people to have an idea of what are on the minds of young intelligent Belizean’s like myself and to be able to give an opinion on the issues surrounding our nation. Everything that happens in this nation affects everybody and d…. it to hell I am going to have my 2 cents in there too even if it’s simple things like commenting on the e-polls!
Sincerely, 20 year old Belizean chick
(And nothing is wrong with using the word chick! I don’t see why we need all that politically correct terms. And also it goes to show as well no matter if we use the word chick for ourselves or young woman at the end of the day we are still intelligent no matter our word preferences.) So my apologies if I offend you or anybody else with the word “chick” but it will remain.
I wonder if anyone in the government bother to read these responses or any other respenses that are poted on this public opinion, which by the way I comend this station for their vision on this. Folks, our government officials has been bought huck line and sinker, when it come to the oil industry. We are not to sit idle on this one. Writing is not suffecient, we must rasie enough hell to get government attention. For sure pay offs went on in ordeer to get his drilling permit. We see very proffessional response to this matter that deserve serious attention and back up by the people of Belize.
If the argument is about revenue for Belize in granting this permit to drill, someone asked the intellegent question, what is the current financial so call oil benefits realy doing for belizeans when its clear that poverty is rampant? This is not getting down to much individuals in this country. So the answer is a BIG RESOUNDING NO DRILLING IS TO BE ALLOWED.
I am tired of government thinking they have the power to do whatever they want without taking the people choice into consideration. As a small country and rich in natural resources its very depressing to see that all our government can come out with is the one that can destroy and risk our reef, lands, ecosystems for a quick money without looking at the future for our childrens sake. It only takes one major oil spill in a country as small as belize to kill our livelihood and existence for generations to come.. The reef you cannot replace. Its an honour that mother nature gave to us. lets take care of it. And the joke is that when this happens this companies will move to another place and our politicians who gain from it will also move too since their pockets will be full from giving these licenses and gifts and WE the belizeans will stay here with the mess and more poverty. If you want more revenue lets become innovative and not lets commit suicide as a nation for the quick dangerous dollar.
Even if its bring money for the country i think it will be better not for know ruptured oil thats spewing in the Gulf of mexico.
I guess belizeans still want to remain poor and 3rd world forever, if we continue to think like this we can never modernise and develop our economy and to let our children live better than we were. Most of us never even seen the barrier reef nor can afford to visit. I support the offshore drilling if it can be viabile, ecologically sound, and good for the economy of belize.
The people of Belize will not approve of the drilling oil off their shores so forget it!, it wont happen.
The people of Belize will not approve of ANY oil drilling off their jewel shorelines so forget it!, it wont happen.
“Investor” says (3rd entry), and I quote, “if oil is found offshore, we could be like Dubai or Saudi Arabia.” Saudi Arabia produces more oil IN A DAY, I repeat, IN A DAY, than that “puddle” in Spanish Lookout will produce in a lifetime.
You’re ignorant, and you’re an idiot.
another oil drilling will start and the gas price at the pump soared to over 10 bucks. i don’t know if the poor belizean will benefit. but, more likely the burro buddies will definitely fill their damn pockets.. we will get screwed.. what a shame.. instead, let’s promote tourism, there are better way to make money.. our barrier is already at risk with the lion fish and now the oil drilling?? what’s going on here????
Offshore oil exploration in Belize.
In a haste and last chance cash grab before the last Elections, the Musa Administration hurriedly divided up our country into 19 different sections and granted exploration licenses to anyone that would pay, without any environmental studies, considerations or care. These explorations licenses were hurriedly sold to some companies or persons who did not have any oil exploration background or companies eg. “ The Princess Hotel Group”…..basically they were selling the “Interest” to explore.
There are so many reasons why we as a people cannot allow this to happen:-
There could not be a more sensitive eco area on the entire planet to allow offshore drilling.
We are part of the World heritage system, and known to the world as an Eco country.
We are in a Hurricane region and have annual threats….it is just a matter of time.
The accidents of the Exxon Valdez and now The B.P. oil spill Disaster…..a clear example not to.
Even the US is now disallowing any new offshore exploration..….why are we doing it?
Any spill in the sea cannot be contained as the ocean is “always moving” and will spread any leak….at least on land it is can be contained and cleaned up.
Tourism is our largest industry…..we cannot have our cake and eat it!
Are we willing to give up Fisheries and Tourism that employs thousands of people, for an industry that only a few chosen people will benefit from?
Look at the one sided Profit Sharing Agreements our governments have tied us up in.
It is time for Action….spread the word to the World…..the internet is our vehicle to do it with!
Charles Payne
“Jedi Knight I guess belizeans still want to remain poor and 3rd world forever”
If the price to pay is to destroy mother nature then yes I will remain a 3rd world forever. Think u do do bird, are we benefiting from the Spanish look out drilling. NO. Who is benefiting only the Government.
NO to offshore drilling!!!
I seriously don’t support offshore drilling in Belize. Offshore drilling will not only destroy our ONLY heritage sight but it will also bring more problems than oil spills. come on lets take a look at our oil minds in Spanish lookout, are we really getting anything from it? If so, how much is it compared to how much BNE is getting? is it helping our economy uplift itself? is it covering our depths. Come on Belizeans its time to put our foots down and take care of ourselves. Maybe we’re a 3rd world but take a look around. We have many resources the worlds is dying for. we’re close to nature and we don’t have as much health problems as other countries. lets stop trying to be like others and develop in our own unique way. lets stop walking in others shoes and open our lazy eyes.