Top Priority Campaign

Save Florida's Shores

On April 20, BP's Deepwater Horizon offshore platform exploded and caught fire, beginning an environmental, economic and human tragedy. Upwards of one million gallons of oil are spewing into the Gulf every day, putting endangered sea turtles, whales and many other marine animals at great risk.

Environment Florida took immediate action, generating media attention in newspapers and on television, recruiting over 500 of our members to attend Hands Across the Sand events up and down out coastline — and most recently, taking trips to Tampa and Gainesville, where we signed up several hundred new members and pressured President Obama to restore the moratorium on drilling off our shores.

Any major Gulf spill threatens Florida's world-famous coastline, which employs over a million Floridians and pumps $65 billion into Florida's economy each year. As a recent New York Times article put it, Florida skipped the oil binge but is still paying steep prices, as oil wraps around the panhandle and washes ashore Pensacola beach.

The events have led Gov. Charlie Crist, present at a Hands Across the Sand event at Pensacola Beach, to propose a constitutional ban on drilling in our state's waters.

And with good reason. While the risks of offshore drilling are staggering, benefits are minimal. According to a recent study conducted by the prestigious, nonpartisan Collins Center, "Drilling offshore "would have no discernible impact on petroleum prices at the retail level" and "no discernible impact on the state's or the country's dependence on foreign oil."

Yet, the door is still open to drilling off the Florida coast—it's time for President Obama to reverse course.

The Latest:

"Miami faces up to 80% chance of BP oil, U.S. says," Kim Chipman, Business Week.

"Oil soaks miles of Pensacola Beach," Rich Phillips, CNN.com.

"Oil spill takes toll on Florida tourism," Christina Leavenworth, Fox10TV.

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Campaign Update: Hands Across the Sand

Standing against drilling, together

What's it going to take to protect Florida's beaches from oil drilling once and for all? A historic outpouring of support -- one that overshadows all the money and influence Big Oil has in politics.

We can't begin to match BP or the other oil companies dollar for dollar. The only way we're going to be able to stop new off-shore drilling that could threaten our world-renowned coastline is by showing massive public support for our beaches by saying no to new drilling.

That's why we helped coordinate gatherings of hundreds of thousands of Americans, standing together on June 26 to permanently protect our shores from offshore drilling.

Thousands of Floridians -- including several hundred Environment Florida members -- from Pensacola to Key West and back up to Jacksonville Beach, turned out to demonstrate their opposition to drilling and support for clean energy alternatives.

Our Latest News Release

Congressional Response to Oil Spill Disaster Delayed 8/04/2010

"I am disappointed to see that Big Oil and their Senate allies are stalling a common sense response to the greatest accidental oil spill in world history. This is a victory for Big Oil, which has recruited an outspoken minority of senators to choose BP's profits over Florida’s jobs, shores and precious places."

Online Actions

Your Representative Blocked You

Tell your Representative: I want Florida's drilling ban in our Constitution

Tell Florida House Speaker: Never in Florida

Our Latest Reports

Building Better 4/01/2010

Over 40 percent of our energy – and 10 percent of all the energy used in the world – goes toward powering America's buildings. But it doesn't have to be this way. Today's high-efficiency homes and buildings prove that we have the technology and skills to drastically improve the efficiency of our buildings while simultaneously improving their comfort and affordability. If we apply those lessons to all buildings, we can reduce overall building energy consumption 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2050.

Building a Solar Future 3/16/2010

America can obtain a large share of its energy from the sun. But it will not happen on its own. Local, state and federal governments must implement public policies that remove the barriers currently impeding the spread of solar energy and adopt policies to make solar energy an important part of America’s energy future.

Environment Florida In the News

Pass energy bill 7/31/2010

We must pressure our government to engage in more fervent efforts to develop clean energy -- and to compel private investors to follow suit. I urge Congress to pass strong clean energy and climate legislation before it goes on recess.

A Bunch of Rattlesnakes 7/31/2010

"Failure even to consider putting Florida's shoreline drilling ban on the November ballot, despite overwhelming popular support, is unacceptable. It is short-sighted at best and infuriatingly loyal to oil interests at worst." Amen.