The natural beauty and value of our coast is apparent to anyone who has strolled its sandy beaches, paddled its winding marshes, taken in its plentiful wildlife, or reeled in a fish from its powerful waters. North Carolina's coast provides habitat for rare birds, threatened and endangered sea turtles and rare whales. The Labrador Current and Gulf Stream collide just off Cape Point fueling recreationally and commercially important fisheries.
Because of these natural resources, the coast is an economic engine. In 2008, North Carolina attracted $16.9 billion in visitor spending and enjoyed 190,000 tourism-supported jobs. Along with tourism, fisheries are a significant part of North Carolina's economy and culture. According to a 2006 NOAA fisheries report, saltwater recreational fishing generated $1.2 billion in sales and 24,000 jobs in North Carolina and commercial fisheries-related in-state sales generated over $500 million with $70 million in landings revenues.
The Obama administration's proposal to allow offshore drilling for a small supply of oil unnecessarily threatens these natural and economic resources. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service estimates, the known oil reserves off the Atlantic Coast would only last six months at current rates of U.S. consumption. The estimated natural gas reserves would last slightly longer, a meager 19 months. If those reserves were aggressively pursued, they would have no impact on domestic oil and gas prices until at least 2030, and even then any impact would be "insignificant" according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Such a minimal, distant effect on oil and gas prices would come as part of a high-stakes gamble. In 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita spilled approximately 743,400 gallons of petroleum products from platforms, rigs and pipelines. Just last year, a 2-year-old oil rig off the coast of Australia had a massive oil spill that spread across approximately 22,000 square miles of ocean, a spill nearly half the size of North Carolina that could be seen from space. That operation used new technology that proponents of drilling claim makes newer rigs safe.
We have better, cleaner options to provide energy and economic security for the short and long term while protecting our coast. Last summer, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill released a study finding that there is a potential for utility-scale production of wind energy in our offshore waters. Solar energy is becoming increasingly available and affordable. Opportunities to increase energy efficiency and conservation are untapped. Any responsible energy policy should first bring America's innovative talent to bear on fully exploiting energy efficiency, and explore clean renewable energy sources so stable jobs are generated and America remains technologically competitive.
Instead of looking back to dirty technologies of yesterday, North Carolina should embrace emerging and established renewable energy sources and enthusiastically pursue innovative energy efficiency programs.
We cannot drill our way to energy independence and should not gamble with our coastal resources and economies in a last ditch effort to do so. North Carolina's future will be brighter if it's powered by clean, renewable energy.
Geoff Gisler is an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center.
