Floridians have always opposed offshore drilling and with good cause: it’s a dirty business that would damage Florida’s economy and environment. And our elected officials have backed us up. Thanks to strong opposition by our former governors, senators, and congressman, and House of Representatives, Chevron and Mobil’s offshore drilling leases were cancelled and drilling was banned from our shores.

That was before gas prices went sky high – right along with oil industry profits.

Now the oil industry has found a new strategy – exploit Americans’ distress over high gas prices by claiming that offshore drilling will make gas cheaper. It’s not true, but, unfortunately, it’s working. Some of our elected officials are wavering, even backing the industry. And let’s face it – it’s hard for an elected official to stand up against a lie that their constituents believe.

Your elected officials need to know you don’t buy the big oil lie, and you still want them to draw a line in the sand against offshore drilling in Florida.

The oil industry is making record profits, proving it’s not a problem of availability; it’s a problem of greed. It banked $44 billion in just three months and spent $80 million on lobbyists to call for more drilling and to oppose real solutions. Oil companies have access to 68 million acres that they haven’t started to drill on yet. And the Department of Energy says offshore drilling will not make gas cheaper before 2030, and even then, the difference would be negligible.

Offshore drilling will not reduce gas prices, but it could reduce tourism related jobs in Florida. If it’s tough paying exploitative gas prices now, imagine paying them after yet another economic blow to Florida.

The Energy Bill – which includes a provision to open Florida shores to drilling -- is up for a vote as soon as Congress reconvenes the first week of September.

Don’t let them reverse decades of effort by Floridians to protect our shores from offshore drilling. Tell the Florida Congressional Delegation and your local representatives that you do not believe the lies of the oil industry and that you do not want offshore drilling in Florida.

Visit our ACTION page for details on how to stop offshore drilling now.

When in doubt, check it out. Follow the links on this site to learn all you need to know about the economic and environmental threat of offshore drilling – and why it won’t reduce gas prices.