Dean Cannon, state representative for Florida and set to take up the position of speaker in the House of Representatives in 2010, is arguing strongly for Florida to take advantage of oil and gas reserves off the coast of Florida, despite residents’ concerns about the potential environmental impact this could have for the states’ beaches.

Cannon cites a number of points that have been made against drilling, including concerns based on problems other states funded by oil extraction such as Texas have seen, including tarballs washing up on the state’s beaches. He advises that most tarballs are the result of oil escaping from the sea bed that has occurred for thousands of years and that this should therefore not be a concern for Floridians. (more…)