Cocoa Says NO!

The Pier at Cocoa Beach
Picture credit:  Mike Russell


On our local news this morning, came a most unexpected joy.
It was announced today, that the City of Cocoa Beach had rejected offshore  Seismic Testing.
Those in this Committee actually said that they don’t want it, because it has been said to harm Whales and Dolphins.
Did I hear right?
Is it possible that an entire City Commission actually realizes that many of the well to do tourists that they work so hard and spend so much trying to attract here, are actually coming because of the wild things that live here?
Duh!
I can still remember my very first trip here in the 1970′s to visit my parents, when they lived in North Miami Beach.
One of our very first day trips was down to the Everglades and I was hooked for life~
I was mesmerized by all of it, but most of all, by the incredible raw beauty of the land and the dizzying array of glorious creatures that lived here.
I had never seen most of them, in either California or Indiana growing up, so it was all new.
For those of you who do not live here, please allow me to shed some light.
We have in this glorious Sunshine State, what may be the world’s greatest collection of Birds and countless rare and exciting species of plants and wildlife in the world.
There is never any shortage of well-heeled, big spending visitors arriving here, every single day of the year, to take in all of this pristine beauty.
They travel to Florida by the millions, from every country in the world.
So, then knowing this, that not everyone coming here is going to Disney, or playing Golf, it simply would not be financially responsible, not to mention completely inhumane, to do our very best to preserve and protect the priceless beauty here, not just for the tourists, but for our state’s residents as well?
If Seismic Testing all along the Atlantic Coast is not stopped in its tracks, our Marine, or Sea life, are all in great jeopardy, the Whales, the Dolphins, every living thing.
It has been pointed out repeatedly, that the North Atlantic Right Whale, is just one more screw up away by us, to complete and total extinction.
And our Dolphins and other Coastal animals are already being pushed to the brink by overdevelopment.
So to all of you other Coastal Cities in Florida and indeed all of the United States Coast lines, you had better wake up.
Our Coast lines and all that inhabit them are a  Treasure, but for only as long as they exist.
Listen, I think I hear your tourist dollars leaving the building and they may not be back!
No wildlife, no wild places, no scenic beauty, no tourists~
Get it?

Some places to learn more:
Seismic testing could harm marine life
Atlantic oil drilling using seismic airgun may wipe out endangered Right Whales
A Cocoa City Commission Video:  Seismic Testing Rejected
An entire page of this topic is quite well covered here:   Offshore Oil Drilling