Bahia-honda Bridge ~Tidal Energy \ Water Turbine Project~

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Anyone who has driven South on U.S 1 from Miami to Key West know of the 100+ small bridges, and one BIG 7-mile bridge, along the 150+ mile ride to KW...

I have made this ride numerous times and fished around many of these bridges during slack-tide and full range of tide changes. There is an incredible amount of water moving under these bridges going and coming between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. And this changing of tides happens 4 times a day...

The Key West Citizen paper reports that there are efforts being made to harness this energy with a water turbine that will be moved by the tidal water flow running thru it...

"Keys Hydro Power late last month received a state Department of Environmental Protection permit to test a Fiberglas composite underwater turbine in the channel off the old Bahia Honda Bridge, said group founder Douglas Bedgood."

"Keys Hydro Power has been asked to install rigid, cage-like mesh near the front and back of the turbine to keep the marine life from being snagged in the rotors. The excluder will keep out anything larger than 4 inches wide. Anything smaller can pass through unharmed, Bedgood said."

"Keys Hydro Power plans to test one turbine in the Bahia Honda Channel for 60 days to determine whether it can efficiently harness power from the ocean. The turbine would yield energy by having the currents pushing the rotors. Keys Hydro Power has been working with several Florida engineering firms on designs for the underwater turbine that would be placed a half-mile south of the bridge. If the test is successful, the group wants to place more turbines, or farms of turbines, off the Florida coast."

Are we headed towards $4 a gallon GAS again?...

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Republican Candidate for Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell asked a simple question of the potential Democratic Party Candidates to join him in calling for the exploration, development, and distribution of known energy resources off the coast of Virginia.

The reply from the potential candidates for Democratic Party Candidate for Virginia Governor was a resounding NO and inline with the present Democratic Party Governor and\or DNC Chairman (depends what hat he has on at the time) Tim Kaine…

"The issue is simple. Virginia has the opportunity to be the first state on the Eastern Seaboard to lease exploration and development rights for natural gas and oil off of our shores. Exploration would take place in a safe, environmentally-friendly manner, 50 miles off our coastline, far out of sight from our beaches."

"According to one estimate, there are 130 million barrels of oil and 1.14 trillion cubic feet of natural gas off Virginia's coast. A study by a professor at Old Dominion University, forecasts that natural gas production alone off Virginia’s coast would create 2,578 new jobs, and produce $271 million in state and local revenue. Unfortunately, the Democratic candidates said no to Virginia jobs and yes to the special interests."
http://bobmcdonnell.com/

So we are headed to $4+ a gallon gasoline again. We are headed towards higher fuel and energy costs to heat and cool our homes. We are headed to increased production and transportation costs on products we consume. We are headed towards even more dependency on foreign sources of energy. We are headed towards the Obama administration wishes of a carbon use tax that will fund much less efficient energy sources like solar and windpower…

The Washington Times had a great article written by Ed Feulner who outlines the
Situation with the new Obama administration Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar…

“It takes years to develop an oil field, which is why we should get started this year, while prices are still low. Mr. Salazar's own Interior Department estimates there are 19 billion barrels of oil available in U.S. waters, and such estimates tend to be on the low side. But we won't know until we start looking. This isn't the first time Mr. Salazar has opposed exploration, by the way. Last summer, when the Bush administration wanted to sell some public land in Western states so oil companies could take a closer look at harvesting fuel from oil shale, Mr. Salazar disliked the program. "A fire sale will not lower gas prices. It will not accelerate the development of commercial oil shale technologies," he wrote in The Washington Post. Again, true as far as it goes. But without exploration, we'll never know if oil shale can be made to work.
Our country needs more oil exploration, as quickly as is prudent. Otherwise, prepare for the eventual return of $4 or higher gasoline.

"Democrats" in their own words....

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For my friends in Harrisonburg who are quick to defend the "New" administration and blame any problems on the prior administration...

"Tele-prompter" free...

"Used Sinkers" ?....

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The Point Pleasant (NJ) Rescue Dive Team had their annual “Used Fishing Sinker Sale” at the local Fisherman’s Winter Flea Market and took in over $500 for the team. I have had the opportunity to help out during these sales and the appreciation of the team by the local fishermen has always been positive and enthusiastic.

The Dive Team has always been very visible in the local waters during training exercises and community support projects. They have been involved in numerous water related rescues and first-aid assists over the years and have been in the local papers news stories.

Additional photos and text can be found at Point Pleasant Rescue Dive Team…

Mote Marine Lab ~Bull Shark~ Research...

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CATCH A BULL at four... Scientists from Mote Marine Laboratory tag bull and hammerhead sharks in an effort to determine the effects these top predators have on the ocean food chain...

While living in the Florida Keys I had the opportunity to work on one of the better Sportfishing boats (SeaBoots Charters) and with one of the most knowledgeable Captains in the area. It was not just the 30+ years of fishing experiences in the Florida Keys but the marine biology knowledge that Captain Jim Sharpe brought to his charters.


Another benefit was that Mote Marine Lab had their Tropical Research Center just 100 yards down the dock from where the SeaBoots was kept. While most of the research at the Mote lab focused on coral research and growth, other Mote scientist would visit and conduct other research on other species such as the Bull shark…

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Above is a photo of me hand lining a Bull shark in the Gulf of Mexico while the Mote Marine scientist measured, tagged, and took blood samples, from the above shark. I have always enjoyed showing this photo at work to co-workers who enjoy local trout fishing and the conversations that follow...

Recently I was emailed the link to “You-Tube” footage of the shark fishing trip that produced the above catch. As the video shows there was much work and effort put into catching the bait and setting the lines for this research project and fortunately it paid off with this impressive catch. The amazing thing is what a Bull Shark of this size will allow you to do once you get them up to the side of the boat.

My first surprise was when lead Mote Marine Scientist Michael Heithaus leaned over the side of the boat and flipped this shark over onto her back where she offered very little resistance and allowed numerous tests, measurements, and tags to be attached.

Great video and great research team to work with…

Lt. Governor Bill Bolling...

STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BOLLING ON PASSAGE OF SENATE BUDGET

RICHMOND – Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling today issued the following statement in response to Senate’s passage of the state budget:

“Needless to say, this has been a challenging budget year, with the Commonwealth facing a deficit of $3.7 billion. To address this shortfall we were facing significant spending reductions for most state programs. It appears as though the infusion of some $4.5 billion in federal stimulus funds will enable us to restore many of these budget cuts, at least in the short term.

“Given the significant infusion of funds provided by the federal stimulus package, I think the Senate did a good job crafting amendments to restore many of the budget cuts that had been made in the Executive Budget. However, I fear that this is a short term solution to a long term problem. By relying on one time federal funds to balance the budget we are not addressing the fundamental structural problem in the budget. Simply put, we are spending more money than we are taking in and we cannot continue to do that. Unless we see significant economic growth over the next 18 months, we will once again face massive budget shortfalls when the federal stimulus dollars expire.

“Going forward, our full attention must be directed toward effective proposals to get out economy moving again. We can do that by reducing taxes for families and businesses, eliminating unnecessary regulatory burdens, directing more resources to aggressively recruit new business and industry to Virginia and empowering the private sector to unleash the entrepreneurial spirit of America. That is what will ultimately get our economy moving again, not continual financial bail outs from Washington.”

Energy & Stimulus for Virginia...

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Local Virginia State Delegate Chris Saxman (R) introduced house bill
HB1633: Offshore Drilling royalties bill which would allow the royalties from drilling off of the Virgina coast to be used to solve Virginia transportation and budget problems...

There is an incredible amount of potential energy sources off our coast including oil, natural gas, and wind power. Developing these energy sources could solve many energy and budget problems that we now face and know will increase if we do not take action soon…

According to an ICF International study
commissioned by API, developing America’s
vast domestic oil and natural gas resources
that were kept off-limits by Congress for
decades could generate more than $1.7
trillion in government revenue, including

$1.3 trillion in revenues from offshore
development alone. These revenues would
be earned over the life of the resource.

Increased federal leasing could bring
additional high paying jobs to Americans.
Our industry directly employs 1.8 million
Americans, with another four million jobs
supported by the industry.3
• Oil and natural gas industry exploration
and production wages in 2006 were more
than double the national average.
• New manufacturing jobs would be created
to develop and install the infrastructure to
bring new resources to market.
• Local employment also would benefit with
the addition of construction jobs as well
as service and support positions.
• In 2030, 160,000 jobs would be created.

This has already produced revenue for States to use...

According to the Department of the
Interior, in fiscal year 2008, the agency
distributed a record $23.4 billion to the
federal government, states and American
Indian tribes from onshore and offshore
energy production.
• A part of this revenue included $10 billion
in bonus bids paid by companies to lease
tracts for offshore energy exploration on
the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of
Mexico and Alaska.
• A total of 35 states received $2.6 billion
from these revenues.1

Source info...

Boy Scouts coming to Goshen, VA...

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Delegate Ben Cline
(540) 461-0534
DelBCline@house.state.va.us

DELEGATE CLINE COMMENTS ON BOY SCOUT ANNOUNCEMENT
OF JAMBOREE RELOCATION TO ROCKBRIDGE

RICHMOND, Virginia – February 11, 2009 — Delegate Ben Cline (R-Rockbridge) made the following comment regarding the announcement of the National Boy Scout Council of their selection of Rockbridge County as the location for the National Boyscout Jamboree beginning in 2013:

"I am pleased to learn that the Boy Scouts have chosen Goshen as the tentative site for the National Boy Scout Jamboree in 2013. Rockbridge County has the perfect combination of natural beauty, outdoor excitement, and economic development for the Jamboree, and we have worked hard to convince the Council that Goshen is the best location for them to continue their successful event. I look forward to working at the state and local level to ensure a smooth and successful transition for the Jamboree to the Rockbridge area."

Cline represents the 24th House District, including Rockbridge County and the Cities of Lexington and Buena Vista, and parts of Amherst and Augusta Counties. He was elected in 2002, and re-elected to his fourth term in 2007. Cline is a member of the House Commerce Committee, Public Safety Committee, Finance Committee, and Courts Committee.

Jimmy B. shows up in Key West...

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Jimmy Buffet showed up in Key West and did a un-announced concert for the staff and family and then opened the doors to the public. Best part is that he performed most of the songs written just about Key West and Stock Island. If you have spent some time down there you know many of these songs and the stories behind Stock Island...

Key West Citizen paper has front page coverage here...