"Critics contend, however, that extracting oil and gas resources from Cuban waters will do little to alleviate the growing energy demand..."
Correct they are. It won't be enough to change the balance. That's why we need ANWR, Colorado, and parts of the CA coast to start drilling, and build some refineries, too. We also need to reexamine nuclear and shale, and build the biggest wind farm ever known in Teddy K's playpen off Hyannis.
The libs, for all their antimilitarism, are very well aquainted with the military principle of cutting off an enemy's fuel supplies to render him helpless. That is why so many of their efforts are focused on shutting down any energy form that's actually feasible. They'll crow about driving on old french fries until the day it actually becomes practical; then they'll find a problem.
(Yes, I know it is possible to pour old vegetable oil into an unmodified vehicle and run it; but how many gallons of used french fry juice does a city of 100,000 generate in a month? A damn sight less than drilling between FL and Cuba will.)
Let's just pull out of the treaty and drill where we wish.