Survey: Arctic may hold twice the oil previously found there

[RamboLiberal]

Source: CNN

Continental shelves beneath the retreating polar ice caps of the Arctic may hold almost double the amount of oil previously found in the region, scientists say.

In new findings, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates the Arctic may be home to 30 percent of the planet's undiscovered natural gas reserves and 13 percent of its undiscovered oil.

A team of scientists at the USGS collaborated with international researchers to conduct the first-ever comprehensive assessment of undiscovered oil and gas reserves within the Arctic Circle.

"We tried to put some boundaries on the range of possibilities and resources available in the Arctic," said geologist Donald Gautier, lead author of the survey, which is published this week in the journal Science.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/05/28/arctic.oil.gas.reserves/index.html

[Haole Girl]

1. Just fucking great

Sorry I can't be pleased with this finding.

It will just give the "drill baby, drill" maniacs more motivation & delay further the desire to develop alternative energy.

Maybe I'm just in a bad mood today.

[jwirr]

2. So we can just keep the happy motoring era going? After all once

the ice is melted can it get any hotter?:sarcasm:

[Triana]

3. Well - that pretty much ends any notion of saving ANWR or anything else up there - not to mention

...THE PLANET.

[patrice]

4. Thank goodness! The Hummer is saved!!!

need I say :sarcasm: ?

[dipsydoodle]

5. There is a post elsewhere on DU

from today that uses the figure of c. 5% for the oil and also mentions that the majority of the gas would belong to Russia. :shrug:

edit to ad : found it now - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=3896682

[msongs]

6. oil n gas are obsolete technologies - time to leave them behind nt

[24601]

11. There are many alternatives but with significant exceptions

The biggest being transportation, especially aircraft. When the day comes that something else can provide viable fuel for a commercial plane, the airlines might have a chance of being profitable. So far, the nuke power in an aircraft carrier is too heavy.

[freedomnorth]

17. Pleasure of flying is insignificant to saving human species.

See post #8 and #9. If there is no alternative then we have to stop our destructive behaviour. We must stop flying.

[WriteDown]

19. Pleaure of internet as well..

Let's not pretend that our internet connections, display, etc, run on rainbows and fairy dust okay?

[onehandle]

7. So there's no oil shortage. Let the prices drop through the floor!

No?

Why the fuck not?

Oil prices are based on choice, not availability.

[Baby Snooks]

8. The Death of a Planet....

The reality is that drilling in the Arctic will ensure release of methane gas which will ensure the destruction of the planet as we know it since there is also going to be wholesale deforestation of the upper Amazon basin as a result of drilling there as well. We will be increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere while decreasing the amount of rainforests to balance it out by absorbing the carbon dioxide.

The rainforests are the planet's lungs. They inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen. We are in essence destroying our lungs.

Why are we destroying the rainforests? For cheap gasoline and pretty wood floors. What it comes down to.

The oil and gas industry, or at least the CEOs of the oil and gas companies, want to get every last dime of every last drop of oil. And will destroy the planet. They could care less. All they care about is how money they can make to feel important. And more important to feel powerful. Money is power in our society.

Our entire society is based on this maxim of "I have, therefore I am."

Some of us cannot become the CEO of Exxon-Mobil. But we can show off our expensive floors made of exotic Brazilian wood. We have, therefore we are.

[tom_paine]

9. Will the last human please remember to turn off all the lights?

:rofl:

The future is a straight line now.

We melt the Arctic with our fossil fuel emissions.

We are terribly excited about the continuance of Happy Motoring to be made possible by drilling the oil and gas exposed by our heating the planet.

The Global Aristocracy are terribly excited about the massive profits to be made by drilling the oil and gas exposed by our heating the planet.

The Global Aristocracy are terribly excited because continued Cheap Energy means more docility from thier Subject Populations.

We drill up massive amounts of oil and gas...and burn it.

This tips the planet into the unrecoverable zone in terms of sustaining the human species at any level.

Will the last human please remember to turn off all the lights?

============================================================================

I mean, really, if there is in fact all of this oil and gas up there, what percent chance is there that humanity WON'T burn it?

1%?

0.01?

More like 0.00000000000001%, and anyone with half a brain KNOWS it, whether they want to acknowledge it to not.

Come to think of it, 0.0000000000000000001% is probably an optimistic assessment. If it's there, humanity will burn it.

Happy Motoring, everyone!

:rofl:

[santamargarita]

10. That's because you can see it - The ice is gone

:think:

[MasonJar]

12. Oh, no! There goes the Arctic. Of course the human race will be going with it.

[Odin2005]

13. Well that clinches it, we are officially fucked.

:cry:

[architect359]

14. Oil availability isn't the point anymore, isn't it?

As previous people have already eluded to.

It doesn't matter if the quantity is four times the estimate, or even if it would rival the reserves found in the middle east. We're at that point in our global civilization where we really do need to ignore this fossil fuel resource. "Alternative" energy generation has to become the norm.

The currently tapped resources should now only be seen as a transitional source that should eventually (if any remain) be sealed and abandoned. There (ideally) should not be any need to drill new wells. The only reason that I can see for persuing the Arctic fields seems to be greed, and the status quo.

As an aside (with no bearing whatsoever on my statements above) - that reminds me of a line "...Destroying the status quo, because the status..., is *not* quo". Just thought to interject a bit of humor...

edited for spelling

[Tempest]

15. They're guessing

The only way they will know for sure is through seismic testing.

They could find out the Arctic holds much less oil than they guessed.

[Javaman]

16. Meh, they still have to figure out a way to get to it and it's cost...

it all boils down to energy in on energy out.

if it costs to much to remove it, it's worthless.

however, I now suspect, the price of oil will go up to finance it's recovery.

Up until a week ago, most of the gas price rise at the pump had to due with constriction at the refineries, however, with this latest news, I fully expect oil now go jump over the next two to 4 months on this news.

Speculators, who drive all commodities, will be going crazy again. Invest in oil, it's going to get hot again, I predict $100 bucks a barrel before labor day.

Welcome to peak plateau, where a roller coaster ride is a monthly thing.

[MellowDem]

18. The Canadians are gearing up their navy!

Her Majesty's Royal Canadian Ships will defend this Canadian territory from allcomers! Eh! ;-)