Nearly 500 Arctic oil & gas leases from the Bush admin restarted by Obama admin

[RiverStone]

Nearly 500 Arctic oil and gas leases from the Bush administration have been restarted this week by the Obama administration. Known as Chukchi Lease 193, the various leases had been held up in court after environmental groups and indigenous groups challenged them, citing a significant lack of baseline information about the Chukchi Sea ecosystem. The Obama administration now says that many of the ecosystem gaps need not be filled, but Arctic indigenous and environmental groups disagree.

" decision to affirm the lease sale—instead of requiring that important scientific information be gathered and proven methods for cleaning up an Arctic oil spill be developed before opening the Chukchi Sea to oil and gas companies—shows that the Obama administration has backed away from its stated commitment to make decisions 'based on sound science and the public interest, and not on the special interests'," reads a statement from 16 NGOs and communities.

Critics of Arctic drilling argue that given the extreme weather conditions, icy waters, and the remoteness of any oil well, it would currently be impossible to clean-up an oil spill adequately. Furthermore, clean-up efforts would almost certainly have to stop during the long Arctic winter.

More: http://news.mongabay.com/2011/1005-hance_chukchisea_oil.html

****

The Obama team continues to quietly make environmental decisions that are all too Bush-like. Corporate oil greases the pockets of all too many on The Hill. Another profoundly stupid choice! :mad:

[G_j]

1. it just gets worse nt

[Ichingcarpenter]

2. Drill Baby Drill

Sarah Palin must be happy ... but not this environmentalist
Shall we go back and look at the tapes when then candidate Obama
was running ..... its opposite world.

[chill_wind]

8. Also all part of the Third Way's Grand Bargain notion of a jobs program

"Drill, responsibly, drill".

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1670652

:-(

[uponit7771]

3. Most likely this is telling a half truth like MOST of the others, I'll wait...like I've done in past

[RiverStone]

4. What "others" are you referring to? So you doubt this is true?

:shrug:

[mod mom]

5. good. you wait. The environment can wait since climate crisis is only

a left wing conspiracy theory. No need to bother yourself.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[chill_wind]

7. More

Arctic Ocean Drilling Approved

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203791904576609401721404510.html

http://www.smh.com.au/business/us-government-breaks-the-ice-in-arctic-drilling-dispute-20111004-1l75e.html

http://www.alternet.org/water/152674/alaskan_natives_speak_out_after_obama_greenlights_oil_drilling_off_alaskan_coast_

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/feds-move-forward-shells-arctic-offshore-plans

ETA-- White House Meetings (Bloomberg)

http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-29/alaska-to-bp-to-conoco-count-on-shell-s-bounty-from-arctic-oil

[chill_wind]

9. Crickets...