President Barack Obama crushed greens’ hearts Monday by giving Shell the final go-ahead to drill for oil in Alaska’s Arctic waters, just two weeks after he thrilled them by issuing his landmark regulations on climate change.
In the long run, Obama’s successors will determine whether the industry can tap Alaska’s prized offshore oil — and one 2016 contender, Hillary Clinton, has expressed “doubts” about opening the Arctic to drilling. But it was Obama’s Interior Department that gave Shell its nod Monday, in the face of an opposition campaign that has seen activists dangling from a bridge in Oregon and swarming the company’s Arctic-bound rig with kayaks to try to block the project.
For greens, the announcement was even more galling because it arrived only two weeks before Obama is due to talk climate change during his first visit to Alaska’s Arctic.
“The president cannot have it both ways,” Greenpeace USA Executive Director Annie Leonard said. “Announcing a tour of Alaska to highlight climate change days before giving Shell the final approval to drill in the Arctic ocean is deeply hypocritical.”
Now you guys know that I am an ardent supporter of this President.
I have taken his side over and over again, and defended his actions even when I was not sure of the end game.
Here we are moving toward a more responsible energy policy here in America, and then the President acts as if he is taking advice from Sarah "Drill baby, drill" Palin.
The ecosystem in those arctic waters is incredibly fragile, and if there were an event even a tenth the size of the Deepwater Horizon spill is would have the kind of devastating effect that would last for decades.
No Mr. President, this is wrong, and you sir are wrong for supporting it.
No excuses.
P.S. Hillary Clinton tweeted this yesterday, which I think marks the first time that I have found her take on situation to be more reasonable than Obama's.
The Arctic is a unique treasure. Given what we know, it's not worth the risk of drilling. -H
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 18, 2015
Disappointing sure, but I am left wondering if there if some long-game 3D chess going on. This Prez has surprised us before.
ReplyDeleteYou know Rachel Maddow asked a similar question last night on her show, and all I can say is that I REALLY hope that Obama has something in his back pocket to make all of this alright.
DeleteHowever right now I cannot imagine what that might be.
Perhaps it's 95% certain that it'll be impossible anyway. It's not like they haven't had enough time to study it....
DeleteI am hoping the same thing. He has been supportive of fracking all this time, but now the EPA is coming up with strict methane restrictions which I hope will kill much of it. Maybe the same is in the works for Arctic drilling.
DeletePlease stop with this 3D chess crap and accept simple reality. Obama's not playing chess. He's answering Shell's prayers. Period. Unless you think playing risky chess with such a very vulnerable environment is somehow any more admirable than just outright handing it over to despoilers. Obama could have outright protected the Arctic without playing any games, but he didn't. The truth hurts, but that's the truth. You can't rationalize it away.
Delete"but I am left wondering if there if some long-game 3D chess going on."
Delete"Rachel Maddow asked a similar question last night on her show, and all I can say is that I REALLY hope that Obama has something in his back pocket"
You are frickin' ridiculous and stars in your eyes naive about this president, yes you too Gryph....Lol... "you know what Rachel said about it, and she is sooooo smurt!!"
It is oil, they are drilling for oil.
I don't know? He has picked the worse people for the DOI?
DeleteYes Why? Why drill in the Arctic? What could go wrong?
Playing chess with the environment is just crazy. My son has always said Obama is more of centrist than progressive or liberal. He said 20 yrs ago he would be considered Right if the Rightwing hadn't gone off the deep end.(Raygun)
I do wonder why he is doing this.
Maybe after he visits Alaska he will change his mind? I don't think Alaskans want this, well maybe la palin but who cares what she wants....
Money talks.
DeletePeriod.
Clinton performed NAFTA at almost the same identical moment in his presidency. The damage is still thundering down around our heads. Not as bad as Iraq, but still...
ReplyDeleteI was thinking a similar thought. As much as I supported Clinton, I will always be disappointed that he allowed NAFTA to pass. It has been a disaster, in my opinion. And, agreed, at least he didn't drag us into yet another unnecessary, long term war.
DeleteOne of the many reasons I despise Clinton.
DeleteYeah, this is extremely disappointing. And you know that oil companies have no idea how to stop disasters that they create.
ReplyDeleteWhat was President Obama thinking?
As an Alaskan, I tweeted Pres Obama about this.
DeleteGryph, I agree with you 100%. I worked for Greenpeace for 5 years and was active in political issues on everything considered "green" i.e. the environment. I also love Obama but he is a politician. I think some promises were made by Obama for Shell, in exchange for something else.
ReplyDeleteI hope he gets boo'ed on his trip to Alaska. I also hope that he will reconsider his decision but my guess is the "paper" or permissions have already been signed. I would like to see the details of this so called "plan".
I think you are greatly mistaken about President Obama. And I sure hope that no one in Alaska "boos" him. He has singlehandedly done more for the environment than any of his recent predecessors.
DeleteBeaglemom
I hope they boo the shit out of Obama. He has just condemned the Arctic to the Bay of Mexico's fate.
DeleteObama sold the Coast Guard to BP during the Gulf oil floodgates of hell opening.
DeleteI was really mad at him for that, but could see how he knew it was fucked for a long time and nothing really mattered in the Gulf, anymore.
However, i'm still mad...
Balance. The art of the possible. And this will help kill Keystone and I don't just mean the pipeline.
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is that this permission is quite limited. I'm willing to wait until President Obama's visit to Alaska later this month. Besides I don't think that anyone can question where his sympathies with regard to the environment lie.
DeleteBeaglemom
Oh please. Would you say this if Bush had just done this?
DeleteWhen I was a child I thought as a child.
DeleteHow will this help Keystone?
DeleteThat methane-belching tar sands crap will be priced out of the market, with any luck.
DeleteHillary Clinton's tweet about the Arctic is sure to rile up Ms. "Drill, baby, drill" Palin!
ReplyDeleteBeaglemom
Okay, if he is going to allow Shell to drill then I want to see a detailed emergency response plan. I want to see periodic inspections and run through, and I want them unannounced to see what the real reaction would be. If ju know a drill is coming then u aren't really being tested. I don't want what happened with the Exxon Valdez where they had these grew response plans and fell flat. Same thing happened in the Gulf. When they actually looked at the plans they were outdated and useless.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that an emergency response is necessary says it all, doesn't it?
DeleteNo oil company ever saved money by putting protections in place first.
Bye bye Arctic.
Thanks, Obama.
I wonder how Fox News is going to spin this?
ReplyDeleteDrilling in AK and, especially, drilling in the Arctic waters seems like a guaranteed disaster. But some perspective on the story:
ReplyDeleteThis isn't something new. Shell's drilling plan was already approved and activity began in 2012. They suspended work due to damaged equipment and resumed last month but couldn't do any deep drilling until they brought in certain safety equipment. The equipment arrived. Bingo--'final go-ahead.'
I'm glad to see Hillary use this to go on record opposing Arctic drilling. I'm waiting to hear her oppose the Keystone pipeline which her State Dept. was pushing forward.
Why Shell?? If the USA is on business of leasing to foreign oil companies, then USA should at least give it to an alley nation such as Norway's StatOil. But meh, it could be worse, Exxon. So we thought Obama's coming to Alaska to advocate for climate change...and he is! hahaha sarcastic laugh
ReplyDeleteWho's the Republican wearing a Democratic liberal name tag? Obama, Hillary, or Michelle Rhee?
You'd better take a very long look at Hillary and Bill's portfolio before you present her as some environmental bleeding heart.
ReplyDeleteCould it be that Obama approved the permits so that the stop-anything-that-Obama-approves-of Republicans will make sure that the permits get recalled? I can dream I suppose...
ReplyDeletePresident Obama has big plans for after he leaves office. He needs about a $billion. What better place to get it than the oil companies and rich oil dictators?
ReplyDeletewww.nytimes.com/2015/08/17/us/politics/with-high-profile-help-obama-plots-life-after-presidency.html
O/T the comments here are wonderful
ReplyDeletehttp://crooksandliars.com/2015/08/palin-calls-trumps-extremist-immigration
It is not good folks!!!! EPA dumping toxic waste through grand canyon. Now drill baby drill in Alaska. not good.
ReplyDeleteI have to ask why, as well. I voted for him as President, and he's disappointed me a few times, Bush/Cheyney are scott free, Gitmo is still open, and now he caves to Big Oil over protecting a fragile ecosystem, not just any fragile ecosystem, Alaska's ecosystem has it's own unique issues and what happens there directly effects all ecosystems.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to hear his speech when he visits Alaska.