(oh no) US gives Shell green light for offshore oil drilling in the Arctic

[ensho]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/oct/20/us-shell-drilling-arctic


Conservationists say the decision by the Obama administration to allow drilling in the Beaufort Sea repeats Bush era mistakes


Conservation groups based in Alaska have accused the Obama administration of repeating the mistakes of George Bush after it gave the conditional go-ahead for Shell to begin drilling offshore for oil and natural gas in the environmentally sensitive Beaufort Sea.

The Minerals Management Service, part of the federal Interior Department, yesterday gave Shell the green light to begin exploratory wells off the north coast of Alaska in an Arctic area that is home to large numbers of endangered bowhead whales and polar bears, as well as walruses, ice seals and other species. The permission would run from July to October next year, though Shell has promised to suspend operations from its drill ship from late August when local Inuit people embark on subsistence hunting.

Environmentalists condemned the decision to allow drilling, saying it would generate industrial levels of noise in the water and pollute both the air and surrounding water. Rebecca Noblin, an Alaskan specialist with the conservation group the Centre for Biological Diversity, said: "We're disappointed to see the Obama administration taking decisions that will threaten the Arctic. It might as well have been the Bush administration."
-snip-
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this is bad, bad news - whatever is Obama's team thinking? does Shell have some hooks in the W.H.?

[Craftsman]

1. Good we nned to wrok to be energy independent

[Arctic Dave]

5. Even if we doubled the output of TAPS we wouldn't scratch the surface of independence

It's a nice feel good thought though.

And by "we", I mean myself included since I work these fields.

[imdjh]

10. it all adds up, does it not?

[Arctic Dave]

16. Only if you are the sole benefactor and don't use more then your output.

Which currently, we do neither.

[imdjh]

18. I'm not understanding what you are saying.

It doesn't matter if the US is the sole benefactor, you take the imports and exports and the difference is the benefit. If we currently import a million bbls a day and we pump 100K bbls from Shell #21 all of which is sold to Japan then there is a 100K bump assuming an equal price. We are only importing 900K per day, because the 100K we export is undifferentiated from 100K had we kept it. Right?

[Arctic Dave]

22. Why sell it overseas if we need so bad here. Leave it in the ground for our needs.

Conservation is far better way of developing our energy strategy. But then the oil companies won't make as much money doing that but who cares about them.

[imdjh]

23. Conservation plus domestic production equals increased independence.

[Arctic Dave]

29. Creates the illusion of independance.

That's like saying a junky has recovered beacause of a lack of drugs and they are low on money. You are or your not.

[imdjh]

31. A good come back, however, it is better to have the junkie steal less from you.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

2. Not good news considering the links provided.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Party in charge of decision making means nothing compared to money.

http://www.gcmonitor.org/article.php?id=567

http://irregulartimes.com/index.php/archives/2009/10/20/shell-oil-gains-new-drilling-in-alaska-as-it-evades-cleanup-in-africa/

http://www.mcspotlight.org/beyond/oil.html#shell

[imdjh]

3. If no one told you, you wouldn't even notice.

Don't get all worked up over shit that hasn't happened.

[Arctic Dave]

6. The Native Alaskan population that lives up here sure as hell notices.

By your comment I'm going to guess you have never worked in the oilfield in Alaska or anywere else.

[imdjh]

7. Where do they think that chainsaws and snowmobiles come from?

Not to mention telephones, televisions, electricity, gasoline, automobiles, planes, clothes, medicines.....?

[Arctic Dave]

17. All of which are over used. And will never have the energy reserves for them

to last through oil production.
But hey if it makes your life easier, screw the people who it will affect the most. You can always go to the piggly wiggly for your food.

[imdjh]

20. According to whom? You?

And then what? They're going to return to some National Geographic status circa 1800 for our amusement and enrichment? I doubt that.

[Arctic Dave]

24. According to we can't keep up with demand.

The sooner we realize this, the sooner we can start to make the logical shifts in how we use our hydrocarbon inventories.
As they are now, every time I see some idiot with an oversized truck or suv I think to myself, thanks, you pay my bonus at the end of the year.

[Autumn]

4. Shh, don't go there.

Only bad when republicans do it.

[benld74]

8. Palin will be able to see the environment being destroyed from her front porch

[benld74]

9. Palin will be able to see the environment being destroyed from her front porch

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

11. Wait... they're drilling in russia?

[truebrit71]

12. Mmmm...I love the smell of 'change' in the morning...

..excpet it smells like the same bullshit we had for the last 8 years...

:eyes:

[imdjh]

13. Oil powers your computer so you can say stuff like that.

[truebrit71]

14. ..actually nuclear power powers my computer...

...but thanks for playing!

[imdjh]

15. So you're only peeing in the shallow end of the pool. Thanks for playing.

[truebrit71]

25. So you're pro-oil is that it?

..

[imdjh]

27. Until something cheaper and more useful comes along, yep.

[truebrit71]

28. Regardless of the cost to the environment as well?

..

[imdjh]

32. If all of humanity were to die tomorrow, what would be the effect on Earth?

[truebrit71]

33. It would be awesome! Humans are busy destroying the planet..I am not sure what your point is?

:shrug:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

19. What are those goddam whales doing in our oilfields? Do they have a contract?

[imdjh]

21. Ban whalers from the oil fields and the whales will figure out that they are safe there.

[truebrit71]

26. Except for all of the spillage and refuse that the rigs generate..

...yup..they'll be juuuuuuuust fine...

[QC]

30. Good thing Bush didn't do this, otherwise this place would have exploded

with righteous indignation.

[taterguy]

34. Obama's team is thinking that Americans love to drive

Got any evidence to the contrary?