Obama's Offshore Drilling A Disaster for Wildlife & Climate (defenders of wildlife)

[amborin]

Obama Offshore Oil Plan a Disaster for Wildlife and Climate

WASHINGTON - March 31 - Today President Obama released details of a new national offshore oil-drilling plan that would greatly expand oil leasing far beyond that which was ever authorized by the Bush administration. Prime polar bear habitat in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas off Alaska, opened for leasing under the Bush administration, would remain open to development, while large swaths of the Atlantic Coast and eastern Gulf of Mexico would be opened for the first time.

"Today's announcement is unfortunately all too typical of what we have seen so far from President Obama - promises of change, a year of ‘deliberation,' and ultimately, adoption of flawed and outdated Bush policies as his own," said Brendan Cummings, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity. "Rather than bring about the change we need, this plan will further our national addiction to oil and contribute to global warming, while at the same time directly despoiling the habitat of polar bears, endangered whales, and other imperiled wildlife."

Oil development in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas, home to all of America's polar bears, is strongly opposed by conservation groups as no technologies exist to clean up oil spills in icy waters. Oil development in the Beaufort Sea would likely also be visible from the shores of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Today's plan would allow existing leases in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas to move forward while the remainder of these areas would be subject to additional leasing following further environmental studies.

snip

The Center for Biological Diversity and other organizations filed a court challenge to the 2007-2012 offshore oil leasing plan issued by the Bush administration. The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia set aside that plan for failing to adequately assess the environmental impacts of opening up areas off Alaska to drilling. Today's announcement comes partially in response to that court ruling.

Earlier this year, Obama's Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar approved Shell's plans to drill this summer on existing leases in the Beaufort and Chukchi. Litigation against that plan is ongoing.

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/03/31-4

[dgibby]

1. Can't wait to see what the Outer Banks will look like

after a cat 5 hurricane pushes all that oil up on shore. Talk about a clusterfuck!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

2. Defender of Wildlife have this one right.

I am ashamed this proposal is coming from a Democrat. :cry:

[tridim]

3. Would you rather it come from a future Republican administration?

Complete with zero regulation?

That's simply insane.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

4. My position is not the on that is insane.

It is ANYONE who thinks additional drilling is any solution to this mess, even with "strict environmental regulations." :eyes:

[tridim]

5. It sounds bad if you ignore the rest of the plan and boil it down to a teabagger bumper sticker

You're very skilled at that.

[sabrina 1]

6. There is a third choice that you left out

Is there any Republican idea that this president can implement that party loyalists will not defend?

When the move to privatize SS begins, which may have begun already btw, will you defend that too by saying 'isn't it better to have it happen under a Democratic administration'?

At what point will he have gone too far even for them?

Otoh, the takeover seems to be complete so it really wouldn't have mattered which president was in the WH. The check list would have been the same. The only difference if it was McCain doing this would be the outrage from the left.

[tridim]

7. Obama's energy plan is nothing like the Repulican/Bush energy plan

But you already knew that because you listened to what the President said this morning, right?

[sabrina 1]

8. Yes, I did listen to what he said this morning.

I remain opposed to what I was opposed to when the Bush administration tried to sell it to me. I didn't hear anything that assured me that what environmentalists (whose expertise used to be respected by Democrats)are concerned about will be addressed.

Rather than make short, snide comments, if you did hear something that would allay the fears expressed by environmentalists in the OP, it would be far more effective to post them.

[tridim]

11. The entire speech was about clean energy and the transition to clean energy.

You need to watch it again.

[Go2Peace]

17. So he is talking out of *both* sides of his mouth then. That seems to be the defense on DU

man have supposed "democrat" values fallen.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

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

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

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

[blindpig]

12. Then take off the rose colored glasses

bfd

[joeybee12]

14. Yeah, and give back the check the WH sends you to post this tripe...n/t

[Hell Hath No Fury]

13. "Obama is our elected President"....

Good god, how many times did I hear that from Freepers/GOPers during the Bush years when I had the audacity to oppose his bullshit policies???? :wow:

[tridim]

16. You don't agree?

Unbelievable.

[sabrina 1]

18. What is your point?

Are you seriously claiming that elected presidents are infallible just because they are elected presidents?

As you so eloquently stated ~ 'Unbelievable!'

[frylock]

15. only nixon could go to china