As a Canadian, I have to admit that I am skeptical of the "save the Arctic plan" in the US. It is easy to save Alaska when you support the drilling of the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Buying oil from Canada is nothing short of such support (and, as we all know, Canada is the number one "foreigner" supplier of oil to the US). Americans don't have to do the dirty work of destroying ANWR because Canada is oh-too-willing to get its hands fifthly dirty in the Arctic. People often joke that Canadian money is monopoly money. Yeah, it is an Oil Monopoly in the North. The sooner we realize that we are all in this together, the sooner North America can start long-term planning and long-term conservation.
8
What I find most sad is that there is little talk of energy conservation. It just seems that we must constantly produce more energy to meet increased energy demands caused by bigger cars and grandiloquent houses that are lavishly wasteful.
9
I would be okay with the United States drilling in ecologically sensitive areas on one condition: Not until two thirds of Americans get their body mass index under 25. To get, you gotta give. Of yourself. Literally.
1
Once again Obama turns his back on the people who put him in office - THE PEOPLE - we 99%, not the the big money creeps, not the oligarchy , not the lobbyest leeches, not the corporate monsters but the real People.
Is he really so anxious for some big money consulting beginning in 2017? Does he actually think this will contribute to his place in history in any way except to name him one of America's destroyers?
The Democrats better come up with a candidate who can stand up for what's right here in the US. More like liar Obama and our nation will sign, seal and deliver or doom to become a raped banana republic like so much of the rest of north, central and south America.
Full disclosure:
a 50 year liberal democrat who voted for BHO twice and even gave money to his first campaign aka another American sucker
Is he really so anxious for some big money consulting beginning in 2017? Does he actually think this will contribute to his place in history in any way except to name him one of America's destroyers?
The Democrats better come up with a candidate who can stand up for what's right here in the US. More like liar Obama and our nation will sign, seal and deliver or doom to become a raped banana republic like so much of the rest of north, central and south America.
Full disclosure:
a 50 year liberal democrat who voted for BHO twice and even gave money to his first campaign aka another American sucker
6
What's more disappointing is that while he will he is willing to compromise with the oil industry and give up on his environmental promises he isn't willing to compromise with Republicans so that we can get something done over the next two years AND guarantee a Democratic successor.
So it's one for the oil industry and one for environmentalists. What about Alaska and the Atlantic states and the people who live there? Their score is nothing to nothing. It's obvious that Obama weighs only the interests of the lobbyists and the special interests they represent. With him the people themselves and the middle class he supposedly loves so much just don't count.
3
Sickening. Sad. Tragic.
What humans have done and are doing to marine ecosystems makes deforestation look like child's play. An enlightened species would count this sort of invasion a crime against all species.
What humans have done and are doing to marine ecosystems makes deforestation look like child's play. An enlightened species would count this sort of invasion a crime against all species.
5
A choice between protecting the highly populated Eastern seaboard versus a remote wilderness area would seem to be a pretty easy decision to make, if someone had to hand out favors to Big Oil (despite the world being awash in crude at the moment). It should make everyone question this President's judgement.
2
The BP debacle to the environment is likely to affect The Gulf for decades and yet "...no new laws governing offshore drilling safety have been passed since then..."
I grew up swimming at Jones Beach and can just imagine what it would look like after an oil spill. It scares me.
I grew up swimming at Jones Beach and can just imagine what it would look like after an oil spill. It scares me.
2
I encourage anyone to take out the dip stick from your car, clean it the best you can, and let it sit in a pitcher of water in your fridge. Afterwards, our yourself a glass when your thirsty and let me know how if the potential hazards do not make you self-conscious. Although I am for energy dependency in America, Oil is dirty business but good business for those who benefit from it. I live by the coast in Virginia Beach and after seeing what happened to the BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast—I could not imagine the damaging effects it cause to our coast. Secondly, we have the largest Naval Base in the world. A potential oil spill would just mean more complications with our Naval based ships. Off shore drilling is not a clean process to contain.
6
"Virginia to Georgia"
People, do you really want to risk destroying your coastal areas?
People, do you really want to risk destroying your coastal areas?
6
So sad to see a good man go bad.
3
This is typical Obama. The article says he is "giving both the oil industry and environmentalists a win and a loss." But that's just a proposal. By signaling his capitulation on the Atlantic seaboard, the oil industry and their lobbyists can now focus their efforts on defeating the Arctic proposal. Thanks Obama. Some poker-face ya got there.
4
It's going to be funny watching the arch-conservative, drill-baby-drill types in Virginia and the Carolinas absolutely howl in anger over this decision. "Drill, baby, drill - just not in my backyard!"
6
For those who remember, the President approved a similar plan one week before the Deepwater Horizon disaster, opening up millions of acres of offshore waters to drilling. President Obama quietly reversed his decision weeks later.
When will liberals finally admit that the top leadership of the Democratic party are covered in oil money just as much as Republicans?
The party of the "middle class" is proving to be more of party for the rich with a side program to pay for votes with false promises of "helping" those in need.
No surprise more and more voters in America are seeing through the ruse...
When will liberals finally admit that the top leadership of the Democratic party are covered in oil money just as much as Republicans?
The party of the "middle class" is proving to be more of party for the rich with a side program to pay for votes with false promises of "helping" those in need.
No surprise more and more voters in America are seeing through the ruse...
4
Having steadily supported the democrats throughout the years, once in a while I have felt the prick of betrayal when democrats have comprised far more than was even required. But everything else pales compared to this. The Easter seaboard is one of the very few coastal areas that is relatively pristine. Hasn't the administration learned anything about all the other drilling disasters as mentioned in this article? No, the president didn't give "a win" to the environmentalists on this issue, the president just sold out to big oil.
17
What about the Gulf Stream? The ocean currents that bring warm water along the Eastern Seaboard all the way up to Cape Cod, and now moving into the Gulf of Maine, are driving fish and lobster further North toward Canadian waters as they seek cooler water temperatures. Who is thinking of the consequences? Is it just a political quid pro quo with complete disregard for the effects of another drilling disaster under water? Where is Elon Musk when we need him? Go Tesla! This political ploy heightens the need for more efforts to move toward renewable energy sources!
15
More oil and gas will be needed as a stop-gap until we get around to making all our energy needs renewable, but at the pathetic pace the US government is moving, it will be far too late to stop major environmental degradation. What Obama should be doing is implementing a carbon tax with the proceeds going to pay for research into renewable energy. Keeping the supply high will only keep the prices down and inhibit things like electric cars (which need high gas prices to be cost effective), public transportation, and conservation.
12
I don't disagree, but at a certain point one has to recognize that the voters - particularly in the Southern states affected by this decision - and their elected representatives aren't going to go for a carbon tax. The President has proposed one before, and this Congress is even more in thrall to Big Oil than the last one. As it is, I think this is a bargaining chip.
1
Seems to me Mr. Obama needs to replace that "(D)" after his name with "($)" because it is clear he doesn't give a hoot about the environment.
8
Both parties fit the G.O.P. acronym: Gut Our Planet.
13
When are we going to wake up and stop trashing this planet? This is vile.
23
This is insane. Why are we even talking about oil in 2015? Why aren't all cars electric? Why don't we all have solar and wind power?
25
Don't forget the electricity in the electric cars comes from somewhere. Like power plants. Power plants need fuel to run. Like natural gas. Maybe someday you can totally charge your electric vehicle with solar power. But until the ability to fully charge large numbers of electric car batteries using solar we need power from somewhere.
1
OMG do you have any idea how electricity is generated to power those electric cars? The wind and sun? Guess again, those forms of"renewable energy" supply less than 3% of our electricity. The rest comes from natsy old fossil fuels, nuclear and hydro. Electricity is an on-demand source of power which can't be stored so when it is dark or calm there is no solar or wind generation occurring. My bet is you would not be happy when you flipped the switch and the light didn't go on or your espresso maker would work.
1
On one hand we have the democratic party championing climatologists stating that most of the fossil carbon must remain safely locked in the earth's crust to avoid a global catastrophe and on the other, we have the same politicians (bought and paid for by short-sighted energy sector "job creators") rarin' to open the most environmentally problematic oil and gas regions of the nation to the most risky form of energy extraction known to man. Keystone =Bad/Eastern Seaboard=Good. Seems like the Obama administration is just going through the motions on climate change.
31
It's actually a rather brilliant strategic move, giving the oil companies permission to do what you really don't want them to do in the current economic climate of low gas prices. Think about it - if he had made this decision in 2010 the oil companies would be drilling the very next day. Now, with the price of oil at $45, they won't lift a finger to drill. Yet he "allowed" them to do so. I think this is actually pretty shrewd on the part of Mr. Obama.
2
Allowing such offshore drilling would be irresponsible and reprehensible. Ask those of us in California who have lived through terrible environmental disasters arsing from this unnecessary search for oil - a commodity still manipulated by cartels. This is all about corporate money in politics you can be certain of that.
22
Terrible environmental disasters in California? Name three (man made). And, btw, the tar that washes up on Santa Barbara County beaches would still occur absent the few oil rigs to the west.
3
Your enthusiasm for offshore drilling is undermined your lack of information
969 -- A blowout at Platform A offshore near Santa
Barbara, California led to a spill estimated at up to 100,000
barrels of crude oil, fouling the California coastline. The
spill led to broad opposition to offshore drilling near
California, and later helped spur the creation of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/05/13/venezuela-platform-idUSN132723...
969 -- A blowout at Platform A offshore near Santa
Barbara, California led to a spill estimated at up to 100,000
barrels of crude oil, fouling the California coastline. The
spill led to broad opposition to offshore drilling near
California, and later helped spur the creation of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/05/13/venezuela-platform-idUSN132723...
1
The seismic surveying that has to happen to site the rigs is an environmental disaster all its own. Rigs aren't sited using a OUIJA board. Much invasive, disruptive activity occurs.
"...lawmakers in Virginia and other Southeastern states have pushed to open up their waters to oil companies, lured by the prospect of new revenues." Perhaps, big oil campaign contributions also had something to do with it? Ooops! Sorry, I forgot we're supposed to act as if there is no quid pro quo involved in campaign finance.
36
No! No more pollution and desecration of America's shores. It it is way beyond time for more research, development and production of non-polluting energy resources. Persuade Elizabeth Warren to run for President, and vote for her in 2016, or continue to see environmental issues ignored and resisted by our present President, Senate and House.
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