Obama Expands Offshore Drilling Far Beyond Bush

[Ladywriter 7,783]

Obama has unveiled his offshore drilling plans, and to the eyes of the environmentally conscious, it ain't pretty.

March 31, 2010 |Well, we knew the announcement was coming, and sure enough, here it is: Obama has unveiled his offshore drilling plans, and to the eyes of the environmentally conscious, it ain't pretty. Most of the provisions were revealed last night in a leak to reporters. But in case you missed it, the new plan opens up vast swaths of American coastline: some on the east coast and some around Alaska for drilling--a more expansive offering to oil companies than even Bush ever authorized.

Unsurprisingly, environmental groups are crying foul. Here's an excerpt from a statement from the Center for Biological Diversity, for instance:

"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promises of change, a year of 'deliberation,' and ultimately, adoption of flawed and outdated Bush policies as his own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."

Sierra Club's Executive Director Michael Brune:

"What we need is bold, decisive steps towards clean energy ... not more dirty, expensive offshore drilling.

The oil industry already has access to drilling on millions of acres of America's public lands and water.

We don't need to hand over our last protected pristine coastal areas just so oil companies can break more profit records."

This is some seriously pathetic shit. It does NOT need to happen. If the $ and effort to be thrown at these filthy projects was instead used to improve our electrical grid and get states using renewable energy we wouldn't need more oil and gas. That is the truth.

I'm getting really tired of Barak Obush's bullshit

Guess I'll be 'wasting' my vote on a 3rd party pres candidate next go round. I only voted Obama to keep the ignorant hater team out of the white house. I'm not amused that he's doing the shit McLame would have.

[Ladywriter 7,783]

Activists: Obama drill plan is betrayal

"Drilling our coasts will do nothing to lower gas prices or create energy independence," added Michael Brune, who recently took over as director of the Sierra Club. "It will only jeopardize beaches, marine life, and coastal tourist economies, all so the oil industry can make a short-term profit." Instead, environmental groups said, greater effort should be placed on renewable energy, improving vehicle mileage and making other energy uses, from refrigerators to home heaters, more energy efficient.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

Well, hopefully people learn never to vote for someone based on their environmental promises. Big Oil owns them all.

[Myk JL 1,731]

Obama has unveiled his offshore drilling plans, and to the eyes of the environmentally conscious, it ain't pretty.

This is some seriously pathetic shit. It does NOT need to happen. If the $ and effort to be thrown at these filthy projects was instead used to improve our electrical grid and get states using renewable energy we wouldn't need more oil and gas. That is the truth.

I'm getting really tired of Barak Obush's bullshit

Guess I'll be 'wasting' my vote on a 3rd party pres candidate next go round. I only voted Obama to keep the ignorant hater team out of the white house. I'm not amused that he's doing the shit McLame would have.

And that is why I don't vote. The 2 major parties are a Duopoly.

Any one who brags & thinks they have more say than anyone who doesn't vote clearly has their head up their ***.

Your vote either doesn't matter because you voted for a 3rd party. Or the 2 major parties doop you into picking one of their most crooked choices.

The only way this may be undone is if more people dump the 2 major parties.

[Torreyjs 64]

The offshore exploration/drilling isnt really a big deal. I know its easier to throw a knee jerk reaction at the word "drilling" and to say fuck it and throw the table over and stamp your feet but you need to understand the situation better. One the proposal opens up hardly any new areas for study/inspection and ultimately drilling. What this is mostly is actually trying to see if we can efficiently cultivate the resources we already allow ourselves to drill at , since were not currently even trying in most of them.

Secondly the actual observations and inspections will take multiple years to complete before we even try to get them out of the ground.

What a lot of people here dont know, is that the reason why America has seemingly stopped nearly all of the drilling in the states, and why we havent used the Strategic Oil Reserve is for the military and nothing else. Not to sound rude, but quite frankly no one really cares about the very vocal minority of environmentalists who hate the idea of drilling out the oil. The reason why, again, we dont get it all is because the military might need it. For what you ask? For pretty much if/when America is ever faced with the situation where we are engaged a massive real war and we need those resources to keep ourselves in the fight if we cant trade for it anymore.

Its inevitable we would start the process of inspecting the land weve allowed ourselves to drill (which we will soon) and it was even further inevitable that we would build more nuclear power plants. A lot of people dont realize this new bill were going to work up which involves the nuclear plants and the drilling is also going to work in a cap and trade system that previously failed. Its also going to open up research into alternative fuels/energy. Overall its the right thing to do.

[Ladywriter 7,783]

The offshore exploration/drilling isnt really a big deal.

Umm... excuse me, I don't think I have a problem with you personally until this. To this I must say fuck you. It is a big deal. We are talking about massive disruption and pollution just to install a rig.

What a lot of people here dont know, is that the reason why America has seemingly stopped nearly all of the drilling in the states, and why we havent used the Strategic Oil Reserve is for the military and nothing else. Not to sound rude, but quite frankly no one really cares about the very vocal minority of environmentalists who hate the idea of drilling out the oil.

Ummm again fuck you. I CARE. And I am NOT the only one. What you consider a minority... well I don't. I consider US sane and rational and trying our fucking hardest to push for the right things to be done. Look it, if the military absolutely must rely on crude (laughable considering they'll be the first to get new tech) there is still enough for their fucking tanks so relax.

For what you ask? For pretty much if/when America is ever faced with the situation where we are engaged a massive real war and we need those resources to keep ourselves in the fight if we cant trade for it anymore.

How about this so called War on Drugs that has killed more innocent Mexican civilians then soldiers we have lost in Iraq? Think we could spare a tank or two to defend our own borders? Ha....I guess not

Its inevitable we would start the process of inspecting the land weve allowed ourselves to drill (which we will soon)

What part of The oil industry already has access to drilling on millions of acres of America's public lands and water. is unclear to you?

and it was even further inevitable that we would build more nuclear power plants.

Which is also a really bad idea. Look at how long it takes from conception to actually powering your house and then look at the thousands around you that will develop cancer, maybe even in your house, maybe even you.

A lot of people dont realize this new bill were going to work up which involves the nuclear plants and the drilling is also going to work in a cap and trade system that previously failed. Its also going to open up research into alternative fuels/energy. Overall its the right thing to do.

Don't underestimate us. I've made it my "thing" to campaign for the environment and human rights and liberties on my site over the years. I'm not some tea baggin retard nor do I think the members here are.

I'm very sorry to rip your post (or if you take it personally; you- I do not want to attack you for a casual post) apart but I can not in good conscious, after every mutherfucking thing I've done here and elsewhere for years, let something like it just slide by. Not in my house. I'm sorry but the truth is what it is. This is a shit call, its unnecessary, its breast feeding the drill baby drill crowd. I ain't into that bullshit and I doubt I ever will be.

[Torreyjs 64]

If nuclear power is so bad how can France pull it off?

[Ladywriter 7,783]

look it up I ain't your sensei

[Torreyjs 64]

80% of France gets their electricity from nuclear reactors. It doesnt harm them in any way and shows no sign of degradation on the country or the people. They also sell tons of this clean electricity to its neighbors. Im pretty sure my home here in Germany gets nuclear sourced electricity.

Also when your accusing something of being bad the burden of proof is on you not me to show that. Its certainly not bad in Europe. The only reason why, in America, nuclear isnt huge is for two reasons.

1) We dont have carbon emissions laws nearly as severe as Europe does so coal is dirt cheap for us to burn for power. Cheap is usually the best in a capitalist society like ours. For example electricity gained by means of burning coal or oil/gas in Germany is subject to a 30% tax. This includes private citizens. Which is why wood heating is so popular here. Or if your like my home we use steam heated flooring, since its just water getting boiled no tax increase. And the warm floors feel great.

2) Investors find it hard to back loans for these supermassive installations because it takes so much to build them, which is why the government is backing all of the loans now in this new bill to spur more people willing to lay money down to get them built.

[Ladywriter 7,783]

Wow... yer a tool

goodbye

[Ladywriter 7,783]

Your vote either doesn't matter because you voted for a 3rd party. Or the 2 major parties doop you into picking one of their most crooked choices.

From now on I'll base my vote on the individual and how fuckin corrupt they are even if it means throwing my vote in the garbage. At least I'll sleep at night

[HKofsesshoumaru 673]

Go lady!

[Kite 3,263]

wind farms ftw

who cares if they ruin the scenery, paint them or dedicate them to people by engraving names of ppl on them

[Ladywriter 7,783]

Here we go....

Yesterday, President Obama disappointed millions of Americans by announcing his plan to open vast coastal areas to offshore oil drilling.

At a time when we need clean energy and climate solutions, this plan is a giant step backward -- allowing oil companies to reap billions, while feeding America's addiction to dirty fossil fuels.

Offshore drilling is bad policy, and we should say so:

http://cpaf.repoweramerica.org/TellObama/

Drilling is not the answer to any of our energy problems. It creates far fewer jobs than clean energy [1], it won't help us become energy independent [2], and it definitely won't help solve the climate crisis.

A new era of American prosperity will only come when we harness clean energy to revitalize the American economy, by passing comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation that makes polluters pay and sparks whole new industries and millions of jobs.

And we know that President Obama knows all of that, because he said so in 2008 in a presidential debate against John McCain: "We can't simply drill our way out of the problem. And we're not going to be able to deal with the climate crisis if our only solution is to use more fossil fuels that create global warming."

Instead of more dirty fossil fuels, we need the President to show real leadership on climate and clean energy legislation.

Watch the video of his 2008 quote and remind him that the dirty energy policies of the past won't move America forward:

http://cpaf.repoweramerica.org/TellObama/

We won't find the answers to the climate crisis at the bottom of a dirty oil well. The answers lie in millions of new American jobs from clean, abundant sources of renewable energy and energy efficiency.

And no matter what the oil companies and their lobbyists claim, we can't simply drill our way to energy security.

In fact, the Union of Concerned Scientists estimates that by 2030, the new oil drilling regions would yield only two months worth of oil in the next 20 years -- we would save nearly 10 times more oil with the fuel economy standards for cars and trucks that the President announced today [3].

Watch Obama's 2008 statement about offshore drilling, and sign the emergency petition calling on Obama to stand up to big oil and provide leadership on climate and clean energy:

http://cpaf.repoweramerica.org/TellObama/

Thanks,

Dave Boundy

Campaign Manager

The Climate Protection Action Fund's Repower America campaign

[Ladywriter 7,783]

another one

Subject: Say no to "Drill, Baby, Drill"

Hi,

President Obama has announced plans to open vast sections of protected coastlines to oil and gas drilling. This is a really terrible idea. We need to break our addiction to oil, not feed it.

I signed a petition urging President Obama to rethink his push for more drilling. Can you join me at the link below?

http://pol.moveon.org/drillbaby/?r_by=-11954441-JpvqlXx&rc=paste

Thanks!

[Pchan 5,162]

Signed.

[HKofsesshoumaru 673]

??? where is the article?

[Ladywriter 7,783]

http://www.alternet.org/story/146257/obama_expands_offshore_drilling_far_beyond_bush