tagged w/ Offshore Drilling
-
TOXIC LEGACY:
LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF OFFSHORE OIL
ON WILDLIFE & PUBLIC HEALTH
In the early hours of March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran into Bligh Reef spilling 10.8 million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound. In response to the spill, efforts were led by President George H.W. Bush, President Bill Clinton and bipartisan Congressional efforts to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again. These political leaders insituted offshore oil drilling moratoria in the outercontinental shelf and Bristol Bay.
Nearly twenty years after the Exxon disaster, President George W. Bush and Congress have reversed these moratoria and have raised the risk of another oil spill catastrophe.
Toxic Legacy thoroughly documents the consequences of our addiction to oil, from drilling to transportation and final use. The report calls for a reinstatement of the moratoria in order to better protect our oceans.
-- http://oceana.org/climate/solutions/oceana/focusing-on-oil/TOXIC LEGACY:
LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF OFFSHORE OIL
ON WILDLIFE & PUBLIC HEALTH... more
-
-
The Bush administration authorization of a major new offshore oil drilling program in the Arctic Ocean was dealt a serious setback Thursday when a federal appeals court ruled the plan did not adequately consider the effect on bowhead whales and the native villagers who make their living from the frigid coastal waters.
Ruling on the first of several major new projects for tapping oil and gas deposits from the Arctic floor, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said the federal government should have prepared a more exhaustive environmental review before concluding that harm to whales, caribou and other Arctic wildlife either would be insignificant or could be mitigated.
In a 2-1 decision, the court ordered the federal Minerals Management Agency to prepare a more thorough review, a decision that probably puts the offshore exploration plan up for new consideration under the administration of Barack Obama. Environmentalists have fought the plan, saying it could have disastrous consequences for Arctic wildlife.
I think the new administration can respond to this decision by calling for a timeout on new exploration and leasing in the Arctic Ocean until a full review of potential impacts and conservation measures is completed, said Eric Jorgensen, managing attorney at Earthjustice in Juneau, Alaska.
Rebecca Noblin of the Center for Biological Diversity, one of several plaintiffs in the case, said in a statement: If polar bears and other ice-dependent species are to survive as the Arctic melts in the face of global warming, we need to protect their critical habitat, not turn it into an industrial zone.
Officials at Shell Offshore Inc., which has proposed to drill up to 12 exploratory wells in the Arctic s Beaufort Sea over the next three years, said they were convinced that the company had met or exceeded requirements for environmental analysis -- including how noise from exploratory drilling might affect the migration patterns of fish, endangered bowhead whales and caribou, which give birth in the nearby Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The U.S. faces an energy supply crisis, and delays like this only extend and aggravate it. In times of shrinking global supply and ever increasing reliance on imported oil, the Alaska offshore could be a significant resource for national energy security, Shell said in a statement.
Republican Gov. Sarah Palin, who has urged the nation to take better advantage of Alaska s untapped oil and gas resources, expressed determination to get the project back on track.
We re disappointed, but will work with the company moving forward from here, said her chief spokesman, Bill McAllister.
-________________-
Oh, do not worry, drilling is environmentally safe. That is the rhetoric we hear from proponents who want to drill baby, drill. And that is all it is... rhetoric. There is no way to drill for oil that will not affect the wildlife and inhabitants in this area. Time and time again the Bush regime has shown its total disdain for the environment and the lives of those their destructive policies touch. This ruling by the 9th circuit court of appeals reaffirms that the rule of law takes precedence over any man or woman (Governor Palin, I am pointing at YOU) and their greed.
Instead of calculating ways to now steal the resources below the Arctic for corporate profit we should be working on ways to preserve it and its habitat for future generations and those who live there now. This is also one area I will be looking at regarding the Obama administration. Drilling is a false choice and if Obama and his Congress permit this to happen just to not piss off Republicans who want it over the moral imperative, it will speak volumes about their priorities as well. Bi-partisanship is one thing, but capitulation to an immoral principle for political expedience is quite another.The Bush administration authorization of a major new offshore oil drilling program in... more
-
-
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The federal government has taken the first step in 25 years toward offshore drilling in the mid-Atlantic, launching a study of a potential exploration area just north of the N.C. border.
The 2.9-million-acre study area off the Virginia coast is within 55 miles of the N.C. coast.
"THIS WILL NOT FLY!!"-BWCHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The federal government has taken the first step in 25 years toward... more
-
-
The US government has taken the first step in 25 years toward offshore drilling in the mid-Atlantic region, launching a study of a potential exploration area just north of the North Carolina border.
The 2.9m-acre study area off the Virginia coast is within 55 miles of the North Carolina coast.
The US Minerals Management Service said yesterday it would prepare an environmental-impact study, beginning a 45-day public comment period. A decision whether to sell leases to the area in 2011 will come later.The US government has taken the first step in 25 years toward offshore drilling in the... more
-
-
Coldcut vs TV Sheriff "Revolution '08" Music Video
-
-
-
Cuba's government announced there may be more than 20 billion barrels of recoverable oil in offshore fields in Cuba's share of the Gulf of Mexico, more than twice the previous estimate.
If confirmed, it puts Cuba's reserves on par with those of the US and into the world's top 20. Drilling is expected to start next year by Cuba's state oil company Cubapetroleo, or Cupet.
"It would change their whole equation. The government would have more money and no longer be dependent on foreign oil," said Kirby Jones, founder of the Washington-based US-Cuba Trade Association. "It could join the club of oil exporting nations."Cuba's government announced there may be more than 20 billion barrels of... more
-
-
jspace
-
added this
-
3 years ago
- |
-
Please Sign Petition! Protect the Habitat of Endangered Beluga Whales NOW!
Target: James Balsiger, NOAA Acting Assistant Administrator
Sponsored by: Ocean River Institute
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/937474107?z00m=17355045
On October 17, NOAA's Fisheries Service determined that the Cook Inlet beluga whales would be listed under the Endangered Species Act. This is a great victory for these irreplaceable creatures!
This success is, however, bittersweet - the whales are still an endangered species, and we need to do everything we can to protect their habitat. With their numbers having fallen steadily since 1979 to only 302 whales today, the beluga is in danger of extinction throughout its range in Alaska!
These whales are in trouble the Cook Inlet beluga population was estimated at 1,293 in 1979. Since then the population has fallen steadily until there were only 302 in 2006, the most recent count.
The low numbers and shrinking population causes Cook Inlet beluga whales to be much more vulnerable to all natural sources of mortality, such as disease, predation and stranding. Limiting their range to portions of Cook Inlet, the belugas are particularly vulnerable to human caused sources of whale weakening and mortality as well. Oil drilling tailings are not regulated. Sewage insufficiently treated; non-point source and storm overflows are untreated. Heavy metals, petro-chemicals and endocrine disruptive chemicals bio-accumulate in the fat tissues of belugas and are magnified when passed from mother to calf.
Such persistent pollutants can affect the fertility and reproductive rate of whales. Meanwhile, ship traffic through Cook Inlet is increasing with Anchorage Port exceeding the projected tonnage growth rate of 2.5 percent per year.
Alaska's marine ecosystems and fisheries are particularly vulnerable to the immediate impacts of global warming temperature variations and carbon-loading of the atmosphere. A third of increased atmospheric carbon goes into the ocean causing acidification of seawater and further challenging marine invertebrates in Cook Inlet, a vital part of the beluga's food pyramid. Taking management steps to avert these problems will not only save belugas, it will benefit Alaska's economy by increasing seafood value and tourism.
Join us in urging NMFS to follow through on their proposal to designate critical habitat for the Cook Inlet beluga whale now that it is an endangered species. Only by addressing troubled waters in Cook Inlet can beluga whales recover and thrive once again.
Please Sign Petition! Protect the Habitat of Endangered Beluga Whales NOW!
Target:... more
-
-
As this article clearly states "the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently did a detailed study of the likely outcome of offshore drilling for their Annual Energy Outlook 2007, “Impacts of Increased Access to Oil and Natural Gas Resources in the Lower 48 Federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).” The sobering conclusion:
The projections in the OCS access case indicate that access to the Pacific, Atlantic, and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030."
Now I know McCain can't use a computer yet, but somebody needs to keep him updated on the usefulness of off-shore drilling ...As this article clearly states "the US Energy Information Administration (EIA)... more
-
-
After months of high-pitched battles with Republicans over the issue of offshore drilling, House Democrats have given in and decided to allow a 26-year ban on drilling to expire at the end of the month.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, D-Wisconsin, told reporters Tuesday that a massive $600 billion stopgap funding bill slated for a House vote on Wednesday will not include any language on drilling, effectively lifting the ban on October 1.
"So that will mean ... this next election will decide what our drilling policy will be because there will be no language in this bill on that subject, and as you know that means that at least temporarily the moratorium is lifted," Obey said.
After months of high-pitched battles with Republicans over the issue of offshore... more
-
-
CHICAGO - Mayor Richard M. Daley has announced a plan to dramatically slash emissions of heat-trapping gases, part of an effort to fight global warming and become one of the greenest cities in the nation.
The plan calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to three-fourths of 1990 levels by 2020 through more energy-efficient buildings, using clean and renewable energy sources, improving transportation and reducing industrial pollution.
"We can't solve the world's climate change problem in Chicago, but we can do our part," said Daley on Thursday. "We have a shared responsibility to protect our planet."
CHICAGO - Mayor Richard M. Daley has announced a plan to dramatically slash emissions... more
-
-
AVON, N.J. - With oil and gas drilling heating up as an issue in the presidential race, environmentalists and the governor reiterated their opposition to tapping reserves off the state's coast, saying it would endanger the environment and the tourism industry on which New Jersey is so dependent.
"It is a dark, dark day for the natural coast. Some might say it's as black as oil," said Cindy Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action, who joined environmental and fishing groups at a news conference Wednesday on the Avon boardwalk. Gov. Jon Corzine reiterated his opposition Tuesday in a letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne.
AVON, N.J. - With oil and gas drilling heating up as an issue in the presidential... more
-
-
The House of Representatives approved a bill Tuesday night that would relax the federal ban on offshore drilling and try to expand renewable energy.
The bill, which was adopted by a vote of 236 to 189, was backed by Democrats, who long fought the lifting of the 26-year ban but have been under intense political pressure to look as though they are taking steps to ease high gas prices. Republicans, whose vociferous calls for expanded offshore drilling have been met with widespread public approval, opposed the bill, claiming that it did not offer enough financial incentives to coastal states. On the final roll call, 221 Democrats and 15 Republicans voted for the bill; 176 Republicans and 13 Democrats voted against it.
The 290-page Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act, as the bill is known, contains a number of important provisions. Here’s a breakdown:
• Allows drilling between 50 and 100 miles from a state’s coastline, if the state approves it. Areas beyond 100 miles from the coast would be completely open to drilling. This map, taken from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s website shows what it would look like.
The House of Representatives approved a bill Tuesday night that would relax the... more
-
-
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation Tuesday that lifts a longstanding ban on offshore oil drilling, opening most of the U.S. coastline to exploration.
The package proposed by Democrats would give states the option to allow drilling between 50 and 100 miles (80 and 160 km) off their shores. Areas more than 100 miles from the coast would be completely open to oil exploration and drilling.
The House voted 236 to 189 in favor of the package.
Until recently, Democratic leaders in Congress strongly opposed lifting the moratorium on offshore drilling, saying drilling would have only a small impact on gasoline prices in the immediate future.
But as gasoline prices rose to levels above $4 a gallon this summer, public opinion shifted in favor of offshore drilling. Republicans made removing the ban on drilling a key campaign issue for their party in this election year.
With the moratorium facing expiration on September 30 and voter sentiment changing, Democrats supported repealing the ban as part of a larger energy package.
House Republicans, however, strongly protested the Democrats' package, calling the bill a "sham" and a "hoax."
The bill faces a possible veto from the White House. Continued...WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation Tuesday... more
-
-
The House of Representatives passed legislation on Tuesday lifting a longstanding congressional moratorium on offshore drilling.
The extensive energy package introduced by Democrats would give states the option to allow drilling between 50 and 100 miles off their shores. Areas more than 100 miles from the coast would be completely open to oil exploration and drilling.
In addition to drilling, the bill requires the government to sell 70 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. It also provides tax credits for renewable energy and energy efficiency that would be funded by repealing some tax breaks for the oil industry.
http://climateprogress.org/2008/09/16/breaking-news-house-energy-bill-passes-236-189/#comment-26937
The House of Representatives passed legislation on Tuesday lifting a longstanding... more
-
-
WASHINGTON — The House on Tuesday night approved a measure that would ease a longstanding ban on offshore oil drilling and try to spur greater use of alternative fuels as Democrats and Republicans engaged in a bitter pre-election clash over America’s energy future.
Under the Democratic legislation, adopted by a vote of 236 to 189, oil companies would lose some tax benefits, utilities would be required to produce 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and a ban on developing fuel from Rocky Mountain shale would be lifted.
The legislation, which faces significant hurdles to becoming law before Congress breaks at the end of the month, would allow drilling as close as 50 miles from the coastline if adjacent states agree and 100 miles out no matter a state’s position. It would impose stricter oversight on the agency that handles oil leasing and royalty payments after recent disclosures of improper relationships between its employees and oil industry representatives.
“We are opening up to 400 million acres off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to drilling and expanding the availability of oil by at least 2 billion barrels,” said Representative Nick J. Rahall II, the West Virginia Democrat who leads the Natural Resources Committee. “And we have done so in a balanced, reasonable and responsible manner.”
Republicans, who have made political gains by portraying Democrats as flatly opposed to new drilling, said the measure was a sham intended to provide Democrats cover from voters furious over gas prices. They faulted it for failing to add incentives for coal and nuclear power and for not limiting environmental suits against drilling proposals. They also criticized Democrats for not negotiating with Republicans in writing the bill.
“We are engaged in exactly what the American people are sick of, and that is political games here in Washington that are intended to be political games and have no outcome,” said Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, the Republican leader.
WASHINGTON — The House on Tuesday night approved a measure that would ease a... more
-
-
--CNN's Ali Velshi falsely claimed "no oil shed into the Gulf of Mexico" from Hurricane Katrina during discussion of Hurricane Gustav.
Summary: On CNN Newsroom, Ali Velshi falsely claimed, "In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed more than 40 of these [offshore drilling] platforms, but still no oil shed into the Gulf of Mexico because of that." In fact, a 2007 report prepared for the federal government by an international consulting firm identified damage from Katrina to 27 platforms and rigs that resulted in the spilling of petroleum products into the Gulf of Mexico.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200808310004?lid=563752&rid=13657559
During the August 31 edition of CNN Newsroom, while discussing Hurricane Gustav, senior business correspondent Ali Velshi falsely claimed, "In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed more than 40 of these [offshore drilling] platforms, but still no oil shed into the Gulf of Mexico because of that." In fact, a 2007 report prepared for the U.S. Minerals Management Service by the international consulting firm Det Norske Veritas identified damage from Katrina to 27 platforms and rigs that resulted in the spilling of approximately 2,843 barrels of petroleum products into the Gulf of Mexico. The report further found that when also considering damage done to oil pipelines, a total of approximately 5,552 barrels of petroleum products spilled into the Gulf of Mexico as a result of Hurricane Katrina.--CNN's Ali Velshi falsely claimed "no oil shed into the Gulf of... more
-
-
A scandal involving sex, drugs and — uh, offshore oil drilling.
It's a strange mix, and it couldn't have come at a worse time for those in Congress pressing to expand oil and gas development off America's beaches while trying to stave off an election-year rush by Democrats to impose new taxes and royalties on the oil industry.A scandal involving sex, drugs and — uh, offshore oil drilling.
It's a... more
-
-
Ryz0n
-
added this
-
3 years ago
- |
-
"Despite the county supervisors' recent vote supporting expanded oil drilling, the city, which has opposed more drilling since the infamous 1969 spill, stands firm.
Santa Barbara - With offshore oil drilling emerging as a hot issue in the presidential campaign, the City Council Tuesday night reaffirmed its opposition to drilling along the coastline where a 1969 spill gave rise to the Environmental Protection Agency and the modern environmental movement.
The action was designed to counter an Aug. 26 vote by Santa Barbara County supervisors urging Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to rethink his stance against offshore drilling.
Concerned by high gas prices and low county revenues, the divided supervisors made national headlines and triggered the city's show of support for long-established state and federal bans on additional drilling off the coast.
The city measure is symbolic as it has no authority over offshore drilling. But with Santa Barbara's reputation for environmental activism at stake, city officials did not want the county's measure to go unchallenged.
"Like it or not, we're at the eye of the storm when it comes to energy policy in the U.S.," said Councilwoman Helene Schneider.
The arguments Tuesday night reflected those laid before the supervisors at their eight-hour meeting in August. Drilling supporters said at that meeting that modern technology made the process safer, while opponents argued that it was still risky and would not substantially lower gasoline prices.
In a letter to the council, a Santa Barbara-based drilling advocacy group, SOS California, said the measure before the City Council did not reflect the views of city residents. "Times have changed," said the letter. "Attitudes have changed."
The issue has taken on national resonance, most recently with former GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani exclaiming "Drill, baby, drill!" in his speech at the Republican national convention.
The council voted 5 to 1 for the measure, with Councilman Dale Francisco saying it was premature." In other words - Just Say No! "Despite the county supervisors' recent vote supporting expanded oil... more
-
-
Lawmakers return to Capitol Hill on Monday to resume their fight over legislation allowing more offshore oil drilling, in a bid to help relieve sky-high gasoline prices that are hurting the economy and infuriating voters.
While there were signs of compromise over the August recess, many on Capitol Hill are skeptical a deal can be reached that would send a bill to the president's desk before Election Day.
Aides and congressional members from both parties acknowledge finger-pointing is likely to trump legislative deal-making during the truncated three-week session before lawmakers return home to campaign for re-election.
Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, who long resisted Republican-led calls to lift the ban on offshore oil drilling, changed course over the recess and now say they will push comprehensive energy plans in September that will include expanded drilling.
But Democrats will insist energy bills also include their own priorities, such as repealing tax breaks for big oil companies, something many Republicans oppose.
The controversy over offshore drilling could prompt a showdown later this month over a must-pass bill to fund the government through early 2009. The bill includes an annual extension of the moratorium on offshore oil drilling.
Republicans will attempt to strip it out, but if they fail, they could try to block passage of the entire spending bill, which could lead to a partial government shutdown.
Lawmakers return to Capitol Hill on Monday to resume their fight over legislation... more
-
