why did Obama grant approval to Royal Dutch Shell to drill for oil in the Arctic?
 

His administration?s own studies concluded that there is a 75 percent risk of an oil spill if such offshore leases are developed; never mind that Shell made a huge mess of it last time it drilled in the region, in 2012, when it was forced to withdraw after an embarrassing series of accidents; never mind that polar bears, reindeer, and other iconic Arctic species are already under severe threat of extinction.
The unavoidable damage to the climate alone should suffice to rule out further drilling in the Arctic. If humanity is to limit global temperature rise even to 2 degrees Celsius, as Obama got world leaders to agree at the Copenhagen climate summit in 2009, the science is clear: All Arctic oil?and in fact, at least two-thirds of all remaining oil, gas and coal on earth?must be left underground.

Obama Is a Climate Hypocrite. His Trip to Alaska Proves It. | Mother Jones

the water there is also too icy for his oil spill clean up rules and regulations:

The oil spill response plan approved by the Obama administration today fails to address barriers to cleaning up an oil spill in the icy, unpredictable and inhospitable Arctic waters and poses unacceptably high risks to marine life, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) says.
https://www.worldwildlife.org/press-...-arctic-waters




any ideas why he did that (on the eve of his climate change trip to Alaska)?

A shameful day for Obama for sure. I don't know why he would allow it, and of all companies in the world, let Shell do it. Their reputation sucks.

Hillary needs the campaign donations :upsidedow

Can't be, saint democrats do not play as evil republicans!
Ask Mr. Prince or crocket :2 cents:

first off, obama is republican. his wall street policy, healthcare policy, freetrade policy, running up deficits policy, all republican.

perhaps he is realizing the marketchanging power of the US oil industry as it expands. it has triggered a price war thats good for us consumers, bad for jihadis & their financiers. bad for russia. cheap oil grows the economy, creates jobs, & finances the entitlement programs by reducing the deficit. it solves all of obamas problems, leaves him a nice legacy as a peace president that recovered the economy.

or maybe he saw what happened in the gulf after macando, & concluded the earth is not fragile.

:winkwink:

Hey! The only saint in politics is Saint Reagan! All hail Ronny! Pew Pew!

the article says that Bush gave these leases to Shell, and the obama administration just had final approval. it also states the options were to outright cancel the lease, and/or discuss moratoriums on further exploration

story doesn't seem very black & white

Answer: Money

Drill baby, drill!

Bush was a long time ago, get over it, do your fucking research like I did and then come back here and

Feel free to try and poke a hole in the story then if you think for some reason the fucking potus can't cancel a lease or create a fucking protected sanctuary or have a moratorium. Hes up there changing mountain names under an eo for fucks sake. Jtfc think. Wait, its you, NM, you're just being you.

Sure sounds like there were options to me.

Though I agree, no story is ever black-and-white, but makes for better headlines and partisan bickering. Right?

me thinks he hasn't yet realized this is a thread asking why BO granted the permit. politics (and oil) are never black and white, as you know. why do you think he granted the permit?

I love politics. The Republican side is saying "Drill baby drill" but when Obama okays a single permit everyone gets their panties in a bunch?

Oh, there is a chance for an oil spill? You don't say. Allow me to simplify things for everyone.... There is 100% chance we'll have a huge oil spill in the next ten years no matter what Obama does. And there is 100% chance that the company who has the spill will spent billions cleaning it up. Business as usual.

In the mean time, gas prices continue to drop.

trying to explain shit to rochard is like trying to explain shit to a ......., n/m.

heads-up rochard, the thread asks a question, in particular light of the glaring issues around drilling in the fucking Arctic. you fail to grasp that and the particulars outlined in my op. i'm not surprised.

and if gas prices are dropping and continue to drop, then why the fucking need to open up drilling in the Arctic at the same time? i don't expect an adult answer from you on that.

cause it's better than letting russkies get a foothold there (and then doing the same)

this

makes a lot of sense. i would tend to agree this has a lot to do with it.

and there's more

July 2012 - Shell Oil's Noble Discoverer drill ship drags anchor and nearly drifts ashore in Dutch Harbor, Alaska.

September 2012 - Caught off guard by sea ice, Shell is forced to halt drilling – just one day after it started.

September 2012 - In an initial test in Puget Sound, WA, Shell's Arctic oil spill containment system is "crushed like a beer can."

October 2012 - The CEO of French oil giant Total says drilling in the Arctic is too risky.

November 2012 - Noble Discoverer catches fire.

December 31, 2012 - Kulluk drilling rig breaks loose from tow lines five times in heavy storm and runs aground off Kodiak Island, Alaska.

Sea Trial Leaves Shell's Arctic Oil-Spill Gear "Crushed Like A Beer Can" | KUOW News and Information

Because he doesn't give a fuck about anything but profit.

Because it's towards the end of his 2nd term, and he has to repay the people that got him in for his first term.

He is a worn down grey haired puppet

As well as the people who will pay him and his entire staff after the end of his 2nd term. Ex-Presidents go on quite the buffet circuit, they get book deals, they get honorariums and speaker fees at social clubs... these sorts of horrible deeds pave the way for a President who earns 400 grand a year while in office to never have to work again or have his kids ever work, or have his grand kids ever work....

And the republicans don't mention it... because they all do the exact same thing. :2 cents:

The divider :thumbsup

This

Even more so than keeping the ruskies out, sadly.

Change you can believe in.

Only Dyna mos agenda is black and white...

Speaks the one who is the most black and white poster when he speaks about democrats and republicans. Noticing everything bad from one side and nothing from the other :1orglaugh

For Vendzilla this must be horrible - drill baby drill vs. Barry cant do anything right

So now Republicans are sensitive tree huggers that care about Arctic preservation because evil Obama gave the order to drill?

Answer the question Claire. Wait, dodge and deflect is what you do instead.

You mentioned republicans, I simply asked a question.

Republican. That would be you.

Ever hear the saying about the duck walking and quacking?

what the fuck are you going on about? this isn't about me, but i can fully understand why you need to try and make it so. typical liberal trying to lay a fucking trip on someone for asking a question (about obama, the mother fucker i voted for both times).




you know what's fucking weirdo fruitloop about you? when you pulled one of your fuckwad driveby insults on me yet again a couple weeks i asked you to try and be open to where i'm coming from, since you always popped into threads and made personal bullshit posts about me. and for a couple weeks you appeared to do that and i've proven to you in that time i don't jump people's shit that don't jump me, but like a fucking little child, you lasted about 2 fucking weeks on that.


i've heard plenty of sayings, i'm more than fucking happy to drop some on you. keep going.
jtfc.

Not really, more like inquiring how do tree hugging democrats feel about this move. After all - everything that democrats do is great and all.
Only republicans would do evil stuff like that...

my gfy agenda is very black and white, it's to post my views and opinions and fuck around.

i don't jump people's shit unless they jump mine first. when you open the door to insults, i'll gladly glide through then slam that fucker on your pointy fucking fingers a couple times.