arctic oil drilling

I'm amazed that they are opening up the arctic for oil drilling. What a load of window dressing in copenhagen when announcements like this are made. It won't be long before they are drilling in antarctica, they are probably already planning it now.

From Censored News

"Obama administration has approved Royal Dutch Shell Plc's (RDSa.L) plan to drill for oil off Alaska's northwest coast as early as next summer."

"As Alaska Natives, our ancestral ways of life and homelands are imperiled by devastating proposals for fossil fuel drilling and development," said Colleen Swan of Kivalina, a community located adjacent to the Chuckchi Sea who is in Copenhagen this week on her first international journey. "These fossil fuels are carbon that will compound climate change, and the ecological devastation we see is also compounded by the impacts of climate change, and so it is a lose-lose. That's why we are here in Copenhagen to tell the world our story, and demand real action by the Obama Administration."

and

"Drilling approval comes even though the government has not yet resolved legal problems with the Bush-era five year leasing plan opening vast areas of the Arctic Ocean seabed to oil and gas activities.

"Oil and gas development is spreading rapidly across the Arctic," said Earthjustice attorney Erik Grafe. "Before moving forward we need to develop the missing science about the Arctic Ocean and the impacts of drilling and a better comprehensive plan for protection of the Arctic."

and the answer

"We don't need to put our seas and marine life at risk. Instead of drilling for more dirty oil, we can shift to clean energy that will create jobs, combat global warming, and keep our wildlife and wild places intact," said Dan Ritzman, Alaska Program Director for Sierra Club.

It is important that we know about these developments. We need to keep watch, not just to protect the people and the environment but also because the same tactics are used here. It is up to all of us to protect our natural heritage. We cannot let them destroy our environment for money. For us and our children after us.

Hat tip Censored News