Environment

Bush's offshore drilling plan is set aside by Obama

by Amy Judd | February 10, 2009 at 11:53 am

325 views | 22 Recommendations | 6 comments

Obama decided today to put aside Bush's offshore drilling plan off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

Secretary Ken Salazar said that they need to set aside this plan and come up with their own timeline now.

He is going to extend the public comment on this matter by six months and he suggested that when Bush's administration made that decision they were looking for a option that was easier but more harmful to the environment, rather than looking at a bigger, more long-term solution.

"The additional time we are providing will give states, stakeholders, and affected communities the opportunity to provide input on the future of our offshore areas," he said.

Salazar also ordered Interior Department experts to compile a report on the Outer Continental Shelf's energy potential — not just oil and gas, but also renewables like wind and wave energy.

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Roy C

at 14:21 on February 10th, 2009

Obama doesnt't get it. We should stop importing as much oil as possible as soon as possible.

It helps our trade balance, and the money that stays in the US creates more jobs here, generates more taxes and helps pay our bills which are about to derail us and create inflation.

T Boone Pickens' plan to use wind to make electricity and use the natural gas for cars, etc, is excellent but drilling our own oil would still contribute. See point above.

More wealth here will allow us to do all that investment in renewables, but you don't have to stop using oil right away to help us. You have to switch to a domestic supply.

If Nigeria, Venezuela, alone go under in chaos...where is the oil going to come from in the meantime? It won't be there.

shottwokill

at 20:43 on February 10th, 2009

Obama should be just as serious about reducing our dependance on Foreign oil as he is the economy. After all, Foriegn oil is the largest transfer of wealth from this country with the exception of his spending bill that he is pushing to get through.

René

at 12:55 on February 11th, 2009

Six Months! Can we afford to wait that long?

car1edb

at 10:17 on February 12th, 2009

Maybe its not that he doesn't get it, but its just not part of the big picture at present.

But who knows - there was alot of opposition to this anyway, maybe its on a back burner for a reason. It's still early days for him, and while he builds support from all sides/trying to please everyone ready for when he has sacrafice some popularity when the sh#t really hits the fan.

Pythiian1

at 19:22 on February 12th, 2009

Has anyone read Thomas Friedman's book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded?

Friedman proposes that an ambitious national strategy—which he calls "Geo-Greenism"—is not only what we need to save the planet from overheating; it is what we need to make America healthier, richer, more innovative, more productive, and more secure.

Drilling is not the only solution because it takes years for these sites to be productive. The focus should be concentrated on developing a variety of hybrid cars.