Bush lifts Alaska oil drilling ban: Come on Democrats, say/do something

[The Toecutter]

Bristol Bay has roughly 200 million barrels of crude oil. The U.S. currently consumes about 23 million barrels per day. This is 8 days worth of oil, only the U.S. won't be able to extract it all at once.Its production of oil from this bay will follow a Gaussian Bell Curve spread out over a 20-30 year period, and we won't see a drop of it for at least 5 years. So 8 days worth of oil spread out over decades is worth entirely screwing the environment in that area up just because it will make a few oilies some $400 million retirement packages...

Will the democrats do anything in their first 100 hours? Doubtful.

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a...09141709990007

President Bush Lifts Alaska Oil, Gas Drilling Ban
By H.JOSEF HEBERT, AP

WASHINGTON (Jan 8.) - President Bush lifted the drilling ban Tuesday for Alaska's Bristol Bay, clearing the way for the Interior Department to open the fish-rich waters to oil and natural gas development.

Alaska officials as well as local communities had asked for the ban to be lifted, but environmentalists have warned against drilling in the bay, which is also a major fishing area for salmon, crab and cod.

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said one or two lease sales in about 5.6 million acres of Bristol Bay will be considered for leasing in the department's upcoming five-year 2007-12 lease plan.

Separately, Bush lifted a drilling moratorium in an area of the central Gulf of Mexico known as Lease Area 181, making that area available to drilling.

The Gulf waters acted upon by the president is a small part of a much larger 8.2 million acres that were approved for oil and gas development by Congress last month in one of its last acts before adjournment.

"There will be significant opportunities for study and public comment before any oil and gas development could take place in these areas," said Kempthorne.

The Bristol Bay waters were set aside for protection by Congress 1990, but the ban was lifted in 2003 at the request of Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, who argued that the area's oil and natural gas could be developed while still protecting the fisheries.

But a separate presidential drilling ban was not to expire until 2012.

[DarkwingChuck]

Re: Bush lifts Alaska oil drilling ban: Come on Democrats, say/do something

Remember when Bush pretended to be hip to reducing America's dependence on oil, for about a week or so. I was surprised he managed to keep a straight face when he said it. I'd well say Bush is easily the second worst thing to happen to this country in a long time. And the only reason 9/11 outranks him is it helped him gain the influence to pull the crap he has.

[Red Dragon]

Re: Bush lifts Alaska oil drilling ban: Come on Democrats, say/do something

Terr, why do you say Democrats? Why not just government in general? You agree with republicans on everything? Cause, y'know, Bush is a republican. It just seems odd you point out democrats instead of the governemnt as a whole.

The Bristol Bay waters were set aside for protection by Congress 1990, but the ban was lifted in 2003 at the request of Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, who argued that the area's oil and natural gas could be developed while still protecting the fisheries.

Again, a republican.

[Kire]

Re: Bush lifts Alaska oil drilling ban: Come on Democrats, say/do something

Yes, but the Democrats have the power to stop this stuff now, at least in theory.

[Funk]

Re: Bush lifts Alaska oil drilling ban: Come on Democrats, say/do something

This will get passed when the Dems go out for their pot break.

[Jamos]

Re: Bush lifts Alaska oil drilling ban: Come on Democrats, say/do something

Democrats....doing...something.....

[H2SO4]

Re: Bush lifts Alaska oil drilling ban: Come on Democrats, say/do something

Another political flame thread. yay.

[The Toecutter]

Re: Bush lifts Alaska oil drilling ban: Come on Democrats, say/do something

Terr, why do you say Democrats?

They have a chane to prevent this drilling from occuring. If their intent is sincere and they are true to the values they claim to have, they will do something to halt(or attempt to halt) this drilling.

Why not just government in general?

If you want to know my opinion, both parties have virtually the same platform, outside of wedge issues like abortion and gun control. Many show a sort of optimism that this country is headed in a better direction now that the democrats are a majority in congress. The reality is, the democrats are part of the problem.

You agree with republicans on everything?

No. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Cause, y'know, Bush is a republican. It just seems odd you point out democrats instead of the governemnt as a whole.

The burden rests on the democrats to actually oppose the republicans for a change, instead of merely appearing to oppose them.

Many do not realize that we have two right-wing, "conservative" parties in the U.S. One is may be more extreme than the other, but their platforms and actions are virtually identical. As Ross Perot, Ralph Nader, Michael Badnarik, and many others have pointed out before, we essentially have a one-party state.

[Red Dragon]

Re: Bush lifts Alaska oil drilling ban: Come on Democrats, say/do something

Ok, I just didn't understand your position.

[John Mora]

Re: Bush lifts Alaska oil drilling ban: Come on Democrats, say/do something

I think the Democrats should send Bush a thank you note with a basket of fruits and chocolates. :3

[Drazus]

Re: Bush lifts Alaska oil drilling ban: Come on Democrats, say/do something

Democrats....doing...something.....

I have to agree with that. It seems like they never do anything. That's a reason I've discovered for 9/11. There were terrorist attacks that Clinton turned a blind eye to, and so the terrorists got bolder and finally, what do you know, 9/11.

Yeah, nutshells. Don't give me negative rep for this, I'm exiting the thread now.

[Kefka Jr.]

Re: Bush lifts Alaska oil drilling ban: Come on Democrats, say/do something

What's Alaska good for but oil?

[Czechs Mex]

Re: Bush lifts Alaska oil drilling ban: Come on Democrats, say/do something

lol, butt oil.

[John Mora]

Re: Bush lifts Alaska oil drilling ban: Come on Democrats, say/do something

What's Alaska good for but oil?

Haunting dramatic metaphors for guilt.

[The Toecutter]

Re: Bush lifts Alaska oil drilling ban: Come on Democrats, say/do something

That's a reason I've discovered for 9/11. There were terrorist attacks that Clinton turned a blind eye to, and so the terrorists got bolder and finally, what do you know, 9/11.

The terrorists attacked us precisely because of what our government has done to their nations. No amount of sacrificing our civil liberties for a sense of 'security' is going to change the behavior of the terrorists one iota. The only thing that will change their behavior is to stop installing dictators that favor U.S. business interests in their nations, stop tampering with their elections, stop killing those leaders that are democratically elected but disfavor U.S. policy, and to stop forcing a 'free market' on people who do not want it(after all, it's anything but a free market if its forced on a population at the barrel end of a gun).

If the U.S. hadn't used its CIA to overthrow Iran's democratically elected president, Mossadegh, in 1953, Iran wouldn't be a theocracy today, and it probably wouldn't be attempting to acquire any weapons of mass destruction. The oil industry, specifically British Petroleum, was looting that nation's oil wealth and taking most of the profit from the oil, wherein there was a popular movement to nationalize Iran's oil assets and bring some of that money to the general public of Iran. Mossadegh acted according to the will of his people, attempted to nationalize the oil industry, and this threat to BP's profit margins just couldn't be tolerated, so the U.S. helped remove him and installed the Shah, a religious fundamentalist. Iran used to be a secular democracy with free elections and where its citizens used to have rights. Now it isn't, because our government couldn't keep its gargantuan ass away from their oil.

The U.S. has committed similar acts in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Pakistan, and other mid east nations. It has destroyed democracies and created dictatorships to suit its economic interests.

THAT is why the terrorists exist. They are ****ing ****** at the U.S. Throw in some fundamentalist organizations like Al Qaeda, who play upon this history to recruit those hurt by U.S. policy, and lo and behold...