White House outlines new policy for protecting, drilling in Arctic

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Anchorage Daily News

White House outlines new policy for protecting, drilling in Arctic
Published: May 10, 2013 Updated 7 hours ago
By ERIKA BOLSTAD — Anchorage Daily News

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration on Friday released a national strategy for the Arctic in advance of Secretary of State John Kerry's trip next week to Sweden to attend a conference of eight polar nations.

In the policy, the White House outlines its approach to some key Arctic issues, even as it acknowledges that there are conflicting -- and even contradictory -- goals and challenges as rapidly melting sea ice makes the region more accessible. The Arctic is warming twice as fast as other regions of the Earth.

"Our pioneering spirit is naturally drawn to this region for the economic opportunities it presents and in recognition of the need to protect and conserve this unique, valuable and changing environment," Obama said in the opening page of the strategy, released in advance of Wednesday's Arctic Council meeting.

Some of the potential economic opportunities include the possibility of additional oil and gas exploration, new fishing territory and increased transit through previously inaccessible oceans, and even tourism. But they come as the United States has to grapple with the question of how much the oil and gas extraction will contribute to the very conditions that are opening the Arctic to more exploration. The president's Arctic strategy came out even as scientists recorded the highest-ever daily mean concentrations of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere.

Read more: http://www.adn.com/2013/05/10/2898235/white-house-outlines-new-policy.html#storylink=cpy

[YOHABLO]

1. ''Our pioneering spirit"? Oh Puleeze !!

"Our pioneering spirit is naturally drawn to this region for the economic opportunities it presents and in recognition of the need to protect and conserve this unique, valuable and changing environment," Obama said in the opening page of the strategy, released in advance of Wednesday's Arctic Council meeting."

Yeah so all the fat cats can make tons of money while we quite literally choke to death!

[blkmusclmachine]

2. Drill, baby, drill.

Spill, baby, spill.
Kill, baby, kill.

[Sunlei]

3. to bad they can't capture the tons of methane boiling out of the permafrost

methane is clean burning energy and be pretty good for the entire world to burn the millions of tons of methane.

instead of drilling out the fility oil at the cost of billions of federal corp.welfare dollars and tearing up our last pristine lands.

[byeya]

7. As the permafront thaws, are the sequestered methane will be released. Methane is 20X

more of a greenhouse gas than CO2, it just doesn't linger in the atmosphere nearly as long. Wherever you see on a map regions of tundra and muskeg - and there's a huge amount - that's where you will find sources of methane about to be released into the atmosphere.

Between Cochrane, Ontario, and Moose Factory on James bay(an arm of the Artic Ocean) there is a 120 mile stretch of muskeg. I have no idea how many square miles are involved by the sign next to the railway says The Worlds Largest expanse of muskeg.

[woo me with science]

4. Chained CPI is superlative!

Cuts to Social Security Protect the poor!
Drone murders are Legal, Ethical, and Wise!

and Drilling will Protect Alaska!

The chocolate ration has been increased!

Here we go again...

[forestpath]

5. "Protect and conserve." Doublespeak at its finest.

[byeya]

6. Honied words from a liar's tongue...Oil companies have a documented record of despoiling the

land and water virtually everywhere they are allowed to operate.

[DCBob]

8. I really dont see the need to drill in Artic..

especially given the massive increase in production gained from fracking etc in the lower 48. Why not preserve that region for future generations?

[They_Live]

9. Future Generations?

there's a novel thought. I'm pretty sure the folks drilling everything are not thinking about that.

[BelgianMadCow]

10. That headline has a comma too many. nt

[GliderGuider]

11. +1