Obama Protects Bristol Bay, Alaska from Future Oil and Gas Drilling

Obama Protects Bristol Bay, Alaska from Future Oil and Gas Drilling

President Obama announced Tuesday evening that future oil and gas exploration would be banned on Bristol Bay. © WhiteHouse.gov/YouTube President Obama announced Tuesday evening that future oil and gas exploration would be banned on Bristol Bay. In a YouTube video released Tuesday evening, President Barack Obama announced a ban on future oil and gas drilling in Bristol Bay, Alaska by way of a Presidential Memorandum. Bristol Bay is the most productive wild salmon fishery in the world, and is surrounded by sensitive tundra. Environmental groups and Native Alaskans have been working for years to secure protection for the area.

“Bristol Bay has supported Native Americans in the Alaska region for centuries," Obama said in the video announcement. "It supports about $2 billion in the commercial fishing industry. It supplies America with 40 percent of its wild-caught seafood."

"It is a beautiful natural wonder, and its something that is too precious for us to just be putting out to the highest bidder," Obama said.

This is a good thing he has done. This is what the people in Alaska wanted and in the long run the fishing industry will produce more revenue than the gas and oil companies would have. Now he just needs to start protecting even more of our natural wonders vetoing the Keystone pipeline would be a good start.

a reply to: buster2010

While we watch the left hand we fail to see what the right hand is up too!

From your source.

The President’s announcement does not, however, apply to minerals mining, and as a result will not effect hotly contested plans for Pebble Mine, a giant open-pit gold and copper mine proposed for the Bristol Bay region. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Gina McCarthy announced earlier this year that her agency would investigate what impact waste from the mine would have on the ecosystem.

Bet money the mining will be conducted by a Chinese mining outfit?

originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: buster2010

While we watch the left hand we fail to see what the right hand is up too!

From your source.

The President’s announcement does not, however, apply to minerals mining, and as a result will not effect hotly contested plans for Pebble Mine, a giant open-pit gold and copper mine proposed for the Bristol Bay region. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Gina McCarthy announced earlier this year that her agency would investigate what impact waste from the mine would have on the ecosystem.

Bet money the mining will be conducted by a Chinese mining outfit?

The gold and copper mine won't be in the bay itself. That is something that Alaska will have to deal with on their own.

originally posted by: buster2010

originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: buster2010

While we watch the left hand we fail to see what the right hand is up too!

From your source.

The President’s announcement does not, however, apply to minerals mining, and as a result will not effect hotly contested plans for Pebble Mine, a giant open-pit gold and copper mine proposed for the Bristol Bay region. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Gina McCarthy announced earlier this year that her agency would investigate what impact waste from the mine would have on the ecosystem.

Bet money the mining will be conducted by a Chinese mining outfit?

The gold and copper mine won't be in the bay itself. That is something that Alaska will have to deal with on their own.

But the run off of mining can be just as damaging right?

I do think what Obama did as far as the ocean wildlife is a good thing, but as your source even pointed out, there was a compromise?

I am all for saving the planet as far as doing what is right as stewards, but let's not fail to address "Planned obsolescence" in our commercialized world.

Look at how many metal products that are tossed into the dump because they quit working due to planned engineering in the name of corporations making money.

The planet only has so many resources, whether they are alive or not.

I think anyone who wants to save the planet should be honest enough to address planned obsolescence in the name of corporations raking in the bucks while using up the planets natural resources?

I guess what I am trying to say is, even though Obama is saving the living, he also has played into the hands of the corporations by allowing them to further mine resources that will end up in the county dump in the name of making more money, by making a throw away product!

Not trying to say what Obama did in the name of the living is wrong, but just pointing out the act of not addressing the waist fullness of Corporations using up minerals in a wasteful manner is being ignored or exploited.

I came to this thread expecting to have my faith in humanity restored, and instead found out it is raping the environment as usual. Disgusting and massively disappointing.

It seems to me that they know that this area is brimming with oil and these environmental actions are just to keep it in the ground until we have used up all the cheap oil from abroad. When the global reserves are drying up, they will be drilling no matter the environmental consequences. Why use our massive reserves when we can cheat and steal the oil from the rest of the world?

a reply to: seeker1963

I like what you are saying about planned obsolescence, but apparently designing and manufacturing a durable product that can be easily recycled is cost prohibited when compared to the flood of cheap disposable products available.

Therefore we should increase the production of such durable products through our purchases and being vocal about it to the manufactures. If you appreciate a good product or despise a cheap one, let the makers and distributors known it.

I usually consider durability in my purchase decisions as well as the manufacturer's reputation.