The irony is, we are being told the polar ice is melting at an unprecedented rate, so why are they worried about needing an icebreaker again? The whole thing is bollocks. On one hand we have Obama telling us we need to end our dependence on foreign oil…
“I will set a clear goal as president: in ten years we will finally end our dependence on oil in the Middle East,” said Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama. ” Source here
….then we have the EPA pulling this crap to prevent domestic oil production with the help of NGO’s.
EPA Shuts Down Drilling in Alaska
by Brian McGraw on globalwarming.org
Shell announced today, for now, it must end a project to drill for oil off the coast of Northern Alaska, because of a decision made by an EPA appeals board to deny permits to acknowledge that Shell will meet air quality requirements. This is not part of ANWR.
Companies that drill for oil must go through extensive permitting processes and invest billions of dollars as payments for leasing the land, exploring for possible oil fields, equipment, etc. This is all done with the understanding that assuming they follow the letter of the law, there is a chance that this investment won’t be flushed down the toilet at the end of the tunnel. It appears that in this case Shell has followed procedure and that emissions will be below any standards required by the EPA:
The EPA’s appeals board ruled that Shell had not taken into consideration emissions from an ice-breaking vessel when calculating overall greenhouse gas emissions from the project. Environmental groups were thrilled by the ruling.
“What the modeling showed was in communities like Kaktovik, Shell’s drilling would increase air pollution levels close to air quality standards,” said Eric Grafe, Earthjustice’s lead attorney on the case. Earthjustice was joined by Center for Biological Diversity and the Alaska Wilderness League in challenging the air permits.
Talk about moving the goalposts. They must have been really desperate to cancel this project given that this was the best straight-faced excuse they could muster. Not only do you have to be below the legally required emission limits but you must also not even be “close” to the limits, as defined by unelected officials, one of whom is a former attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund.
Events like this are a prime example of why many in Congress want to strip authority from the EPA. Shell had reportedly invested over $4 billion in this project. When companies make investment decisions, consideration is given to whether or not bureaucrats can make arbitrary decisions to shut the project down halfway through a multi-year process. There are many other countries with natural resource reserves who do not subject economic activity to such unpredictable insanity, and in the eye of a corporation, after an event like this these locations begin to look more preferable to dealing with the United States.
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Events like this are a prime example of why many in Congress want to strip authority from the EPA. Shell had reportedly invested over $4 billion in this project.
Ya think?
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Shakedown Socialism. Shell didn’t pay the right Kommissar.
This would easily fit into the plot of Atlas Shrugged, which I watched last night. It seems clear that there is an agenda involved other than ice-breaker exhaust.
Yeah. I think.
If the goalposts keep moving, why would ANYONE sane keep doing business in the United States?
Like you, I’m no fan of Shell–but WTF? If this is the payoff for a $4 B investment, Shell would have been better off speculating in the international stock market. Which would, of course, have eliminated several hundred jobs for U. S. based scientists and engineers.
But hey, looks like we’d rather fund international financial wizards than pay to create jobs….wealth… and U.S.-based energy sources.
OOOOOOOKay. Just so we’re clear on priorities, people!
(Sorry, Anthony/Mods.. feel free to snip.. this just makes me crazy. At the end of a long day working my tail off to make this country’s economy slightly better—this feels like a smack in the face…)
Wow! It is hard to understand our leaders. I think if I was a representative of congress I would be on the floor everyday exposing these things and trying to curb the power of the EPA . I am perplexed, and I think lots of Americans are too and are approaching the famous “Tipping Point.”
Barak Hussein Obama
Blood is thicker than oil.
I too have watched http://www.atlasshruggedpart1.com/ (and strongly urge you all to do likewise) after having read it, and re-read it several times. Whilst I understand the criticisms aimed at Ayn Rand, this is a picture postcard example of exactly what she illustrates in Atlas Shrugged. I’m sad to see it in my lifetime.
EPA= Obama Reelection Committee
The fun thing is, on this side of the Atlantic, all that we hear is that the evil anti-science congress wants to strip the EPA off its powers because Reps are against clean air. I constantly correct the misperceptions of my German friends. I am sure most of our journalists are bought or naturally unfit for the job.
Why does our administration hate the idea of real energy independence for this nation? Do they really think planting pinwheels and whirlygigs are going to solve our problems? Or, if we plant more corn? Milo was pretty high today, how does this equate with a solvent U.S.? Given the S&P’s recent rating, you’d thought the EPA would be more cognizant of this nation’s situation.
That has made my day Anthony, to see you say – “The whole thing is bollocks.”
That describes how I feel every day when I see or hear a BBC news item that covers anything vaguely weather, energy or science related and I find myself tensing up waiting for the inevitable mention of “climate change”…
This is just another of many examples the Administration is attempting to choke off the production of oil and gas. It’s part of the irrational religion of hating fossil fuels at the expens of our economy. Of course the regulation of CO2 emissions by the EPA will be the ultimate killer of our economy unless throttled by sane forces in the House of Representatives.
I wonder if the Administration still believes that the alternative energy sources can ever supply a significant part of our energy needs. They are a hoax even bigger than that the climate change debacle. We are pouring dollars down a rat hole, and the Administration wants to tax fossil energy sources to increase the size of the rat hole.
The irronic thing is that this president is himself one of the worst offenders of wasting fossil fuels flying around in Air Force 1 for no good reason other than to stir up his base.
For some other examples see below:
http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=570276&p=1
“On the day Obama took office, gasoline was $1.83 a gallon. On Tuesday, according to the American Automobile Association’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report, the national average was $3.87. While electricity prices haven’t yet necessarily skyrocketed, gasoline prices sure have.”
“Obama could have prevented this. But he’s done nothing to push crude supplies up and thereby bring gasoline prices down. In fact, it appears that his goal is to reduce domestic supply. Among the energy roadblocks his administration has thrown up:
• An illegal moratorium on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
• The rescission of permits that had already been issued for drilling in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska.
• The withholding of air permits for drilling, prompting Shell to walk away from an estimated 27 billion barrels of Arctic oil.
No, the oil in those reserves would not be in tomorrow’s pipeline. But the promise of more oil in the future has an effect on prices today. The opposite — a future of artificial scarcity — is the reason oil is currently trading at elevated levels.”
November 2012 CAN’T COME QUICK ENOUGH. !
And with gas prices going up, I would say the obama isn’t looking out for the US interests. Isn’t that one of the presidents’s jobs, not hurting the US, which this sure is . . . gee, is that an impeachable offense . . ? (a bit of sarc obviously, but still . . .) though the VP likely wouldn’t be any better if he were there . . .
President Obama said today his Justice Department is creating a team to “root out any cases of fraud or manipulation in the oil markets that might affect gas prices.”
“When I was asked earlier about the issue of coal…under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket…even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad, because I’m capping greenhouse gasses, coal power plants, natural gas…you name it…whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, they would have to retro-fit their operations.
That will cost money…they will pass that money on to the consumers.”
The USA can buy ethical oil from the Canadian oil sands today, instead of grappling with the EPA who prefers Middle Eastern oil.
“When I was asked earlier about the issue of coal…under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket…even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad, because I’m capping greenhouse gasses, coal power plants, natural gas…you name it…whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, they would have to retro-fit their operations.
That will cost money…they will pass that money on to the consumers.”
Two comments:
1. Shell was negligent to not include George Soros in ownership of the leases. That would have expedited the permit approval.
2. I wonder if they will return Shell’s $2 billion lease payment that they put up for the right to explore and drill on the leases. (Probably not, huh?)
The other sad fact is that in recent years, oil/gas lease purchases and production royalities have been the gratest source of Revenue to the US Treasury after income tax!!
Could we use the increased revenue as well as the high paying jobs created by oil/gas exploration and production?
All the Silicon Valley Industrial Welfare Socialists; aka the renewable energy “investors” are in Obambi’s pocket. Sarah Palin is from Alaska. What else do you need to know ?
Maybe Alaska should secede and join OPEC.
I am a bit perplexed with regards to the “subsidies” that the Luddites want to strip from the oil companies. Are these the same royalty waivers that the MMS uses to entice development of the deep and ultra deep fields in the GOM? If not, please elaborate.
Eh… sore subject.
West Texas Intermediate showed 107.18/bbl on 4/19/11. That works out to $2.55/gal of crude oil. (42 gallons/barrel)
Based on recent historical production/transport/markup, that pencils in at $4.08/gal on the National Pump Price.
And this cheeze-whiz wants to look for price gouging.
http://i52.tinypic.com/dgp6xw.png
SSam says:
April 26, 2011 at 4:54 pm
I am a bit perplexed with regards to the “subsidies” that the Luddites want to strip from the oil companies.
—————————————————————————
Primarily they are the deductions for intangible drilling costs and the depletion allowance…
Gary Hladik says:
April 26, 2011 at 4:50 pm
Maybe Alaska should secede and join OPEC.
==================================
That would indeed, secure the oil for Shell and ensure the purchase by the U.S……… Oddly, I think the various separatist movements in AK would never come to an agreement on how to accomplish such an action.
The impact on a village several miles away from the icebreaker……yeh, thank goodness the EPA is there to keep them safe……….from jobs.
I assume this means that the US Coast Guard Icebreaker Healy;
http://www.icefloe.net/healy-main
won’t be gallivanting around the Arctic like it has in previous years?:
http://www.icefloe.net/docs/healy2008.pdf
http://www.icefloe.net/cruise-reports-overview
http://www.rvdata.us/catalog/Healy
And from this page;
http://www.rvdata.us/catalog
only the Corwith Cramer and Rovert C. Seamans should be doing any exploring lest we “increase air pollution levels close to air quality standards”.
Perhaps Arctic Sea Ice Extent would “recover” further;
http://wattsupwiththat.com/reference-pages/sea-ice-page/
if hundreds/thousands of ships stopped carving it into pieces/covering it in soot during the melt season…
Perhaps they should have chartered one of the Russian nuke ships [ZEIB = Zero Emission Ice Breaker]
😉