NOVANEWS
Thursday’s oil explosion off the coast of Louisiana underscores the terrible risks associated with offshore drilling. Now, with a mile-long oil sheen spreading, and millions of gallons from the Deepwater Horizon tragedy still polluting the Gulf, the Obama administration is setting the stage for yet another offshore oil catastrophe: this time in fragile Arctic waters important to Alaska Native communities and threatened polar bears.
At the end of July, a federal court in Alaska found that the Bush administration violated the law when it approved oil and gas leasing in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea without sufficient information and analysis about risks to the Arctic environment. A different court found similar flaws with Arctic drilling plans in 2009.
Yet, President Obama’s administration has so far failed to revisit protections for the Chukchi–arctic waters off Alaska’s coast that are home to some of America’s remaining polar bears and key to the survival of Inupiat Eskimo communities.
The Obama administration has asked the court in Alaska to allow activities that would pave the way for drilling to proceed, potentially jeopardizing an area key to the survival of not only polar bears, but also bowhead whales, Pacific walrus and other wildlife.
The Gulf oil disaster clearly demonstrates the terrible risks of offshore drilling:
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Sea birds coated in oil and unable to fly;
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Seas turtles poisoned by toxic waters; and
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Wildlife habitat fouled by oil.