29 January 2008
In my opinion, writing about last night’s State of the Union Address, would be a waste of my time. Political experts are making their comments both online and on TV. I’ll leave it up to everyone who is truly interested in what George said last night, to form their own opinions. I guess that the election will reflect how America feels and whether there will really be change in D.C.
Once again the Bush administration is going thru the backdoor to push a bill while more attention is being given the economy. The bill is the Chukchi Sea Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193. The lease covers the habitat for polar bears in Alaska. 2.4 million acres of Alaska’s Tongass National Forest will be opened to logging and road building. Big bucks for the logging industry and a threat to the environment. It seems that the Republicans don’t give diddly squat about the environment. I’m concerned that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a “delay” in deciding if the polar bear is an endangered species. That sounds fishy, no pun intended, to me.
On Feb. 6, the Minerals Management Service will open 30 million acres of bear habitat to oil and gas development, claiming that they are comfortable that the polar bear is protected. Protected my foot, it’s all about oil and money which has been driving the Bush administration since the start of the Iraq war. Shell oil company stands to rake in big bucks on this deal so polar bear issues are being ignored. An oil spill in that area would devastate a large portion of the bear habitat. A group of House members, both republicans and democrats, 51 in all, are trying to delay the bill taking effect until more study is done. Many of the same lawmakers urged Interior Secretary Dirk to “immediately postpone” Lease Sale 193. The Arctic ice pack, which is melting from global warming, is hunting terrain for polar bears.
The state of Alaska is known for putting oil money ahead of protecting the environment. A federal court challenge is being planned by the National Audubon Society against Lease Sale 193. A very large area of the Arctic, west of Prudhoe Bay is already open to oil and gas leasing. This is only one of many sneaky ways the Bush administration is trying to pass bills while more attention is being given to the war and the economy. Here’s a new mantra, “It’s the oil stupid!”
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