ISSUES: Obama shuts the door on Arctic and Atlantic drilling for next five years

by Julie M. Rodriguez

 

As Trump’s incoming administration makes its complete disinterest in protecting the environment clearer each day, it seems President Obama is doing all he can to enshrine whatever green policies he can during his final days in office. The current administration recently announced a ban on new oil and gas drilling in parts of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans for the next five years — long enough to outlast Trump’s first (and hopefully last) presidential term.

The Interior Department’s finalized oil and gas leasing plan for 2017-2022 was originally supposed to open up beaches from Virginia to North Carolina to new drilling, as well as the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas in the Arctic Ocean. However, after massive opposition from conservationists and businesses in the affected areas, the administration has cancelled most of the proposed leases. Unfortunately, offshore drilling is still allowed to move forward in 10 lease areas in the Gulf of Mexico, but this decision is far better than what was initially proposed.

Read the full story at: Obama blocks Arctic and Atlantic drilling for next five years | Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building

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NUCLEAR: Nanuuks of the North. Something else to keep you awake at night.

Polar countries have been tracking pollution in the Arctic for some time now, including nuclear impacts. Check this map and the amazing proliferation of nuclear plants, accidents, and dumps. Japan's disaster has awakened us to what's really been going on for some time now. More will be coming on the frightening radionuclides that have rained down on the "pristine" arcitc. Be frightened. Be very frightened.

Click for larger version - It will amaze you!

The Arctic terrestrial system is more vulnerable to man-made radioactive contamination than temperate areas. The exposure of people in the Arctic and subarctic is, for the general population, about five times higher than that expected in a temperate area. However, for part of the population the exposure could be more than 100 times higher than expected for similar fallout in temperate areas. The major sources of anthropogenic radionuclides in the Arctic are global fallout from nuclear bomb tests, releases from European nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, and fallout from the Chernobyl accident.

Arctic Council

Web site: www.arctic-council.org

AMAP, P.O. Box 8100 Dep., N-0032 Oslo.

Telephone: +47 23 24 16 35. Fax: +47 22 67 67 06.

E-mail: amap@amap.no

Web site: www.amap.no

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