Photo by Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images
On Monday morning President Obama headed to Alaska—the front lines of climate change—for a trip the White House is calling “a spotlight on what Alaskans in particular have come to know: Climate change is one of the biggest threats we face, it is being driven by human activity, and it is disrupting Americans’ lives right now.”
Problem is, those words fall flat when compared with Obama’s mixed record on climate. The widely publicized trip comes at a delicate moment for the president. Barely two weeks ago, his administration gave Royal Dutch Shell final approval to drill for oil offshore Alaska’s northwest Arctic coast—not exactly the sort of thing you’d expect from someone who professes to be “leading by example.”
The leases that allow Shell to drill in the Arctic were awarded by the George W. Bush administration, and the president had limited options to block them. Still, as ThinkProgress notes, Obama could have outright canceled Shell’s lease, or begun a process to declare the region a marine protected area, making future leases nearly impossible. Neither of these actions would be easy to do, but either would have sent a powerful message to industry: Starting now, climate change concerns trump energy exploration, period.
Climate activists vociferously opposed the approval of Shell’s permit: Last month a group of protesters in kayaks briefly blockaded an Arctic-bound Shell support ship while it was in a Portland, Oregon, port. In recent days Hillary Clinton, the leading Democratic candidate for president, has also voiced her opposition.
One progressive activist group, Credo Action, has called the unfortunate juxtaposition of Obama’s words and actions his “Mission Accomplished” moment, in reference to Bush’s declaration of victory in the Iraq war. I agree.
… For many environmental activists, Obama’s approval of Shell’s Arctic drilling permit is the icing on an extremely hypocritical cake.
Exposing the Big Game 
I don’t think what he is doing is a surprise. I think he just wanted the votes so he pretended he cared about the environment. Now that he has his two-term presidency feather on his cap, he doesn’t need anyone and he is showing his true color.
Leila, Obama certainly did not wait till now to be a dickhead towards the continent’s native wildlife and natural heritage. Within a few months of being in office, he went along with Bush/Cheney’s plan to remove federal protections for endangered wolves. He had no track record of caring in the least for nature or animal rights or wildlife protection, etc prior to taking office. Shame on the democrats for nominating a nominal democrat as the nominee in 2008. The democrats have become just another money grubbing, corporate party with no back bone. Just a little nicer than the insane Republican Party of today. If the U.S. Supreme Court did not steal the 2000 election from President Al Gore and hand it to Bush, our country would be a much better place today, environmentally, socially and politically and Obama would never been elected to do the damage he has done.
And if not for massive, sustained and relentless pressure, he already would have approved the Keystone XL pipeline. Obama has been a disaster for Anerica’s natural heritage. At every step, he has sided with exploiters and destroyers. Persecuting and killing wolves for the cattlemen he loves, no meaningful reform after BP’s murderous disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, approving sonic testing in oceans that will deafen many thousands of whales and dolphins and other sea life. The list is very long. Look at the acceleration of the massacre of native wildlife in America and around the world while he has been President. So glad the salmon shit on him in Alaska yesterday, but sorry it didn’t aim for his face.
This planet is so f***ed!!!
Obama isn’t great but consider the alternative if the Republicans had gotten the White House in 2012.
Steve, it makes sense to write what you did and many others assume that. BUT, do consider that with eight years of the fraudulent Bush/Cheney stolen presidency, those war mongering corporate tools did not have the nerve to delist endangered wolves until their final pathetic months in office. Obama signed off on screwing wolves within weeks of taking office. Obama made gutting the endangered species act look easy. I don’t think he loses any sleep over the mass misery, suffering and death he has caused to the continent’s native wild life and their families. And the suffering and heart ache he has inflicted on the hearts and minds of tens of millions of Americans who voted for a democrat, who feel connected to wildlife on many levels and who has has totally f–ked. How much worse could it get for wildlife than it has been under the cold hearted, arrogant, city slicker Obama?
And while trying to negotiate and compromise, this is what we get when the other parties have no intention of protecting endangered species. I’m worried about what’s going to happen to the sage grouse also. This Administration is clueless about wildlife and ecology:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/09/02/court-strips-lesser-prairie-chicken-federal-protection/
I actually don’t even understand how this is even possible – I thought once a decision was made to list by the Federal agency, that was it! I didn’t think oil companies could challenge and Endangered Species listing and win! I don’t believe these miraculous bird recoveries being touted, and it has to be kept us as well – no new drilling sites on habitat. I hope this decision is challenged because I really don’t think the state and industry ‘plans’ are going to be adequate.
It does seem like a misleading headline. The ultimate decision still lies with the USF&W (if they would grow a pair and stand up to the opposition!). It’s just that they haven’t given ‘adequate consideration’ to the states’ and industry’s ‘conservation plans’. I’ve never seen more propaganda and misleading and incomplete news stories that I can remember.