Gulf of Mexico oil spill
On 31 March 2010 President Barack Obama announced at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, D.C. the resumption of domestic offshore oil drilling.[1] The President's actions have been labeled, "a decision to endanger our coastal ecosystems with the risk of catastrophic oil spills."[2] Defending the decision, the President said "oil rigs today generally don’t cause spills. They are technologically very advanced."[3][4]
According to the New York Times Obama "said several times during his presidential campaign that he supported expanded offshore drilling. He noted in his State of the Union address in January [2010] that weaning the country from imported oil would require “tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development.”[5][6]
Contents
Deepwater Horizons
On Earth Day 2010, a British Petroleum-leased oil drilling rig sank to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico two days after it exploded, creating what has been described as the "worst environmental disaster in US history."[7]
Nobel Laurette in Economics, Dr. Paul Krugman,[8] who has been highly critical of Obama economic policy[9] wrote in his regular New York Times opinion column, Conscience of a Liberal, "The oil spill is Obama's fault."[10]
British Petroleum
During the first 100 days of the Obama administration the Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) granted BP’s lease at Deepwater Horizon a “categorical exclusion” from a detailed environmental impact analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act, according to the Washington Post.[11]
As Senator and while running for president, Obama received a total of $77,051 from British Petroleum (BP)[12] and is the top recipient of BP Political Action Committee and individual money over the past 20 years, according to financial disclosure records. [13]
Likewise, the Center for Responsive Politics noted "the “top recipient of BP-related donations during the 2008 cycle was President Barack Obama himself, who collected $71,000.”[14]
Environmental disaster
Many species of wildlife are threatened at a crucial in their life cycle.[15]
Gulf menhaden
Gulf menhaden are a species harvested mostly for fish meal and fish oil. Menhaden could be badly affected by the spill.
Bluefin tuna
The disaster occurred at a critical time of the reproductive cycle of bluefin tuna. The area immediately affected by the catastrophe and attempted cleanup is used by bluefin as their spawning ground.
Oyster and shrimp
Oyster and shrimp likewise are critically affected.
Brown pelican
The Louisiana state bird, the brown pelican, was removed from the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2009 and breeding season has just commenced.
Other bird species
Other species endangered by the oil spill are American oystercatcher and Wilson's plover.
Sea turtles
As several species of sea turtles move through the Gulf during their spring nesting season, they need to surface to breathe.
Economic impacts
The economic impact of the Gulf of Mexico oil drilling disaster could be large and devastating to several key industries, including fishing, tourism, and transportation.[16]
Employment in fishing
Fishing[17] in the Gulf of Mexico employed about 27,000 workers in Louisiana alone and second to Alaska's fishing industry. Dockside sales are approximately $660 million.
Tourism
Tourism along the Gulf coast likewise could be devastated as the spill comes ashore.
Transportation
The disruption of shipping traffic in and out of the Port of New Orleans will impact barge, container, and tanker traffic in the Mississippi Delta and along the Mississippi River. Prices of all types of commodities would affected,
Insurance industry
British Petroleum (BP), the operator on the oil drilling lease with a 65% stake, insured itself, rather than buying coverage from insurance companies.
Other Liberal Reaction
Forthcoming
References
- ↑ Obama Lifts Ban on Offshore Drilling, Associated Press, 31 March 31 2010. Retreived from Youtube 9 May 2010.
- ↑ President Obama must reinstate moratorium on offshore drilling, Greenpeace USA blogs, 30 Apr 2010.
- ↑ White House Press Release, Remarks by the President in a Discussion on Jobs and the Economy in Charlotte, North Carolina, Office of the Press Secretary, April 02, 2010. Retrieved from whitehouse.gov 3 May 2010.
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm8gLmuTvJ4&feature=player_embedded
- ↑ Obama to Open Offshore Areas to Oil Drilling for First Time, John M. Broder, New York Times, March 30, 2010.
- ↑ Obama clears way for oil drilling off U.S. coasts, The Associated Press, March 31, 2010, Retrieved from nola.com 8 May 2010.
- ↑ Worst environmental disaster in US history, Maryann Tobin, Examiner, April 29, 2010.
- ↑ Economics 2008. Retrieved from Nobel.org 10 May 2010.
- ↑ Krugman Garners Newsweek Cover for Left-Wing Criticism of Obamanomics, Julia A. Seymour, Business & Media Institute, 3/31/09.
- ↑ The Oil Spill Is Obama’s Fault, Paul Krugman, New York Times Op-Ed, April 30, 2010,
- ↑ U.S. exempted BP's Gulf of Mexico drilling from environmental impact study,] Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post, 5 May 2010.
- ↑ http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/BP?view=detail&siteid=nwhwk
- ↑ Obama is biggest recipient of BP’s political action cash in the last 20 years John Byrne, 5 May 2010. Retrieved from rawstory.com 9 May 2010.
- ↑ Jake Tapper, Political Punch, ABC News, 5 May 2010. [1]
- ↑ FACTBOX-Possible environmental impact of Gulf oil spill, Reuters, 28 April 2010.
- ↑ Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Gulf Coast Oil Spill, Nariman Behravesh, 4 May 2010. Retrieved from ihsglobalinsights.com 8 May 2020.
- ↑ http://www.marketwatch.com/video/asset/fishing-industry-hammered-by-gulf-oil-spill/41612D0E-B338-464D-A15E-5885B1D227D6
