Shell to Drill in Our Arctic Refuge After We Said NO WAY!
After fighting the fight against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge throughout this administration’s tenure in office, our voice has been overlooked again. The Bush Administration is allowing Shell Oil to drill there this summer! The National Resources Defense Council thinks the only way to stop them is through the courts. They believe they can win the case because they can prove that allowing Shell to drill there is a violation of this country’s environmental laws. Every square foot of the Arctic coastline, except the refuge, is available for oil development. But Bush and Shell specifically aim for the Wildlife Refuge. It must be the least expensive route so they can put more millions in their pockets.
The oil spills that are inevitable are what is the most threatening because the oil industry doesn’t have a way to clean up in icy waters. Do you know how dangerous this drilling expedition is? They are drilling in an area known as the “Arctic Ring of Life” or the Beaufort Sea. It’s home to polar bears, walrus, gray whales, endangered bowhead whales, belugas, ringed seals, spectacled and Steller’s eider sea ducks, and migratory birds. One oil spill would be disastrous. The NRDC has one heck of a record of wins over companies like Shell, Arco, and Texaco following their spills. They need help. Click on the NRDC link to the right to go to their home page to see how.
The non-compassionate Shell Oil Co. is using seismic exploration also. Do you know about sound decibels? The noise is deafening and harmful to whales and other marine animals that rely on sound to communicate. The NRDC says, “The underwater noise produced by seismic air guns in locating oil deposits is among the most intense. I worked at Sibley Quarry. The blasting there often exceeds the seismic decibel level for the surrounding buildings in the neighborhoods. There has been a constant battle and threats of lawsuits due to the sound vibrations that many say caused large cracks in their foundations and basements. Sound vibrations cause cracks in concrete. These same sound vibrations are what are being perpetrated on the animals that live in our PROTECTED ARCTIC REFUGE!!! Refuge means free from harm. We promised.
The really bad part is that this administration has been given a scenario of what will happen if there is an oil spill by its Minerals Management Service. They predict that a spill by Shell will likely spread to the bowhead whales’ migratory route, the shores of the Wildlife Refuge, and possibly the nesting areas of the birds. But they are doing it anyway for money, money, and more money.
And if you don’t think there have been that many spills that you can remember, it’s because you don’t hear about all of them. The oil industry reported 4,534 spills across Alaska’s North Slope and Beaufort Sea from 1996 to 2004, involving 1.9 million gallons of diesel fuel, oil, and acid according to the NRDC. They say that’s more than one spill per day.
This is a disaster, not only to the animals, to American citizens whose voice is being totally overlooked again. Do you know the Teamster’s Union pushed hard to allow this to happen? Might want to give them a piece of your mind. Thinking jobs before the environment is the stupidest thing I can think of. Without a world, jobs will be useless. This is a runaway administration that concedes nothing to the will of the people. It only listens to unions when it serves their purpose. Start blogging like you’ve never blogged before. I’m hitting abcnews.com. Contact our reps. If you’re into NASCAR start complaining about Shell Pennzoil.
The phone number for Shell is: 713-241-6161. Help the NRDC do whatever they can to stop this.