Environmental Groups' Wish List for Obama: Curb Offshore Oil Drilling
Technically, the Obama administration could choose to stop the Virginia lease sale, which isn't scheduled to take place until 2011, as well as well as others like it. Environmentalists, for their part, say they aren't trying to stop new drilling altogether, but rather want the next administration to carefully consider the impact of development on habitats, such as the polar bear's Beaufort Sea habitat. "There is always going to be some oil and natural gas leasing," Morgan says, "but one of the things we need to look very carefully at are areas that have been nominated to be leased."
In fact, environmentalists will likely be spending the next two months fighting off last-minute efforts by the Bush administration to expand oil and gas leasing programs in Colorado and Utah. Congress has 60 days after such regulations are issued to express disapproval; after that, it'll be up to Obama to undertake the tedious, often lengthy process of undoing them.
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Reader Comments
Hydrogen Is the Answer!!!
The opponents to hydrogen have whined for years about the lack of availability and infrastructure yet neglect to mention that before the late 1800's gasoline too had no infrastructure so should we all go back to riding horses??? The fact is the DOE must upgrade the existing natural gas pipelines to acommodate hydrogen andnew methods to produce hydrogen must be empoyed. America already has a small hydrogen pipeline to supply industry but must be expanded for supplying for transportation currently scheduled for 2010!!!
Political Ramafications
If Obama restircts offshore drilling and gas prices shoot back up the Republicans will eat him alive on this issue. Does anyone remember McCain's poll numbers shooting up to the sound of "Drill baby drill".
Hydrogen
Quoting:
"Hydrogen has been long touted by the best and brightest business"
Comment:
I am afraid you have not examined that idea very closely. Hydrogen does not exist in free form in any quantity. It has to be reformed from natural gas (generating CO2) at a significant cost of energy or broken out of water at a net loss in energy.
Natural gas is typically found with oil and even the "dry" gas has to be drilled and sometimes "fraced" out of solid rock. The electricity to break hydrogen out of water is about half made by coal plants and takes several times the energy the hyrogen can return.
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