Palin Blames Environmentalists for Oil Spill

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is the fault of 'extreme environmentalists' who protest against oil companies, Sarah Palin said.

The former Alaskan governor said if campaigners weren't successful in prohibiting land based oil exploration in the US, companies like BP would not have to resort to deep-sea drilling and the oil spill disaster would never have happened.

Palin, who made the chant 'Drill, Baby, Drill!' famous in the 2008 presidential election, favors drilling in environmentally sensitive areas including the Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

In an online Facebook rant titled 'Extreme Enviros: Drill, Baby, Drill in ANWR - Now Do You Get It?' she said: 'Look, here's the deal: when you lock up our land, you outsource jobs and opportunity away from America and into foreign countries that are making us beholden to them.'

'Extreme deep water drilling is not the preferred choice to meet our country's energy needs, but your protests and lawsuits and lies about onshore and shallow water drilling have locked up safer areas,' she said.

Palin does not appear to understand that the catastrophic impacts of oil are not reserved for off shore drilling. Fossil fuels are a finite source of energy that is driving climate change. The environmental impact of burning fossil fuels and the risks associated with its exploitation, justifies the aggressive pursuit of renewable alternatives.

Rush Limbaugh's excuse may be an addiction to pain medication, Palin may simply be the victim of her own intellect.

Palin said, 'It's catching up with you. The tragic, unprecedented deep water Gulf oil spill proved.' However, what is more likely is that Palin's tragic record on the environment will one day catch up with her.
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Limbaugh Blames the Sierra Club for Oil Spill

The leaking undersea oil well in the Gulf of Mexico is an environmental disaster of epic proportions. Most thinking people are attributing blame to those who caused the incident (BP, Transocean and Cameron International). However, some conservative American leaders are pointing their fingers in the most unlikely directions.

Paradoxically, conservatives tend to blame the "enviro-nuts" for supporting restrictions on drilling. The popular conservative view suggests we should aggressively exploit all domestic sources of oil. Former governor of Alaska Sarah Palin is amongst those who have indicated their support for this view.

Infamous radio host Rush Limbaugh blamed the Sierra Club and suggested that they should "pick up the tab" for the cleanup. This statement lends credence to the view that Limbaugh's perspectives are fueled by an addiction to pain medication.

Ironically, people responded to Rush's bizarre broadcast with a flood of donations to the Sierra Club. The Sierra Club is now asking people to donate $10 in Rush's name, and in return they will send Rush a special note thanking him for helping to support clean-energy solutions and a ban on offshore drilling.

In the face of environmental and safety concerns, many appear to be seeing the wisdom of a 21st century energy economy. Although conservatives like Limbaugh may seem laughable, they have a large and loyal following whose resistance to environmental concerns borders on religion.

Rather than begin the arduous yet necessary task of weaning ourselves off of oil, conservative Luddites like Limbaugh are seeking to expand our addiction to a finite resource that is imperiling the planet.
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Next: Palin Blames Environmentalists for Oil Spill

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Obama Presidency and the Gulf Oil Spill

Although President Obama is seeking to move America away from fossil fuels, he was quick to accept responsibility for the oil spill in the Gulf and the incompetence of the Minerals Management Service (MMS).

Many Americans do not approve of the President's efforts to manage the spill. A CBS News poll found that 45 percent disapproved and 20 percent were undecided. Only 35 percent of Americans surveyed approved of the Obama administration's handling of the oil spill.

The Gulf oil spill adds fuel to those discontented about the 9.9 percent US jobless rate. With two wars, the recession of 2008 and important legislation pending, the road leading up to the November congressional elections will be a challenging one. Other geopolitical issues will also embolden critics including tensions on the Korean peninsula, in Iran and the Middle East.

Despite the chorus of criticisms, the government is making efforts to manage this environmental crisis. On May 6, 2010, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced a moratorium on the issuance of final permits for new offshore drilling activity. However, the MMS approved 19 new drilling plans ­after the explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon, all with exemptions from environmental review.

The Obama administration does not appear to be on top of this issue. The definition of the new drilling moratorium has changed so often that even Secretary Salazar appears confused, Salazar incorrectly reported to Congress that all new drilling in the Gulf of Mexico has stopped. As it now stands, the moratorium applies only to new permits, but does not effect those who have been issued drilling permits prior to May 6, 2010. Nor does the moratorium preclude the issuance of drilling permits like the one BP was operating under when the Deepwater Horizon exploded.

Although we should move to limit all offshore oil drilling, the spill in the Gulf makes a convincing case for putting a definitive end to all deep water drilling. The sad truth is that many wells are planned or are currently being drilled off US coasts and some of these wells call for deep water drilling even more hazardous than the current leaking well in the Gulf.

The President may have successfully lead the way out of one of the most severe crises of modern times, but those without understanding will use the spill in the Gulf to fuel their rabid resistance to change. If the Republicans do prevail in November Congressional elections, it will impair the President's ability to deliver on his green promises.

President Obama inherited a host of serious problems from the Bush administration, however, it is Obama's Presidency that is in jeopardy along with his ambitious green agenda for a sustainable 21st century economy.
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The End of Oil and the Next Energy Economy
Reigning in Irresponsible Oil Giants Chevron and Exxon Mobil
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