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President Obama

Obama’s Alaska Visit Puts Climate, Not Energy, in Forefront

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By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS: AUG. 31, 2015

WASHINGTON — President Obama will travel to Alaska on Monday to call for urgent and aggressive action to tackle climate change, capitalizing on a poignant tableau of melting glaciers, crumbling permafrost and rising sea levels to illustrate the immediacy of an issue he hopes to make a central element of his legacy.

But during a three-day trip choreographed to lend spectacular visuals and real-world examples to Mr. Obama’s message on global warming, he will pay little heed to the oil and gas drilling offshore that he allowed to go forward just this month, a move that activists say is an unsavory blot on an otherwise ambitious climate record. read more

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U.S. Is Seen as Laggard as Russia Asserts Itself in Warming Arctic

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Sources: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, IBRU at Durham University, Bordermap Consulting, KlimaCampus Integrated Climate Data Center, U.S. Geological Survey: By The New York Times

By STEVEN LEE MYERSAUG. 29, 2015

ABOARD COAST GUARD CUTTER ALEX HALEY, in the Chukchi Sea — With warming seas creating new opportunities at the top of the world, nations are scrambling over the Arctic — its territorial waters, transit routes and especially its natural resources — in a rivalry some already call a new Cold War. read more

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Obama: Climate change threatens to ‘wipe out’ American towns

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By BARBARA BOLAND 8/29/15 

President Obama redirected attention from his decision to allow Shell to drill a well off the Alaskan coast to the “imminent danger” of climate change in his weekly address Saturday. Ahead of a three-day tour of Alaska, Obama said the northern state’s melting glaciers, swift shoreline erosion and rising sea levels threaten to “swallow one island community.”

“Think about that,” Obama said. “If another country threatened to wipe out an American town, we’d do everything in our power to protect ourselves. Climate change poses the same threat, right now.” read more

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President Obama Defends Shell Arctic Drilling Decision

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By: MICHEAL KAUFMAN: Aug 29, 2015 

Critics argue that allowing Shell to explore Arctic for oil goes against the country’s stance on climate change

President Obama has defended his decision to grant approval for drilling in the Arctic region, ahead of his trip to Alaska. Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) had been seeking the US government’s permission to conduct oil exploration in offshore Arctic. Last month, Shell was granted permission to drill a well off the coast of Alaska. The decision has been criticized heavily, as environmentalists have been quick to point out the risks associated with drilling in the Arctic.

President Obama’s Clean Power Plan, announced earlier this month, has also come in the line of fire. The plan, which calls for a 32% reduction in carbon emissions from power plants in the US, is aimed at reducing the country’s carbon footprint, as the US tries to lead the charge in the battle against climate change. Critics argue that allowing Shell to explore Arctic for oil goes against the country’s stance on climate change. read more

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Obama says climate change is real, despite what skeptics say

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Screen Shot 2015-08-29 at 23.11.41“We made it clear that Shell has to meet our high standards in how they conduct their operations – and it’s a testament to how rigorous we’ve applied those standards that Shell has delayed and limited its exploration off Alaska while trying to meet them.”

By Bruce Alpert, NOLA.com | Times-Picayune: 29 August 2015

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama Saturday (Aug. 29 pressed the case for urgent action to combat climate change, while defending his administration from criticism by environmental critics unhappy with its approval of Shell’s plan to drill off Alaska’s coast.

“I share people’s concerns about offshore drilling. I remember the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico all too well,” Obama said in his weekly radio address.

“That’s precisely why my administration has worked to make sure that our oil exploration conducted under these leases is done at the highest standards possible, with requirements specifically tailored to the risks of drilling off Alaska,” the president said. “We don’t rubber-stamp permits.  We made it clear that Shell has to meet our high standards in how they conduct their operations – and it’s a testament to how rigorous we’ve applied those standards that Shell has delayed and limited its exploration off Alaska while trying to meet them.” read more

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Obama defends Shell Arctic drilling decision

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Screen Shot 2015-08-13 at 11.35.25By AFP 29 August 2015

Two days before heading to Alaska to raise climate change awareness, US President Barack Obama on Saturday defended his controversial decision to allow Shell to drill in the Arctic’s Chukchi Sea.

The Obama administration’s green light for the Anglo-Dutch oil giant angered environmental groups which have decried the “hypocrisy” of the president, who in recent months has stressed the need for aggressive actions against climate change.

Opponents note how the decision comes in the run-up to the UN climate conference in Paris in December. The meeting is seen as crucial in efforts to forge an agreement to curb international emissions. read more

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Shell will despoil the Arctic. But Barack Obama is the real villain here

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Clinton nailed Obama this week: “The Arctic is a unique treasure. Given what we know, it’s not worth the risk of drilling,” she wrote.

Others put it more strongly: “It’s perplexing and depressing to hear President Obama say he wants to fix climate change but then approve Arctic drilling.

FULL ARTICLE

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Green fury after Shell is given go-ahead for Arctic drilling

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Green fury after Shell is given go-ahead for Arctic drilling

Screen Shot 2015-08-13 at 11.35.25US President accused of ‘double-speak’ by activists as Hillary Clinton joins chorus of criticism

DAVID USBORNE , TOM BAWDEN: THE INDEPENDENT: Wednesday 19 August 2015

Shell has been granted final permission by the US regulatory authorities to begin exploratory drilling for oil and gas beneath the Arctic seabed. The decision by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) to allow the multinational to drill off the Alaskan coast prompted environmentalists to accuse President Barack Obama of “double-speak” over his calls to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources. read more

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Hillary Clinton Says Arctic Drilling ‘Not Worth the Risk’

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“The Arctic is a unique treasure,” Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton tweeted. “Given what we know, it’s not worth the risk of drilling.” MARIO ANZUONI/REUTERS

(Reuters) – Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Tuesday staked out her opposition to Arctic oil exploration, a day after the Obama administration gave Royal Dutch Shell final approval to drill off Alaska.

“The Arctic is a unique treasure,” Clinton said in a Twitter post. “Given what we know, it’s not worth the risk of drilling.”

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On Monday, the Obama administration gave Shell final approval to resume drilling into the oil zone off northern Alaska for the first time since 2012. read more

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Shell gets final nod to drill in Arctic Ocean

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Screen Shot 2015-08-13 at 11.35.25By Seattle Times staff

Seattle Times news services

WASHINGTON — The federal government Monday gave Shell the final permit it needs to drill for oil in the Arctic Ocean off Alaska’s northwest coast for the first time in more than two decades.

President Obama is ending restrictions on Shell’s drilling in the Arctic Ocean — even as he prepares a trip to Alaska to highlight the dangers of climate change.

The Interior Department, satisfied that Shell can handle any emergencies, is approving the oil company’s request to drill deep enough to hit oil in the waters off the northwest coast of Alaska. Shell is betting it will find a giant pool. read more

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U.S. gives Shell final nod to drill for oil in Arctic

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Screen Shot 2015-08-13 at 11.35.25Markets | Mon Aug 17, 2015

By Timothy Gardner

Aug 17 (Reuters) – The Obama administration granted Royal Dutch Shell final clearance on Monday to resume drilling for oil and gas in the environmentally fragile Arctic Ocean for the first time since 2012, a move green groups vowed to fight.

The U.S. Department of the Interior permit allows Shell to drill in the oil-rich Chukchi Sea off the northwest coast of Alaska. Shell interrupted its drilling program in the region in 2012 after suffering a series of mishaps, including losing control of an enormous rig, from which the Coast Guard had to rescue 18 workers. read more

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Inside Shell’s Extreme Plan to Drill for Oil in the Arctic

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by Paul Barrett and Benjamin Elgin: 5 August 2015: BLOOMBERG.COM

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Protesters near the Polar Pioneer.: Photographer: Keri Coles/Greenpeace

Ann Pickard

Ann Pickard – Shell VP Arctic Drilling

In a windowless conference room in Anchorage, a dozen Royal Dutch Shell employees report on the highest-profile oil project in the multinational’s vast global portfolio. Warmed by mid-July temperatures, Arctic ice in the Chukchi Sea, northwest of the Alaskan mainland, is receding. Storms are easing; helicopter flights will soon resume. Underwater volcanoes—yes, volcanoes—are dormant. “That’s good news for us,” Ann Pickard, Shell’s top executive for the Arctic, whispers to a visitor. read more

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Arctic drilling: Obama gives Shell the go-ahead despite 75% chance of major oil spills

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ALICE HARROLD: THE INDEPENDENT: Friday 24 July 2015

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The Obama administration has granted permission to Royal Dutch Shell to drill for oil in the Chukchi Sea, off the northwest coast of Alaska.

The company was given the final approval for its application to drill in the Arctic on Wednesday in what was a major loss for green activists who have fought the drilling plans.

Shell has been granted permission start drilling exploratory wells about 140m off the coast of Alaska – one of the best prospective offshore areas in the world. read more

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A Bad Call on Shell

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Screen Shot 2015-05-19 at 18.39.24Michael BruneExecutive Director, The Sierra Club: 23 July 2015

The Obama administration inched a little closer to disaster yesterday when it issued almost-but-not-quite final approval to Royal Dutch Shell to drill in the Chukchi Sea this summer. Because Shell’s capping stack (a critical piece of emergency response equipment) is currently on its way to Portland, Oregon, aboard a damaged icebreaker that requires repairs, the oil company is allowed to drill only part way into the seafloor — stopping short of where the oil is. If and when the capping stack gets to the proposed drilling site, Shell could then reapply for permission to resume drilling the rest of the way. read more

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Shell banned from Arctic oil drilling without emergency equipment

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Screen Shot 2015-05-19 at 18.39.24Icebreaker that holds the required equipment has been sent for repairs, which could take weeks

Royal Dutch Shell has been granted two final permits to explore for crude in the Arctic this summer, but the US has banned the company from drilling for oil until emergency equipment arrives in the region.

The US Interior Department’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) conditionally granted Shell permits for exploration in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska, in a season which sea ice limits from July until October.

However, Shell must have emergency equipment to contain a potential blown-out well deployable within 24 hours before drilling into the oil zone, the BSEE said. read more

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U.S. says Shell is not yet allowed to drill in Arctic oil zone

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The Department of the Interior conditionally granted Shell permits for oil exploration in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska.

Timothy Gardner: Jul 22, 2015 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Interior Department on Wednesday granted Royal Dutch Shell <RDSa.L> two final permits to explore for crude in the Arctic this summer, but said the company cannot drill into the oil zone until required emergency equipment arrives in the region.

The department’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) conditionally granted Shell permits for exploration in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska, in a season which sea ice limits from July until October. read more

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Why Shell had the worst week ever

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By Tony Dokoupil19 July 2015

This should have been one of Shell’s best weeks ever. Instead, it shaped up like the corporate equivalent of “The Hangover Part III.” And a happy ending is nowhere in sight. 

This was supposed to be seven-day stretch of toothy smiles, hearty back-slaps and healthy runs on the company’s stock because Shell’s window for drilling in the Arctic Ocean officially opened on July 15. Under the terms of the plan, approved in May by the Obama administration, the company has until September 28 to work on the largest untapped oil reserve on Earth.  read more

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We are engaged, Shell says after Iranian deal

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“Shell continues to comply with all relevant international sanctions”

By Daniel J. Graeber

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, July 14 (UPI) — With a nuclear deal in hand, Royal Dutch Shell said Tuesday it’s exploring the “immediate and long-term” implication of an opening Iranian oil door.

Representatives from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, Germany and Iran announced the signing of a breakthrough agreement that pulls Iran back from the brink of developing a nuclear weapons program in exchange for sweeping and staged relief from economic sanctions. read more

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Obama administration delivers big blow to Shell’s Arctic drilling plans

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Obama administration delivers big blow to Shell’s Arctic drilling plans

By Jennifer A. Dlouhy

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration delivered a major blow to Shell’s Arctic drilling plans on Tuesday, by ruling that wildlife protections bar the company from simultaneously boring two wells into the Chukchi Sea this summer.

The decision will force Shell to scale back its hopes of completing two exploratory oil wells in waters north of Alaska this summer and is another setback for the firm that has spent seven years and $7 billion trying to find crude in the Arctic Ocean. read more

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Shell flotilla begins assembling in Dutch Harbor

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BY TIM BRADNER, ALASKA JOURNAL OF COMMERCE: 24 June 2015

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“Once again, Shell is up to their old tricks, deliberately ignoring federal regulations. We urge President Obama to cancel Shell’s lease and prevent them from drilling in the Chukchi Sea,”

Dutch Harbor will be busy in the next couple of weeks as Shell’s Arctic drill fleet converges on the Aleutians port, prior to heading north for the Chukchi Sea.

Shell’s spill containment barge Arctic Challenger is already in Dutch Harbor, having arrived June 14, and the semi-submersible mobile drill rig Polar Pioneer is now en route from Seattle, Shell spokeswoman Meg Baldino said June 23.

A second drilling vessel, Noble Discoverer, is meanwhile still in port at Everett, Wash., making preparations to sail to Dutch Harbor. read more

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Coast Guard clears Shell drillship bound for Arctic

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Coast Guard clears Shell drillship bound for Arctic

Posted on June 22, 2015 | By Jennifer A. Dlouhy

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The drillship Noble Discoverer undergoes sea trials off Singapore in November 2014.

WASHINGTON — As one of Shell’s Arctic drilling rigs makes its way to Alaska, a second is waiting in the wings.

The Noble Discoverer, now docked in Washington state waters, has received a critical “certificate of compliance” from the U.S. Coast Guard verifying it meets a host of safety and security requirements. Since a May 20 Coast Guard inspection, Shell and Noble cleared more than a dozen violations documented at the vessel. read more

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Shell arctic oil rig leaves Seattle, met by protesters

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Screen Shot 2015-05-23 at 08.08.45Shell arctic oil rig leaves Seattle, met by protesters

Michael Konopasek and Travis Pittman, KING 5 News: 15 June 2015

SEATTLE – The Shell Oil arctic drilling rig Polar Pioneer headed out of Seattle Monday on its way to Alaska but not before an attempted blockade by protesters in kayaks.

Greenpeace says the Coast Guard took thirteen protesters into custody including Seattle City Councilman Mike O’Brien. Seattle City Hall says O’Brien was booked and fined $250.

The Polar Pioneer undocked from Terminal 5 at 6 a.m., pulled by tug boats.

Protesters sent out an alert Sunday night to supporters to block the departure. read more

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Royal Dutch Shell stock has fallen by over 26% in the last year

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By: MICHEAL KAUFMANPublished: Jun 10, 2015 

The stock for Royal Dutch Shell Plc. (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) has fallen by over 26% in the last one year. The S&P 500 during the same period rose by 6.71%. The decline in the stock prices of energy companies has been a norm. Over the last one year, crude oil prices have fallen more than 40% owing to an excess crude supply in the market. While the lower crude oil prices have bolstered the downstream business segment of oil companies, the upstream business segment has suffered immensely. read more

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Shell drilling may spur Arctic resource race

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Screen Shot 2015-05-19 at 18.39.24Colin Chilcoat, Oilprice.com: May 27, 2015

In a few short months Shell will (re)enter the Chukchi Sea, between Alaska and Russia. The oil and gas major still awaits approval from a number of state and federal agencies, but in early May the company received the consent of the Obama administration to explore the remote Arctic sea 70 miles off the coast of Alaska.

If it sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Shell was in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas for much of 2012 – a stint that ended with more headaches than drilling. Following some high-profile failures with its Noble Discoverer and Kulluk rigs, Shell put its Arctic operations on pause in early 2013. Amid slumping profits, the group called off its 2014 plans to resume. Today, the economic indicators are not much better – Shell lost $1.1 billion in the Americas in the first quarter of 2015 – but the company is committed to moving forward. read more

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National Security, The Seattle Oil Rig, And Greenpeace’s Dirty Money

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By Ron Arnold, Executive Vice President, Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise: 25 May 2015

National Security, The Seattle Oil Rig, And Greenpeace’s Dirty Money

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President Obama had it all wrong in his commencement address at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. He warned that climate change “deniers” endanger our national security – denying “undermines the readiness of our forces.”

In fact, climate change believers are the threat to our national security, such as the recently notorious Seattle mob of Greenpeace “kayaktivists” paddling around Puget Sound trying to stop Polar Pioneer, Shell Oil’s Arctic drilling rig, from making a layover at the Port of Seattle to gear up for Alaskan waters. When thwarted by the Coast Guard’s 500-foot no-approach cordon, the Greenpeace canoe crowd left the harbor and took to the streets where they blocked supplier access to the rig until city police dispersed them. read more

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Shell’s Arctic extraction to take decades before oil flows

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Marvin Odum, Shell’s head of oil and gas production in the Americas, told the Financial Times that the company’s success or failure this year and next in making a significant discovery was critical for the future of Arctic oil development.

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FULL FT ARTICLE WITH WORKING LINKS.

WARNS THAT PRODUCTION IS UNLIKELY TO COMMENCE UNTIL THE “2030s”

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Ann Pickard, Shell VP for Arctic drilling, is not a safe pair of hands

Screen Shot 2015-05-19 at 18.39.24“Having got its corporate fingers burnt once already, it is simply astonishing that the fate of Shell’s resurrected Arctic drilling campaign is being entrusted by Shell and President Obama to such an incompetent, unscrupulous individual, as Ann Pickard.”

Screen Shot 2015-05-24 at 16.03.38By John Donovan

Ann Pickard replaced David Lawrence as Shell VP for the Arctic after Shell’s 2012 disastrous Arctic drilling fiasco, aptly described by the then U.S. Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar, as a Screw Up.

Lawrence of Alaska, the chosen fall guy, was fired.

Ann Pickard is now being presented as being a safe pair of hands.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

When she was a senior Royal Dutch Shell executive in Africa, Ann Pickard boasted to the U.S. Ambassador Robin Sanders that Shell had infiltrated spies into key positions throughout Nigerian government ministries and knew everything that was going on. read more

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Climate change a serious security threat, warns Obama

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President Obama has called climate change “a serious threat to global security” and heavily criticised climate change deniers.

In his strongest remarks on the issue yet, Mr Obama said climate change would “impact every country on the planet”.

The US president made his comments in a speech to students at the Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut.

He has previously identified climate change as a central issue for the remainder of his time in office.

Faced with strong opposition on the issue from Republicans and industry, Mr Obama used his speech to frame the threat in terms of national security. read more

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Environmentalists score a little discussed big win in Arctic drilling plans

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Screen Shot 2015-05-19 at 18.39.24May 19 2015, 14:48 ET | By: Carl Surran, SA News Editor

Environmentalists score a little discussed big win in Arctic drilling plans

  • Environmentalists angered by the Obama administration’s approval of Royal Dutch Shell’s (RDS.A, RDS.B) broad plan for boring exploratory oil wells in the Chukchi Sea seem to have overlooked that they scored a major victory in one respect.
  • The approval and newly proposed government mandates for Arctic oil development insist that Shell and other companies drilling in the region keep a second rig nearby to bore a relief well in case of a blowout, like the one that destroyed BP’s Gulf of Mexico well in 2010; Shell is being forced to shave off roughly a month of precious potential drilling days to leave time to bore a relief well in case of such an emergency.
  • Oil industry lobbyists fought the relief well requirement, at one point convincing a White House inter-agency review office that it is unnecessary and prohibitively expensive, but top Interior Department officials ended up winning out, insisting that it is essential to have all equipment on hand to act swiftly in case of an emergency at the remote, forbidding and often-frozen Arctic.
  • read more

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    Obama: Shell developed high safeguards against Arctic spills

    Screen Shot 2015-05-15 at 08.35.09Associated Press: 14 May 2015

    Obama: Shell developed high safeguards against Arctic spills

    CAMP DAVID, Md. (AP) — President Barack Obama says experts have concluded that Royal Dutch Shell has developed strong safeguards to undertake offshore oil exploration in Arctic waters.

    Obama says his administration delayed Shell’s application for exploratory drilling in the Chukchi Sea northwest of Alaska until it could provide necessary assurances. The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved the company’s plan Monday after reviewing thousands of comments from the public, Alaska Native organizations, and state and federal agencies. read more

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    What’s at stake: The debate over Arctic drilling

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    ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Royal Dutch Shell is planning to park two massive Arctic oil drilling rigs in Seattle’s waterfront before they head north — but the petrochemical giant will first have to get around protesters in kayaks and others who want to thwart the new frontier in oil exploration and spark a national debate about fossil fuels and climate change.

    Here’s a look at the debate over Shell’s plans to drill in the Arctic:

    WHAT’S AT STAKE?

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    The U.S. Geological Survey estimates Arctic offshore reserves at 26 billion barrels of recoverable oil and 130 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. read more

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    Not going green: Obama administration allows Shell to pursue Arctic drilling

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    Screen Shot 2015-05-01 at 17.04.22By MARK THIESSEN – Associated Press – Monday, May 11, 2015

    Not going green: Obama administration allows Shell to pursue Arctic drilling

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Royal Dutch Shell cleared a major hurdle Monday in its plans to drill off Alaska’s northwest coast.

    The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved Shell’s exploration plan for the Chukchi Sea.

    However, this isn’t the final step that Shell needs for Arctic drilling.

    Shell still must obtain other permits from state and federal agencies, including one to drill from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and government opinions that find Shell can comply with terms and conditions of the Endangered Species Act. read more

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    White House Gives Conditional Approval for Shell to Drill in Arctic

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    By CORAL DAVENPORT: MAY 11, 2015

    White House Gives Conditional Approval for Shell to Drill in Arctic

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    WASHINGTON — The Obama administration gave conditional approval on Monday to allow Shell Gulf of Mexico, Inc. to start drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic Ocean this summer.

    The approval is a major victory for Shell and the rest of the petroleum industry, which has sought for years to drill in the remote waters of the Chukchi seas, which are believed to hold vast reserves of oil and gas.

    “We have taken a thoughtful approach to carefully considering potential exploration in the Chukchi Sea, recognizing the significant environmental, social and ecological resources in the region and establishing high standards for the protection of this critical ecosystem, our Arctic communities, and the subsistence needs and cultural traditions of Alaska Natives,” Abigail Ross Hopper, director of the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said in a statement. “As we move forward, any offshore exploratory activities will continue to be subject to rigorous safety standards.” read more

    This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

    New Sea Drilling Rule Planned, 5 Years After BP Oil Spill

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    Screen Shot 2015-04-12 at 14.33.58Article by CORAL DAVENPORT published APRIL 10, 2015 by The New York Times

    New Sea Drilling Rule Planned, 5 Years After BP Oil Spill

    WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is planning to impose a major new regulation on offshore oil and gas drilling to try to prevent the kind of explosions that caused the catastrophic BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, administration officials said Friday.

    The announcement of the Interior Department regulation, which could be made as soon as Monday, is timed to coincide with the five-year anniversary of the disaster, which killed 11 men and sent millions of barrels of oil spewing into the gulf. The regulation is being introduced as the Obama administration is taking steps to open up vast new areas of federal waters off the southeast Atlantic Coast to drilling, a decision that has infuriated environmentalists. read more

    This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

    Anti-Shell Protest at White House

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    From an article by Liz Ruskin published 24 March 2015 by Alaska Public Media under the headline:

    26th Anniversary of Exxon Spill Prompts anti-Shell Protest at White House

    Screen Shot 2015-03-25 at 11.29.47It’s the 26th anniversary of America’s second largest oil spill, when an Exxon tanker leaving Valdez Arm ran aground, leaking 11 million gallons of North Slope Crude into Prince William Sound. In Washington D.C., environmental activists marked the occasion with a demonstration in front of the White House. Their message was less about Exxon and tanker safety than it was about Shell and its plans to drill in the Chukchi Sea.

    “Hey, Obama: Yes you can! Stop Shell Oil’s dirty plan,” the crowd chanted. read more

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    New Federal Rules Are Set for Fracking

    Screen Shot 2015-03-21 at 09.12.24FROM AN ARTICLE BY CORAL DAVENPORT PUBLISHED IN THE NEW YORK EDITION OF THE NEW YORK TIMES ON 21 MARCH 2015

    New Federal Rules Are Set for Fracking

    Extracts

    WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Friday unveiled the nation’s first major federal regulations on hydraulic fracturing, a technique for oil and gas drilling that has led to a significant increase in American energy production but has also raised concerns about health and safety risks.

    The Interior Department began drafting the rules, focused on drilling safety, in Mr. Obama’s first term after breakthroughs in the technology, also known as fracking, led to a surge in the production of oil and gas. read more

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    Obama moves to block development in 9.8 million acres of Arctic Ocean

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    Screen Shot 2014-08-06 at 09.25.26Krestia DeGeorge,Nathaniel Herz: January 27, 2015

    Citing biodiversity and Alaska Native subsistence whaling, the Obama administration moved to block development in 9.8 million acres within the Beaufort and Chukchi seas as part of a new five-year outer continental shelf oil and gas leasing program, the draft of which was released Tuesday morning by the Department of the Interior.

    The announcement came two days after President Barack Obama said he planned to ask Congress to declare much of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Northeast Alaska as wilderness, including the possibly oil-and-gas-rich coastal plain — and a month after the president closed waters in and around Bristol Bay to oil and gas development. read more

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    Shell’s Arctic Machinations

    Screen Shot 2014-08-06 at 09.25.26The environmental group Oceana has obtained a copy of a letter from Shell to the U.S. Dept of the Interior revealing that the oil giant is seeking to pause Shell’s leases for five years. Approval would effectively extend the current drilling deadlines.  Shell’s plans to drill off the Alaska coast have already been heavily delayed by a series of avoidable mishaps, initially caused by negligence and incompetence, and subsequently by a desire to evade tax.

    Extracts from a related Bloomberg article:

    Shell Seeks 5 More Years for Arctic Oil Drilling Drive

    Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA) is asking the Obama administration for five more years to explore for oil off Alaska’s coast, saying set backs and legal delays may push the start of drilling past the 2017 expiration of some leases.

    Shell, which has spent eight years and $6 billion to explore the Arctic’s Beaufort and Chukchi seas, said in letter to the Interior Department that “prudent” exploration before leases expire is now “severely challenged.”

    “Despite Shell’s best efforts and demonstrated diligence, circumstances beyond Shell’s control have prevented, and are continuing to prevent, Shell from completing even the first exploration well in either area,” Peter Slaiby, vice president of Shell Alaska, wrote to the regional office of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. read more

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    President Obama Scuttling the good ship UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

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    Screen Shot 2014-08-07 at 15.55.11By John Donovan

    I am a UK citizen and therefore have no say in US politics. 

    I am just an observer who has travelled extensively in the USA over many decades and as a result grew to love America and its people. 

    President Obama seems like a thoroughly nice man with a lovely family.

    That’s the positive bit.

    Some fanatical right-wingers have claimed that he is not a US Citizen.

    Some have suggested he is a Muslim hell bent on the destruction of America.

    All ridiculous, but the truth is that his misguided liberal/socialist/pacifist policies seem to be having a far more destructive impact on the USA than any terrorist group.  read more

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