by Jonathan Hiskes.
Now we’re getting somewhere
on the offshore drilling problem. Some progress from the top:
Mr. Obama ordered a further six-month moratorium on new
permits for new deepwater oil and gas wells; suspended the planned exploration
in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas off the coast of Alaska; canceled a planned
August lease sale in the western Gulf of Mexico; and canceled a proposed lease
sale off the coast of Virginia. Environmentalists who had opposed the Alaska
and Virginia projects hailed the decisions.
Mr. Obama said further moves will be made to strengthen
oversight of the drilling industry and enhance safety as a commission he is
appointing opens its own six-month inquiry.
(Side note to New York Times: Self-identified “environmentalists”
aren’t the only people opposed to putting major marine ecosystems, fisheries, coastal
economies, beaches, and rig workers at risk. More Americans now oppose increased
offshore drilling than support it.)
Better still, Obama
used a White House press conference today to personally stump for clean-energy
legislation as a response to the Gulf spill—something we’ve been begging and pleading for.
“This disaster should
serve as a wake-up call that it is time to move forward on this legislation,” he
said. “I call on Democrats and Republicans in Congress, working with my
administration, to answer this challenge once and for all.”
He also spoke about
pushing for an energy-climate bill in a closed-door meeting with Senate
Republicans yesterday. Notably, he didn’t say whether they expressed
willingness to cooperate. They’re still the crucial barrier to progress on the
issue.
Obama’s comments echo
his message yesterday at a solar-panel plant in California, where he said,
“I’m going to keep fighting to pass comprehensive energy and climate
legislation in Washington.” But today’s D.C. presser should give the message
more media attention.
He also stressed that
his administration is trying really hard
to find a way to stop the Gulf leak and cope with the mess it’s created.
“Those who think we
were either slow in our response or lacked urgency don’t know the facts. This
has been our highest priority since this crisis occurred,” he said.
“We are relying on
every resource and every idea, every expert and every bit of technology to work
to stop it. We will take ideas from anywhere but we are going to stop it. I
know that doesn’t lessen the enormous sense of anger and frustration felt by
people on the Gulf and so many Americans.”
Now—with encouraging
signs that the “top
kill” might finally be plugging up the Gulf gusher—Obama needs to make
the larger energy crisis his
administration’s highest priority, tapping every resource and every expert and
every bit of technology to move the nation to a clean energy economy. There’s
still time to make use of this crisis.
Related Links:
The Climate Post: BP oil spill washes up on Potomac shores
Michigan: Where U.S. clean energy, emissions, efficiency policy really counts
Obama preaches green tech gospel to California choir
