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The Best Science Writing Online 2012
Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...
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The Chukchi Sea lies between Alaska and Russia just north of the Bering Strait. Shell Oil hopes to begin drilling in these Arctic waters in the next few days—if the U.S. government grants permission.
The ship Noble Discoverer will drill two exploratory wells to determine what, if any, hydrocarbons are beneath the seabed—and how well drilling equipment can withstand the rigors of the far north. Those rigors include everything from swirling currents and floating ice chunks to migrating whales.
There’s coral there—scientists sent to the region by Greenpeace have found sea raspberry, a soft, deep sea species. Other such deep sea corals bore the brunt of BP's catastrophic blowout in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.
It remains to be seen whether offshore drilling in the Arctic can be any safer than drilling in balmier waters. Already, Russia spills some 30 million barrels of oil in the Arctic each year, according to Greenpeace, and that's on land.
Regardless, burning oil is one of the primary causes of climate change. Such global warming has thawed the Arctic above all, opening access to yet more oil. Humanity's thirst for oil has yet to gauge its own depths.
—David Biello
[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]
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2 Comments
Add CommentThe same people that deny climate change are reaping the benefits of it but drilling in pristine, formerly ice covered waters. And they will do it with the governments blessing because the US government would gladly sacrifice future generations for a few more votes this election. The failure of modern democracies is because politicians without morality are being elected by people without intelligence. The answers are out there. The scientific community keeps pointing the way. But at the end of the day; fear, greed, ignorance and corruption are what rule.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this@RSchmidt:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou post is very well written and contains what I believe is a consensus opinion of the American people. With over 80% of the American people wanting more renewable energy used to meet our energy needs, what do we do; we go drill in pristine lands along with Russia, China and every other country. Instead what we should be doing is showing some leadership to the rest of the world by finding ways to reduce our own consumption and need for oil. There are so many things we can and should be doing.
Things like speeding our transition to hybrid vehicles using electric and hydraulic hybrids. If we can't afford the incentives then at least we should make people aware of what their decisions means to the rest of the world. We could certainly build smaller OR at least more aerodynamic and lighter vehicles. We should be learning how to conserve every day by moving more efficient designs to the front of production lines. Things like 20 SEER air conditioners and heat pumps should be a production priority and if necessary, we should provide some limited and short term or temporary incentives to insure that this is the minimum standard we build. We should prioritize the designing of products that shut themselves off after some period of non-use. We should standardize all cell phone chargers instead of dumping millions into land fills every year. We sould be building smaller two passenger vehicles for seniors to use around town instead of driving around 5 passenger cars and 1/2 ton pickup trucks. We should continue the solar and wind incentives instead of trying to kill them while gradually reducing the incentives we provide for their use as prices fall.
There are so many ways for people to make money other than more oil. In all of my 72 years I have never seen such a total lack of American leadership. American businesses seem unable to come up with creative ideas to make money on things besides tanks, M16's and airplanes. Many of our industries that form the backbone of our nation sit idle while some people try to kill the production tax credit for renewable energy systems. All while millions of our people stand in unemployment lines. What a horrible and shameful way to act.
Your post is excellent and I agree with your concluding statement. Fear, greed, ignorance and corruption. I am beginning to think this is what America now stands for?