Salazar Says No New Arctic Oil Drilling

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has now stated that there will be no more oil drilling in the Arctic until much more is know about the many potential environmental problems that petroleum exploration may cause. Salazar has just completed a two day tour of Alaska, visited petroleum reserves sites and small towns. He discussed how much more complicated a massive oil spill response would be in the remote Arctic regions, as compared to the present clean up efforts for the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Secretary Salazar told reporters in Anchorage at the conclusion of his trip:

“We know that it would be very difficult to mount the kind of oil spill response that has been mounted in the Gulf of Mexico. And so because those questions are very much part of what we have been dealing with, it also seemed necessary for us to say, until we have answers to some of those central questions, we’re not going to allow the drilling of the exploration wells.”

A new poll by David Binder Research illustrates increasing public concerns about potential hazards from offshore oil drilling, as well as greater concern for the fragile Arctic ecosystems:

“Nearly half of voters (46%) say they are very concerned – an unusually high level of intensity on any issue – about the impact of the loss of Arctic sea ice threatening polar bears and other animals, as well as the people who live in the Arctic. Also, voters express strong concern about the possible impacts of ocean acidification. While ocean acidification is less of a concern to western state voters, for 40% of voters to say they are ‘very concerned’ demonstrates a high level of intensity.”

A total of 70% of poll respondents expressed some level of concern about offshore oil drilling risks, way up from 52% just last year. Maybe there is a small growing hope that we can change?