Obama puts Arctic Ocean off limits for drilling in last-ditch barrier to Trump
by Oliver Milman in New York from on (#224T9)
US Department of the Interior says 'fragile and unique' Arctic ecosystem at risk if drilling allowed, possibly by pro-fossil fuels Trump administration
Barack Obama's administration has ruled out drilling for oil and gas in the pristine Arctic Ocean, throwing up a last-ditch barrier to the pro-fossil fuels agenda of incoming president Donald Trump.
The US Department of the Interior said that the "fragile and unique" Arctic ecosystem would face "significant risks" if drilling were allowed in the Chukchi or Beaufort Seas, which lie off Alaska. It added that the high costs of exploration, combined with a low oil price, would probably deter fossil fuel companies anyway.
Continue reading...