The Other Oil Man in the White House
White House energy webpage
[Update: Five days after I wrote this post – which basically suggested that Obama was worse than oil man Bush – the Associated released this analysis which shows that EPA enforcement under Obama is WEAKER than under Bush: Oil stats belie tough enforcement talk –
WASHINGTON (AP) — In the three years since President Barack Obama took office, Republicans have made the Environmental Protection Agency a lightning rod for complaints that his administration has been too tough on oil and gas producers.
But an Associated Press analysis of enforcement data over the past decade finds that’s not the case. In fact, the EPA went after producers more often in the years of Republican President George W. Bush, a former Texas oilman, than under Obama.
Also, the agency’s enforcement actions have declined overall since 2002 and reached their lowest point last year, the review found.
just sayin’. ~~~ end update]
I guess the White House’s own imagery says all that needs to be said. A picture really is worth a thousand words. So I grabbed a screen shot, because for sure they will realize how damning it is and take it down.
But then again, maybe they won’t.
As I wrote, Obama is proud of his record oil and gas production:
4. National Story: Obama Collapse
My goodness, forget about Bill McKibben’s misguided praise of Obama’s Keystone XL.
The man has totally collapsed on energy and global warming policy – far worse than Texas oil man Bush (as we’ve written here for some time).
Obama State of the Union address BRAGGED about expanding oil and gas production and yesterday Obama announced 21 million acres of Gulf of Mexico oil and gas leases. From the Obama SOTU:
“Nowhere is the promise of innovation greater than in American-made energy. Over the last three years, we’ve opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration, and tonight, I’m directing my Administration to open more than 75 percent of our potential offshore oil and gas resources. Right now, American oil production is the highest that its been in eight years. That’s right, eight years. Not only that, last year, we relied less on foreign oil than in any of the past sixteen years.”
Where is the ENGO outrage over that?
[Note: and I wrote that on Jan. 27, 2012, almost 2 months BEFORE Obama did THIS: Keystone XL pipeline: Obama to fast-track southern portion of project – As criticism from Republicans mounts, Obama announces expedition of 485-mile pipeline from Oklahoma to Gulf Coast – end Note].
The New York Times story explains the latest:
(source: NY Times)
New and Frozen Frontier Awaits Offshore Oil Drilling
“We never would have expected a Democratic president — let alone one seeking to be ‘transformative’ — to open up the Arctic Ocean for drilling,” said Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club. ….
Environmental groups, though opposed, recognized the president’s commitment to Shell’s plan, and never formed a broad alliance with North Slope residents, many of whom resented intervention by organizations based mostly outside of Alaska.
National environmental groups focused instead on more promising targets, like defeating the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada and retiring coal-fired power plants.
(And so, Bill McKibben: if the Keystone XL Pipeline is “game over for the planet”, what is Artic oil? “Game, set, and match”? Or The Fat Lady singing?
Take that to the streets!