In split with Obama, Clinton opposes Arctic drilling

“Given what we know, it’s not worth the risk of drilling”, Clinton said in a post on Twitter. That season was plagued with legal and logistical troubles and was capped by the grounding of a Shell drill ship, the Kulluk, which the company later deemed to be damaged too badly to be worth repairing.

Shell’s latest Arctic drilling endeavour has been given the go-ahead by the Obama administration, which now means that the Anglo-Dutch multinational can drill beneath the ocean floor off the coast of Alaska.

The choice on Monday procured broadly used chargesfees from environmentalists, though professionals said President Barack Obama had little ability to quit Shell from searching as it had procured lease terms through the administration of former Republican President George Randomurl.

Clinton has agreed with Obama on most issues so far in her 2016 race.

Cardin noted that the decision came only weeks after it was made public that Shell had not disclosed risks inherent to drilling at unprecedented depths in one of the world’s most fragile ecosystems.

“We applaud Secretary Clinton for standing up for what science, the will of the American people and common sense demand”, said Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune.

She’s exactly right: Everything we know about dangerous oil drilling in the Arctic indicates it imperils a national treasure and is guaranteed to make our climate crisis worse.

According to the US Geological Survey, the Arctic waters hold approximately 26 billion barrels of oil of which Shell wants to explore.

Later this month, Obama will visit Alaska to speak at a conference on the Arctic and tour areas threatened by climate change.

Shell’s exploration plan hit a regulatory snag last month after the Interior Department ruled that Shell can not simultaneously drill two wells in offshore Alaska as initially planned.

Taking a firm position against drilling in the Arctic – in addition to releasing a plan that outlines a nationwide shift to renewable energy sources – could strengthen Clinton’s image as a supporter of key environmental efforts while allowing her to steer clear of the Keystone XL issue. “It’s like a doctor diagnosing a patient but then refusing to write a prescription”, said Rebecca Noblin, Alaska director of the Center for Biological Diversity.