Tuesday October 20, 2009, 8:24 am
I hope this turns out to be a huge waste of money for Shell.

Tuesday October 20, 2009, 8:31 am
This is terrible! i hoped I was seeing things. Apparently not!
Thanks Cher

Tuesday October 20, 2009, 8:45 am
I hope their rig sinks into the ABYSS!!! Well, maybe it can sink there in the Artic. I will pray that the Ocean opens up and Swallows the sticking Oil Company! Never get any gas from Exxon or now Shell is on the list, pretty soon guess I will be back to walking.

This is just way to upsetting to think about, what is wrong with our World, leave this area alone!

Sending extremely BAD KARMA to SHELL!!!

Tuesday October 20, 2009, 10:51 am
Normally a green light becomes a red light... this should not be allowed... especially in these environmentally sensitive areas

Tuesday October 20, 2009, 11:17 am
Why on earth have they given permission to drill in dangerous ice filled waters, when they refuse to give permits for off-shore drilling in the temperate zones?

The stupidity of governments never stops

Tuesday October 20, 2009, 2:32 pm
Ditto Marilyn. We will continue to destroy until nothing is left. Very, very sad decision.

Tuesday October 20, 2009, 7:21 pm
Marilyn getcha a horse and buggy....

Big gorilly Hugs

Wednesday October 21, 2009, 12:50 am
I had this really cool pony cart when I was a kid . . . .
Anyway, I'd say it's not over yet. According to the article:

Shell must now satisfy the authorities that it has met air and water quality standards and safeguards for whale protection before it can begin drilling. The oil company's head in Alaska, Pete Slaiby, said objections had been taken into account.
"We sincerely believe this exploration plan addresses concerns we have heard in the North Slope communities which have resulted in the programmes being adjusted accordingly," he said.

Shell must now satisfy the authorities . . . . sounds like we might still turn this around. Lots of Bush's people still left in government agencies and still doing damage so maybe the publicity will cause enough people to notice and maybe shame them into behaving now that they aren't protected by Bush and his minions any more. Just saying . . .

Wednesday October 21, 2009, 3:13 am
Only thing with the "Shell my now satifsy...." is that once someone gives a Oil Company "permission" to drill anywhere, even when they have some type of stipulitations, they basically have a free range to do a ton of things. Not only Bush's people are doing this one - this was approved by the Obama administration! Allowing oil companies to explore, etc in areas that should be untouched is just obscene and...yes Gorilly Girl, we all should be riding horses and buggy's!!! This is a BLOW to Alaska and all of the animals, and beautiful area, that yet again will get hit with disaster in my mind.

In my opinion, it is just about a ton of lobby people for the oil companies that contribute to a TON OF politicans...once they have their hands out, they get filled, this is the way that they get in and get their "permission.

I don't think this sadly will be able to be stopped...way to many people out there that want this oil, need this oil and the oil companies have a "back door" access.

JennyLynn, if people think that this is only Bush's people, sadly, they need to become involved in Politics and run with that SICK pack....because one party leaving does not mean that the next party will turn the World around sadly. Been there done that, and watched how politics work, it is a dirty business, and they have just a couple of great people. Those great people who actually care about our environment, animals are few and far between.

I would love to be the "Alice in Wonderland" and think that Shell can be backed off this, it would take a ton of people, lots of outcry, don't think that will come from the New government, it will only come from people like us raising a fuss, writing to our officials.

After reading what your wrote, don't see any "Yeah" in this at all Obama's administration has given the go ahead...this is a sad, sad problem that this special area now gets yet another ATTACK against it.

Don't think Alaska can survive much more!

Wednesday October 21, 2009, 7:03 am
The only way we will ever stop this is to have wided spread ALTERNATIVES to oil - we are forced to use this stuff by the oil industry monopolies ... we must continue to build the green energy economy!

Wednesday October 21, 2009, 1:43 pm
TX, Cher, for your insightful article. A great many of us thought Obama would reject Bush/Cheney's policies of despoiling the Arctic and other environmentally sensitive regions through oil leases; but, we were apparently mistaken. By granting Shell "permission" to drill in the Arctic, Obama is only repeating Bush's policies on this very sensitive area , similar to Nixon's repeating LBJ's policies on the war in Vietnam.

As many of the posters here in their own way, they all agree that Obama has made a terrible mistake in opening the Arctic to oil/gas drilling by Shell.

Wednesday October 21, 2009, 7:46 pm
Hello? I voted for this man. What is he doing??? I thought all was well when he got the vote and took office. Does this mean he is folding to the mone-mongers like the others??? Dear God!!!

Wednesday October 21, 2009, 8:04 pm
I am truly shocked and sickened by this news. What is the point of going to Copenhagen and the Climate Change Bill if an oil company is allowed to competely degrade a beautiful and prisitne area for an energy source that we are trying to divorce ourselves from? There is just NO logic in this decision. So, we all thought Obama would be different. However, the bottom line is a politician is a politician is a politician.

Wednesday October 21, 2009, 8:05 pm
Sorry, the logic is the only word some people understand: MONEY.

Monday October 26, 2009, 2:59 am
What?! What got into the Obama administration? They all got hypnotised by Shell? Seriously, sometimes I think that the oil lobbysts deserve death penalty because they are the murderers of the ecosystem and the killers of our future!