GULF OIL DISASTER
E-mails show struggle to guess size of Gulf spill
Professor believes most spilled oil settled on ocean floor
"The oil is still there, sitting at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico and causing damage to the environment, a Florida State University professor who studies greenhouse gases, oceans and energy said Tuesday."
Scientists, drilling experts say BP valued speed over safety in oil rig disaster
Gulf-spill lessons
"One of the reports notes that oil companies spend almost no money on researching and developing new ways to scour the ocean after a spill, despite earning billions in profits each year."
Burning oil and breaking wind
"Conventional wisdom here in oil country would have us believe that the Obama administration's six-month deepwater-drilling ban was enough to topple the local economy. Since the ban was lifted last month, oil-industry officials have complained that slowness in issuing new federal drilling permits amounts to "de facto" moratorium. [...]
But the gloom-and-doom stories many have recited for months are starting to ring hollow, especially since the employment numbers fail to bear them out."
NOAA Closes 4,200 Square Miles of Gulf Waters to Royal Red Shrimping
"The precautionary measure was taken after a commercial shrimper, having hauled in his catch of the deep water shrimp, discovered tar balls in his net."
THE ARCTIC
Polar bears get 'critical habitat' off Alaska
"The Obama administration is setting aside 187,000 square miles off Alaska as a "critical habitat" for polar bears, which could add restrictions to future offshore drilling for oil and gas.
The total, which includes areas of sea ice off the Alaska coast, is about 13,000 square miles less than was included in a preliminary plan released last year."
Obama asked to make ANWR a national monument
"ANWR's coastal plain also is where a substantial amount of oil and gas is waiting to be produced. If Obama chose to exercise his authority and designate ANWR a national monument, the action effectively would put those resources off-limits."
Reforms needed before we drill in the Arctic
"For the safety of rig workers who will be working out near the frigid waters, the culture of Alaska natives in the area and the near-pristine environment, the Obama administration and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) should not allow Arctic Ocean drilling without much more review."
ALTERNATIVES TO OIL
Salazar vows to speed offshore wind energy
Think Begins Electric Car Production in North America
Japanese Scientists to Solve World's Energy Crisis, With Sand
