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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate NEWS NOW Herb Rothschild Jr.: Reason to believe ... Family Fest offers back-to-school giveaway ... Ticket Availabity ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Reason to believe ... Family Fest offers back-to-school giveaway ... Ticket Availabity ... COMMENTARY Jeffrey Gillespie: An annihilation in the Arctic Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Aug. 21, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Aug. 21, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Next week, President Obama heads south to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Speeches about the tenacity and fierceness of the people of Louisiana will surely follow. The results of the brutal hurricane, which were felt as a result of global climate change as well as from a lack of foresight on the part of the U.S. government (when it came to financing stronger levees in and around the most vulnerable neighborhoods in the Big Easy) led to 1,833 confirmed fatalities and $108 billion in damages by the time it was all over. Katrina plunged the residents of New Orleans into desperate and unthinkable circumstances from which it has taken the city many years to recover. And yet, while Obama will undoubtedly pledge ongoing support and vow never to let such a tragedy occur again, there is a new one to consider, this time to the north. On Monday, the administration quietly signed off on allowing Royal Dutch Shell to resume offshore oil drilling in northern Alaska for the first time since 2012. Despite protests by environmentalists — in Portland, protesters hung from a major bridge along the Willamette River, temporarily preventing the Shell-owned MSV Fennica from leaving the Port of Portland and heading out to the drilling sites in the Arctic — President Obama has elected to continue to allow for the exploitation of the Arctic oil reserves. His lack of commitment to environmental protections was met with condemnation from many quarters, including those of Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, who said in a statement that "the Arctic is a unique treasure. Given what we know, it's not worth the risk of drilling." Risk aside, it's a huge win for Big Oil. Despite the heinous results of the BP Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico a short five years ago, Obama has shown he is willing to roll over on environmental protections when it comes to resource exploitation. With an estimated 34 billion barrels of crude in U.S. Arctic waters, the administration has capitulated to corporate and national security interests. But according to David Fessler, an energy strategist for the Oxford Club, a drilling catastrophe in the Arctic Circle could dwarf the BP spill in the Gulf. With no U.S. Coast Guard on hand (the nearest one is over 1,000 miles from where Shell is exploring) and nowhere for the oil to go (since it would be trapped beneath the Arctic ice in the event of a major spill), there is every likelihood that the crude could spread for long distances before it ever began to surface and be dealt with. There are no roads, and cleaning up oil through up to 30 feet of ice is prohibitive, to say the least. In summer, the chances of containing such a spill would be slim — in winter, it would be near impossible. A spill would be a catastrophe for a marine ecosystem already suffering from climate change. The Wrangel Island Reserve, which is both a UNESCO World Heritage site and a protectorate of the Russian Federation, lies within 350 kilometers of the Shell-leased blocks. If there were a spill, the United States would have the dubious distinction of fielding both a major environmental meltdown and a serious geopolitical crisis at the same time. Shell itself estimates its drilling will harass a significant population of gray, beluga and bowhead whales, many of which are already listed as endangered or threatened. Yes, there's a lot of oil in the Arctic. Yes, the shareholders of Royal Dutch Shell would see their portfolios swell as a result of activity in the region. But in a time of environmental catastrophe and consensus on the dangers of climate change, could anyone really see that as more important than protecting the planet? The continuing decimation of the globe to the benefit of the financial economy is an insane proposition. America's leaders seem incapable of taking a stand. It's our job as citizens to change their minds, by any means necessary. Jeffrey Gillespie's writing has appeared in the Santa Fean and Art Collector magazines, the Portland Mercury and Willamette Week. He lives in Ashland. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Aug. 21, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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