Green rules seen on "chopping block" post-Rita

[Roland99]

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyid=2005-09-27T225044Z_01_DIT782205_RTRUKOC_0_US-HURRICANES-ENERGY-ENVIRONMENT.xml

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House Republicans on Wednesday will launch a rapid-fire assault against environmental protections on the pretext of helping the U.S. oil and gas industry recover from hurricane damage, environmental groups charge.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Resources Committee are holding separate meetings to finalize legislation on Wednesday, with the aim of combining them into a single energy bill for the full House to debate next week.

The resources panel, led by Richard Pombo of California, wants to lift a ban on Florida offshore drilling, promote oil shale and sell a dozen national parks for energy development.

"This really has very little to do with the hurricanes or relief efforts or even refiners. This is deregulation pure and simple," said John Walke of Natural Resources Defense Council.

This administration has already used Katrina to move toward eliminating Davis-Bacon. Now they're going to use Katrina and Rita to remove even more environmental protections that don't need to be removed.

I mean, didn't he just say we all need to conserve? Hasn't he been trying to tout some energy bill encouraging alternative fuel research? Then why the need to drill in the Gulf (which is already prone to more and more dangerous hurricanes) and SELLING A DOZEN NATIONAL PARKS?! WTF? Teddy Roosevelt is spinning in his grave!

[mike_c]

1. I have always maintained that people will sell their grandmothers...

...into slavery if that's what it takes to maintain their cushy western entitlement lifestyles. When the furnace grows cold, they'll willingly drill anywhere, and the environment be damned. When protecting the environment becomes politically inconvenient, fuck mother nature thrice on the way to putting things back in order. The nice thing about being a cynic is that people never disappoint you.

[Frustratedlady]

2. They have been grabbing

every opportunity they can to eliminate the regulations they don't like. Instead of concentrating on helping the victims of the hurricanes and the cleanup process, they are spending their time looking for ways to get more land, paring down laws to expedite their money grubbing activities and funneling funds into their "friends'" bank accounts. Talk about looting.

You know that some of these "short-term" changes or easing of the restrictions won't be short term. They are hoping we will forget that the changes were temporary and let them ride.

[Roland99]

3. And now NASA satellite photos show North Pole icecap reduced by 30%...

since the 1970s. Saw that on ABC's Good Morning America today.