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BLM oil and gas lease sale 'criminal,' Redford says
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This isn't a Bush-Cheney issue, it's about developing America's natural resources. The impact on the land will be minimal as it is in thousands of other places.
Ironically, Redford and others like him would rather ruin scenery with 300-foot tall windmills. What a double standard!
My understanding from the first part of the article is that these leases are for oil and gas drilling in red rock country near national parks and monuments. Are these leases for oil shale and tar sands development or for drilling?
The public wants to get a chance to put these energy resources to work for ALL of us not just have a select few benefit from their developments.
Drill here, drill now, we know how to do it with very little impact on the environment.
AIMHO,
A 'Clueless' individual, (As told to us by the all-knowing 'Save it.' commentor)
I think we need to develop our natural resources. Otherwise we are hostage to those producing oil outside of the US. Let's explore and utilize ALL of our options.
Drill Baby Drill is a temporary fix. We've known for 30 years that we needed to do something else, why haven't we?
We had better start working on something else, because we cannot support our country entirely on our own oil - so it becomes an issue of National Security.
And, that valley at the base of Mt. Timpanogos was a beautiful place of solitude and tranquility until Mr. Redford spoiled it with a ski resort. Give me a break!
Nobody is stopping you from developing alternative fuel sources. Be the next Rockefellers of wind, solar, hydrogen, garbage, etc. Until you are, butt out! We do not want to be at the mercy of terrorist cartels any longer!!!
Clinton established the Escalante Staircase National Monument when he left office that effectively locked up millions of acres of multiple use land from being used for anything but sight-seeing.
Now Bush goes to the other extreme and places millions of acres of multiple use land from being used for anything but road scarring oil/gas use.
Fact is, these actions are just different faces of the same exact coin... and neither really serves the greater interests of the public either in the short term (as Clinton's actions did) or the long term (as Bush's actions are sure to do).
It's a proverbial "Damned if we do, Damned if we don't."
Again, they need to fix their own lifestyle before they get involved with anything else.
I suggest that all parties get together and decide which plots of land should be made available and which ones shouldn't. The National Park Service was able to do that why not other organizations? Oh wait, for the other organizations it is either all parcels off the auction block or a law suit. These other organizations like the Sierra Club would rather sit down with the BLM in court instead of another venue. Do the tax payers get reimbursed by the Sierra Club and other plaintiffs for court costs?
Ok, Sundance Kid. Bush and Cheney aren't taking lands away from the American people. What is more funny is you think they are "yours" because you think you are wiser than anyone else that has an interest in their use other than what you and your environmental buddies see fit how to use them.
Sundance wouldn't be around if today�s environmental rules of operation were around when you plunked down your money for it all those years ago. They wackos would have worn you down and discouraged you from buying the land it is on.
HE OWNS A SENIC PART OF THE CANYON
BUILDS ON IT , WANT'S NOTHING BUT RGH HEWN LUMBER
FROM THE AREA
IS ONE OF THE 1ST PEOPLE TO GET TICKETED FOR POLUTING A STREAM BY HIS RESORT
HE SHOULD TALK
So what if he spends time elsewhere? Since when do our public lands NOT belong to everyone?
Why do you want to take away Redford's right to speak? He likely brings more money IN to Utah, than any other single citizen ($30-$40 million a year for Sundance Film Fest!)
Quit being bigots. ALL of us deserve a voice in what happens.
Sell your SUVs (are you listening, little Congressman) and leave something for future generations. Unless you're part of some wacko "the world is going to end in 20 minutes" group, you're going to have to live on this earth, and pass it along.
We KNOW what oil has done to our land. Let's put a drill in front of your home, and let you see the total impact.
These people against this use sensationalism to scare the public. They use iconic Utah words like "arches", "dinasaur", "canyonlands", and "red rock". One parcel can be 25 miles from canyonlands or arches national park and they all become "near" these parks. It is so rediculous. Responsible development of our natural resources would be a lot easier if the people trying to protect the environment weren't so irrational and sue happy.
You also have to realize that the State receives millions of dollars from oil and gas production in the State. How do you expect to have better education systems, better highways, less State tax, if you purposfully shut off revenue and protect millions of acres for the 100 or so people who actually go out there?
And because we are so like sheep, it takes a hollywood movie star to stand up for us and our clean environment. Man, that is embarassing, isn't it.
Right on, Robert. Right on.
As I've lived in an oil town in another state where the brochure reads, 'we're not just desert' and prominently displayed is the oil refinery I can say drilling does have an impact on the land and the scenery.
I think the big issue is that the President can just step in and change what the land is used for without any notification or state input. Everyone's not going to agree but I think these 'sales' should be more openly discussed before they're put on the table.
I think that while Vernal and Price might have another 'boom' cycle if these lands are approved for drilling that it also does affect the beauty of the area and that should be taken into consideration.
So the question is, do we take the big cash now that will run out and or do we take the smaller cash that will come in for a longer period of time?
Drilling UT for our 'vast' reserves is a short term solution for a long term problem. Let's focus on solutions that will work and last.
JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHER FRIENDS OF THE EARTHER'S
AND SAVIORS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Enough for 644 years of America driving at 1975 rate of consumtion (World Energy Conference 1975)
There are three available states with much less valuable land available for explorations.
Why is some of most spectacular beauty in the world being damaged for Darth Cheney's benefit?
I mean any reason other than rampant greed and a hatred of Utah.
While I'm at it, How much longer are we going to believe that drilling is a temporary fix? Oil is here to stay, our economy is based on it now. Why do we fight what is needed and good. The earth isn't having all the negitive problems that we are led to believe.
Our country runs on petroleum in the form of gasoline for our cars, natural gas for our heating, plastics in construction, clothing cars, etc. and fertilizer for our crops. Anyone (especially Sundance Kid) who opposes drilling has zero credibility until they park their SUV (or even their pious Prius) and their private jet and WALK to the press conference where they spout their biased and inflammatory opinion.
Our governmental lands belong to all of us and are designated as "multiple use." Oil and gas operations can be done in a non-disruptive manner so as to not impact sensitive scenic areas. Especially when the oil and gas is depleted, restoration of the operational site can be done so completely that there is no trace of the operations.
Royalty schedules attached to all leases of governmental lands dictate that the government receive between 12.5% and 25% of every barrel produced from those leases. For that the government does nothing. The government is the real recipient of windfall profits.
Just because you and Redford didn't lose your life savings in the market recently doesn't mean the rest of didn't lose ours. Times are bad--- they are real bad.
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