The left's hatred of energy on display in 9th Circuit

AP/NY Times:

A federal appeals court has ordered Shell Oil to stop its exploratory drilling program off the north coast of Alaska at least until a hearing in August.

The order, issued Thursday by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, comes after the federal Minerals Management Service in February approved Shell's offshore exploration plan for the Beaufort Sea.

''Vessels currently located in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas shall cease all operations performed in furtherance of that program, but need not depart the area,'' the order said.

Opponents contend that the Minerals Management Service approved Shell's plan without fully considering that a large spill would harm marine mammals, including bowhead and beluga whales. They say polar bears could also be harmed, and they question whether cleaning up a sizable spill would even be possible in the icy waters.

Company officials are obviously disappointed, said Shell spokesman Curtis Smith.

''But the court has asked for more information, and we will provide it. We will comply with the court order and continue to welcome discussions with the North Slope communities,'' he said. ''Alaska is a long-term investment for Shell.''

Shell was the high bidder in two recent lease sales for offshore tracts in the Arctic. In 2005, Shell Exploration & Production Co., part of Royal Dutch Shell PLC, spent more than $44 million for offshore leases in the Beaufort Sea.

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This is just a bad faith attempt by environmental wackos to stop energy production and starve this country of its energy resources on the phony premise that some critters and fish or at risk. It si a totally bogus concern based on infinitesimal possibilities of a mistake. It is not surprising that the libs on the 9th Circus would go along with this travesty of an injunctive action. It is all part of a scheme to drive up the cost of energy production. It also makes us more reliant on foreign sources of energy which undermines national security in a time of war. I think it is unpatriotic.

BTW, withing a 20 mile radius of my house there are dozens of oil and natural gas wells and pumping stations and it has had minimal effect on wild life or nature. The deer still come up and eat my wife's garden and the armadillos dig the yard and the possums steal my dogs food. The vegetation would overgrow the house if I did not keep it cut back and the youpon holly is constantly trying to take over under the live oak trees.