Tag Archives: BP

An Oil Spill’s Legacy / Local Business is Key in Africa / International Artists in Iowa

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The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has prompted regulatory changes in the United States. You can take part in an international conference on women entrepreneurship. An expert believes local business will lead economic growth in Africa. And, finally, meet a Pakistani novelist and an Iranian filmmaker who are taking part in an International Writing Program at the University of Iowa.

New Offshore Drilling Rules
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The worst oil spill in U.S. history has triggered a shake-up of the U.S. Department of the Interior and prompted new rules that officials hope will keep oceans safe from future accidents. The department is creating two new independent agencies, one to approve oil and gas leases and the other to enforce worker safety and environmental regulations. Right, the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig burns after an April 2010 explosion.


Investing in Women
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From January 24 to 26, the U.S. Department of State and the Women Entrepreneurs Association of Turkey will bring together 125 women entrepreneurs from across Europe and Eurasia to discuss innovative ways to expand female-led businesses. Get the details on how you can participate in the inaugural “Invest for the Future” conference.

In Africa, Local Business is Key
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William Duggan, the co-author of The Aid Trap, believes an initiative like the Marshall Plan could work to stimulate economies in Africa. Duggan says local business is the key to meaningful, long-term economic growth and development.

Home Boy Author Studies in Iowa
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H.M. Naqvi is a Pakistani writer born in London who has lived in Europe, the Middle East and the United States, and who has worked variously as an international banker, performance-poetry promoter, creative writing instructor and literary editor. Naqvi is the author of a first novel, Home Boy, and is one of the 38 writers who attended the three-month International Writing Program at the University of Iowa in the fall of 2010.

An Iranian Writer and Filmmaker in Iowa
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Iranian filmmaker and writer Farangis Siahpour says “finding the place and time for a writer is half the battle of writing.” She found both in Iowa. Siahpour, left, is one of several artists from the Middle East who attended the 2010 International Writing Program at the University of Iowa.

Obama Meets with New Orleans Saints

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On Monday, the New Orleans Saints football team paid a visit to the White House, where President Obama commemorated their 2009-2010 Super Bowl win. The President noted the morale boost the team gave the city of New Orleans, which is still recovering from the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster and is now dealing with the effects of the Gulf Oil Spill.

“[P]lenty of cities carry their sports teams through a tough season,” the President remarked. “It’s a rare thing when a sports team carries a city through tough times.”

During the ceremony, the guests enjoyed traditional Louisiana cooking, including a 30 foot “po’ boy” sandwich. The meal was a reminder of the Gulf Oil Spill that has left the region’s fisheries struggling. Fishermen are just starting to open up their businesses again. Obama has pledged to help the region in its recovery.

“I made a commitment to the people of the Gulf Coast that I would stand by them not just until the well was closed but until they recovered from the damage that’s been done,” he said. “And that’s a commitment my administration is going to keep. So with the ongoing reopening of Gulf fisheries, we’re excited that fishermen can go back to work and Americans can confidently and safely enjoy Gulf seafood once again.”

After his speech, the team’s quarterback Drew Brees presented President Obama with a personalized team Jersey with his name on the back. A video of the event is available here.

Even though I’m not a Saints fan myself, I still think it’s great for the city of New Orleans that they had such a great season, don’t you think?

Obama establishes national ocean policy

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As the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico leaks a constant reminder of the vulnerability and importance of our marine environments, President Obama is taking action to protect the ocean, America’s coasts and the Great Lakes.

In an executive order issued Monday, Obama established a national ocean policy to protect, maintain and restore the health of ocean, coastal and Great Lakes ecosystems and enhance the sustainability of ocean and coastal economies. The executive order, which is issued by the president but does not carry the full force of law, also develops regional plans to provide a more comprehensive approach to marine conservation.

Preserving a healthy ocean ecosystem has far-reaching effects, Obama said.

“America’s stewardship of the ocean, our coasts and the Great Lakes is intrinsically linked to environmental sustainability, human health and well-being, national prosperity, adaptation to climate and other environmental changes, social justice, international diplomacy, and national and homeland security.”

Obama administration bans deepwater drilling

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The Obama administration issued its second moratorium on deepwater oil drilling Monday after a federal judge rejected the first ban last month.

The new ban, issued by the Department of the Interior, aims to protect communities, coasts and wildlife by stopping deepwater drilling while oil and gas companies implement safety measures to prevent risks of another spill and officials determine what caused the BP explosion on April 20.

U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman rejected the administration’s first moratorium after oil services and shipbuilding companies sued on grounds that it there was not adequate reasoning and it would have a permanent effect on the economy of the Gulf region. An appeals court refused to reinstate the ban last week.

The revised moratorium would allow some drilling rigs to resume operating if they have adequate plans and resources to prevent and recover from a spill. But the ban, which will be in effect until Nov. 30, will likely still face opposition from commercial interests in the area.

“We know that that is not without some economic consequences to the region,” Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in a press release Monday. “But it’s imperative that we have a sense of what happened before we continue to do this again.”

Meanwhile, recovery efforts continue. BP installed a new sealing cap Monday, and as of Monday, more than 31.41 million gallons of oily water had been recovered and more than 46,000 personnel were involved in the clean-up effort.

Obama addresses Americans about oil spill

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Among some of the most famous presidential speeches are those in which the president addresses Americans from the Oval Office. Typically, these speeches happen during times of war or national tragedy.

Tuesday’s address, the first Oval Office speech for President Obama, featured words similarly used in discussions of war, speaking of “the battle we’re waging against an oil spill that is assaulting our shores and our citizens.” The response to the spill, which he called a “battle plan,” includes efforts to clean up the oil, help those affected in the Gulf, and take steps to ensure this never happens again.

In his speech, the President said BP will be held responsible for cleanup costs, part of what the administration has described as the largest response to an environmental disaster in U.S. history. The president also called on Congress to pass legislation to spur development of alternative energies. “The tragedy unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean energy future is now,” he said.

A transcript of the president’s remarks is available on America.gov.

Got questions about the oil spill?

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From the media and citizens alike, the Obama administration has been flooded with questions about its handling of the Gulf oil crisis. “The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster – and its economic and ecological implications could be devastating,” according to Carol Browner, assistant to the president for energy and climate change.

“President Obama has asked me to spend some time answering your questions directly,” Browner wrote on the White House blog today. She will be answering questions June 11 at 12:30 PM EDT. More information on how to join the discussion is available on the White House Web site.

Difficult time for the country

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More than 50 days into the Gulf oil spill, President Obama said in a June 7 Today Show interview that this is a difficult time for the United States. But “we’ve just got to keep on moving,” the president said.

“From day one, we understood that this was going to be a major disaster,” Obama said of the spill, which he called America’s largest response to an environmental disaster in history. “We have put unprecedented resources to deal with it.”

The Obama administration has faced criticism from those saying that the president has not expressed enough anger with BP’s handling of the situation. “Look, I would love to vent,” Obama said. “I would love to just shout and holler, because I’m thinking about this day in and day out. But my main job is to solve the problem.”

A transcript is available on the Today Show Web site. What do you think of the president’s comments?

Obama Visits Louisiana Oil Spill

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President Obama visited the shores of Fourchon Beach, Louisiana, where the 39-day long BP oil spill is having a profound impact.

“I take responsibility,” Obama said. “It is my job to make sure that everything is done to shut this down.”

The president met with U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen and Louisiana’s Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph, who are facing the spill’s effects locally.

Allen said local responders from the state, parish and federal governments are using modern technology to track the oil containment booms daily.

“If oil were to get into the bay over here,” Allen said, “which is very, very sensitive, they’d have to have local shrimp boats that are standing by to deploy the boom.”

Booms are buoyant tubing used throughout the Gulf region to absorb the oil and contain the spill from reaching areas, acting as a fence around fragile ecosystems. Obama said he saw several “tar balls” washing up on shore where they can be picked up and disposed of.

“More than anything else, this economic and environmental tragedy – and it’s a tragedy – underscores the urgent need for this nation to develop clean, renewable sources of energy,” Obama said Thursday. “Doing so will not only reduce threats to our environment, it will create a new, homegrown, American industry that can lead to countless new businesses and new jobs.”