Tories say drill, baby, drill

“Drill, baby, drill“ was the rallying cry of Sarah Palin and the American hard right, but even as oil seeps from the Deepwater disaster towards the Louisiana coastline, it is David Cameron’s Conservative Party here in Britain who seemed to have joined the chorus.

Nobel economics laureate Paul Krugman wrote today:

“President Obama needs to seize the moment; he needs to take on the ‘Drill, baby, drill‘ crowd, telling America that courting irreversible environmental disaster for the sake of a few barrels of oil, an amount that will hardly affect our dependence on imports, is a terrible bargain.”

In a new energy policy paper, the Conservatives offer proposals that would give tax breaks to multinational oil companies, and ‘streamlining’ of licensing arrangements, to encourage more offshore oil drilling – and they want to do it in some of Britain’s most sensitive seas.

The new Conservative policy seems to be a reaction to the recommendations of former Tory energy Minister, Tim Eggar. Despite sitting on the board of a number of oil companies, Eggar was hired by George Osborne, just a couple of months ago, to lead a review of the tax arrangements for offshore oil drilling in UK waters. He is understood to have canvassed the big oil companies asking what they would need to make new oil drilling economic.

In the energy policy paper, the Conservatives say they’d like to open up an area of Ocean off the Shetland Islands that is important for its whale and dolphin populations. The area off the coast of Shetland also contains a couple of ‘special areas of conservation’ such as Darwin Mounds, designated for its cold water corals, and Wyville Thompson Ridge, proposed for its stony reef species and bottle nose dolphins. It’s not clear if these special sites would be under threat from the plan.

The Conservative policy says “We need policies designed for hunting [oil]” and goes on to outline:

“We need polices that offer the right incentives to explore for and extract the remaining reserves of oil and gas, and to keep existing fields open as long as possible.”

The paper continues:

“We will streamline government… We will offer exploration companies a simpler, clearer and more transparent licensing process.”

It is hard to see how they could ‘streamline and simplify’ licensing arrangements in such an area, without weakening environmental protection yet further. As the former head of Obama’s transition team, John Podesta of the Centre for American Progress has written in response to BP’s mess:

“The only effective strategy is strong regulatory oversight to prevent disasters in the near term. And getting off oil in the longer term.”

The Wall Street Journal today highlights how ‘acoustic triggers’ (remote controlled shut off mechanisms that can cut off oil wells in an emergency) were rejected by US regulators following lobbying by BP and other oil companies – and how already UK rules for drilling are so weak that these safeguard devices are not required. Yet the indications are that the Conservatives want to weaken the regulations even further.

In response to the Conservatives’ plans, Ruth Davis of Greenpeace told The Guardian:

“Whilst all the parties might have been sniffing around the issue, only the Tories have made a pledge to provide tax breaks and simplify licenses.”

Labour and the Liberal Democrats, while both also enthusiastic for drilling, have just said they will keep offshore drilling arrangements under review.

http://twitter.com/calalal/status/13380125712 Cal Russell-Thompson

RT @leftfootfwd: Tories say drill, baby, drill http://bit.ly/aWCZ48
http://twitter.com/joshydo/status/13380550792 Josh Dorner

RT @leftfootfwd: Tories say drill, baby, drill http://bit.ly/aWCZ48
http://twitter.com/fshakir/status/13381168223 Faiz

RT @leftfootfwd: Tories say drill, baby, drill http://bit.ly/aWCZ48
http://twitter.com/torrmoz/status/13381390215 Torr Leonard

@ewanjanderson btw, this site is like Think Progress for the UK: Tories say drill, baby, drill http://bit.ly/aWCZ48
http://twitter.com/jenni_jackson/status/13382460407 Jenni Jackson

RT @leftfootfwd: Tories say drill, baby, drill http://bit.ly/aWCZ48
http://twitter.com/joshgbhardy/status/13380108013 Joshua G B Hardy

RT @leftfootfwd: Tories say drill, baby, drill http://bit.ly/aWCZ48
http://twitter.com/babysadvice/status/13382698069 baby advice

Tories say drill, baby, drill | Left Foot Forward http://bit.ly/9QVEr7
http://twitter.com/RupertRead Rupert Read

Yes. Agreed. My reading of this paper is that it is dreadful in almost every way. One could write a paper on every chapter of it. On CCS, on nuclear, on planning, on its fundamental assumptions, on agrofuels – the Tories are dangerous like the Republicans here, and Cameron’s greenwash won’t wash any more.
http://twitter.com/wonkroom/status/13381227070 The Wonk Room

RT @fshakir RT @leftfootfwd: Tories say drill, baby, drill http://bit.ly/aWCZ48
http://twitter.com/unicornmajik/status/13381331326 Susan Rector

RT @wonkroom: RT @fshakir RT @leftfootfwd: Tories say drill, baby, drill http://bit.ly/aWCZ48
http://emperorbevis@somethingorother.co.uk EmperorBevis

David Cameron says, where there is money, Oil be there, lol.

Labour now run by money minded middle classes that fell out with the upper echelons of British society because they could by their Bentley’s but never join their Ranks.

Having two Jags must be a real drain on oil resources.

Who will defend the environment and source out replacements for fossil fuels instead of sources of them.

It is me, sorry it isn’t me. who is it?
http://bestblogs.labourhome.org/2010/05/04/tories-say-drill-baby-drill/ Tories say drill, baby, drill « The best Labour blogs

[...] More… [...]
http://twitter.com/energyaudittx/status/13398429152 Austin Green Life

http://bit.ly/rwecX Tories say drill, baby, drill | Left Foot Forward http://bit.ly/cTGP0f
http://how-to-get-healthy.info/healthadvisor/climate/u-k-conservatives-say-drill-baby-drill/ U.K. conservatives say drill, baby, drill | Get Healthy Advice

[...] I’ve noted many times that the British Tories, unlike their American counterparts, understand climate science and support strong action to reduce emissions (see “U.S. conservatives vs. U.K. conservatives“). But it turns out they share one thing in common with U.S. conservatives, as Joss Garman of the UK blog Left Foot Forward explains in this repost. [...]
http://twitter.com/actualal/status/13412065648 Alex Hardman

RT @leftfootfwd: Tories say drill, baby, drill http://bit.ly/aWCZ48
Anon E Mouse

Joss Garman – It won’t be long now…
http://twitter.com/sspcampsie/status/13414159289 SSP Campsie

RT @leftfootfwd As Obama considers halting offshore oil exploration, Tories say drill, baby, drill http://short.to/2e6ja
http://twitter.com/mydavidcameron/status/13414953297 MyDavidCameron

RT @leftfootfwd As Obama considers halting offshore oil exploration, Tories say drill, baby, drill http://bit.ly/aWCZ48
http://twitter.com/_jameslloyd/status/13416578788 James Lloyd

RT @leftfootfwd: Tories say drill, baby, drill http://bit.ly/aWCZ48
http://twitter.com/guynewey/status/13417205267 guynewey

RT @leftfootfwd: As Obama considers halting offshore oil exploration, Tories say drill, baby, drill http://bit.ly/aWCZ48
http://twitter.com/tanners1977/status/13418097457 Tanners1977

Gulf Coast faces disaster thanks to BP, yet Tories want oil co. tax breaks and less regulations on offshore drilling: http://bit.ly/aWCZ48
http://efficiencyfreak.com/2010/05/05/bp-oil-spill-a-chance-to-win-the-debate-on-energy/ BP oil spill — a chance to win the debate on energy? « Efficiency Freak

[...] has attacked the Tory’s policy on increasing North Sea oil drilling, in a great post at LeftFootForward. In the energy policy paper, the Conservatives say they’d like to open up an area of Ocean off [...]
http://twitter.com/_jameslloyd/status/13420288490 James Lloyd

http://tinyurl.com/2wg55h3 How do you think this will effect UK policy on drilling? @James_BG seen @jossgarman http://j.mp/b3f8R2
http://babyactivitycentre.org/?p=230 Alien baby in Mexico stumps experts is it just an elaborate hoax

[...] Tories say drill, baby, drill | Left Foot Forward [...]
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/05/vote-2010-an-election-reflection/ Vote 2010: An election reflection | Left Foot Forward

[...] the party’s climate scepticism and it is little wonder when they are planning to open up offshore drilling. There is a similar story on constitutional reform. Labour and Lib Dems are both committed to [...]
http://www.jossgarman.com/?p=626 Oil drilling – banned in US and Norway, encouraged here | Joss Garman

[...] This time Britain’s most sensitive seas near the Shetland Islands, home to whale and dolphin populations, are under threat. [...]
http://twitter.com/jossgarman/status/18105018273 Joss Garman

EU chief calls for ban on oil drilling http://bit.ly/dlGwBl UK gov't says 'drill, baby, drill' http://bit.ly/b3f8R2 @Ed_Miliband
http://jkwebco.com/jktechnologies/blog/2010/07/johann-hari-david-cameron-brings-drill-baby-drill-to-britain/ Johann Hari: David Cameron Brings ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ to Britain | JK Technologies |

[...] and the government’s subsequent energy policy paper (to read it, you can follow the link from here) says life needs to be made “simpler [and] clearer” for oil companies to drill in [...]
http://twitter.com/hallymk1/status/18694481856 Richard Hall

Cameron is promising Big Oil tax breaks to drill, baby, drill http://bit.ly/bmi8yV
http://twitter.com/jamiepotter/status/18694624806 Jamie Potter

RT @HallyMk1: Cameron is promising Big Oil tax breaks to drill, baby, drill http://bit.ly/bmi8yV
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/08/tax-breaks-for-big-oil-as-coalition-breaks-with-us-eu-to-back-deep-sea-drilling/ Tax breaks for Big Oil as coalition breaks with US & EU to back deep sea drilling | Left Foot Forward

[...] known to have been the basis of Conservative policy announced in their pre-election policy paper, Rebuilding Security, which – as Left Foot Forward reported at the time – proposed new policies for “hunting” [...]
http://www.jossgarman.com/?p=659 Tax breaks for Big Oil as coalition breaks with US & EU to back deep sea drilling | Joss Garman

[...] known to have been the basis of Conservative policy announced in their pre-election policy paper, Rebuilding Security, which – as Left Foot Forward reported at the time – proposed new policies for “hunting” [...]
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/02/high-court-legal-challenge-deep-sea-oil-drilling/ High Court green-lights legal challenge to coalition oil drilling plan | Left Foot Forward

[...] yesterday green-lighted a far-reaching legal challenge that will have significant implications for ministers’ plans for new deep sea oil drilling off Scotland’s [...]