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Congresswoman Bachmann Would Support Drilling For Oil In Everglades National Park

Aug 30th - 21:39pm | justinh

ecbuck wrote, " Unfortunately - as exhibited on this board - too many fit." And since environmentalists are, as you say, "often" terrorists, I imagine we may very well have a few terrorists posting here, too.

Aug 30th - 21:28pm | Lee Dalton

EC, my definition of "environmentalist" is a synonym for "wise steward."  I am not -- and most of my acquaintances are not -- simply opposed to all drilling and mining.  We just believe it should be done wisely and with all due precaution.  It should not place profit margins first.  That should be secondary to implementing adequate safeguards to prevent water, air and other forms of pollution. 

Aug 30th - 21:22pm | R Stefancik

I wonder if she'd park a drilling rig in front of the Lincoln Memorial if there were 20 million barrels of oil beneath it?

Aug 30th - 21:13pm | Anonymous

I wish that all of you would just think about each of your children's futures.  If this country does not let companies explore for oil in areas that people deem as parks or off limit (North Slope of Alaska) then we are doomed to buying oil at OPECs price.  Wake up!  If MB wants to think about drilling in the Glades then let her...at least she is thinking about finding a way for us to get our ow

Aug 30th - 21:08pm | Kurt Repanshek

Boy, you're hanging in there, EC. If you read the entire post I linked to re the 2000 staffers, you would have seen at the bottom that politicians, like everyone else, including the media, should factcheck before they start spewing figures. At least I was on the low end.

Aug 30th - 20:22pm | ecbuck

Yes Kurt - you made a "misstatement" - like the ones you claim Michelle made.  Unfortunately in your correction you forgot to mention that the numbers she cited had been published in the media and she appropriately cited them as her source in the interview with Cooper.

Aug 30th - 20:06pm | Kurt Repanshek

EC, actually, I misspoke on the "200 staffer" mention. Here's what she really said to Anderson Cooper:

Aug 30th - 19:59pm | ecbuck

Justin - Unfortunately - as exhibited on this board - too many fit.  Of all the post so far, not one has made a legitimate argument to refute Bachman's statement or suggest why it is wrong.  No one has made an argument (other than demagoguery)  why it should be automatically ruled out.

Aug 30th - 19:38pm | justinh

Then, Anonymous D, you wouldn't fit ecbuck's defintion of an environmentalist, because you have "other considerations."  Then again, I'm not sure many people would fit it.

Aug 30th - 19:16pm | ecbuck

Kurt - I'm looking for examples of where "Michelle has gone off on something of this sort." What was wrong with her "200 staff" lament?  How does her obviously metphorical statement about the hurricane and earthquake relate to energy developement or reflect something she has "gone off on"?

Aug 30th - 18:29pm | Sierra Mark

I can see it now............the upcoming Republican National Convention with Bachman supporters holding their Drill Baby Drill signs! 

Aug 30th - 16:21pm | AnonymousD

I feel that taking a pro-environment stance is the most patriotic position possible. I am proud to call myself an environmentalist, because it means I am looking at what is best for future generations of this country.

Aug 30th - 16:13pm | Rick B.

And, for clarification, my POINT was that there are millions of people like myself who consider themselves environmentalists who do simple every day non-terrorist things to support the environment.  Your logical fallacy is that you chose to narrowly define 'environmentalist' only in your extremist terms. We don't meet that biased criteria, but then few do.

Aug 30th - 16:00pm | Kurt Repanshek

EC,

Aug 30th - 15:50pm | ecbuck

Rick,

Aug 30th - 15:22pm | Rick B.

Pretty broad strokes there, Mr. Ecbuck, and all through the prism of your personal opinions. On the MB misstatements thing, The University of Google returns 146,000 returns to the search argument "Bachmann misstatements". Also, curiously enough, it returns over 3.6 million responses to the search argument "terrorism by big oil". 

Aug 30th - 15:08pm | ecbuck

Lee - you say its not hard finding examples yet you haven't provided an example nor refuted one.  And as to what "environmentalist" means - in my mind and usage - it is one that focuses on environmental issues without any other considerations.  One doesn't need to be either an enivronmentalist or a terrorist though often the former are also the latter.  Examples - Sierra Club members putting me

Aug 30th - 14:38pm | Lee Dalton

Anon or ec, it's not at all hard to find examples of MB's misstatements. 

Aug 30th - 13:27pm | Anonymous

I love the term "environmentalist". What does it mean? Some people use it like its a dirty word. Oh, you're an environmentalist. Oh, you care about clean air and water for you and your children - Da!!! The people who do not care are the ones to worry about. Its well documented that terrorists would love to find a way to harm america by destroying their way of life.

Aug 30th - 13:15pm | dennis p lima

I'm certainly no expert at horizontal drilling, but don't we have the ability to put the oil rigs 40 - 60 miles away, and then drill horizontally under the park? Don't we already do this out west? I don't imaging she is advocating placing the actual oil rigs in the park.

Aug 30th - 12:45pm | Rick B.

Personally I can't stand her - I think she is a mouthbreathing theocratic malignancy.

Aug 30th - 12:43pm | Volpe

Many years ago there was a bumper sticker that said “lost your job, eat your foreign car”.  Now the Great Recession and high unemployment and I can’t help but remember that bumper sticker and the jobs that have left our country.

Aug 30th - 12:22pm | Dick Gutierrez

Why not try to get us off the oil fix instead of trying to wring every last drop of oil out of the ground?? If we really wanted to do it we could find an alternative to oil-- there's just not the will yet

Aug 30th - 11:05am | justinh

ecbuck wrote,   "She would consider it after looking at the facts." Given so many of her statements in the past, I'm troubled by what she undertsands to be a "fact."

Aug 30th - 10:58am | rdm24

Whether it's the Constitution or a National Park, is there no national treasure the woman won't desecrate?

Aug 30th - 10:54am | ecbuck

Ramon - I am sure that Bachman does as well.  But, she also knows they aren't mutually exclusive.

Aug 30th - 10:43am | Cliff Leverette

Makes good sense. Might cut down on war due to oil, our sons might not have to get killed and mutilated as often just so we can have the oil to get our cars, trains, planes to take us to see (but not touch) the national parks.

Aug 30th - 10:38am | Jeff

In a lenthier article, Bachmann decried the use of "scientists" or "environmentalists" to decide what would or would not be a "responsible" use of the Everglades. In other words, she'd get the expert opinions of BP et.al. Anon... there's no "open mind" when MB speaks.

Aug 30th - 10:14am | Ramon

Oil or water. Which one is more important for human survival? I know the answer. I'm not sure that Michelle Bachman does.

Aug 30th - 09:59am | Ryan

Parks are supposed to be, and should be, off limits to any resource extraction, hence the reason they are parks.  If we take away the parks protection, what's the point of having established the park in the first place? Why not open all parks to resource extraction?

Aug 30th - 09:18am | justinh

Anon,

Aug 30th - 09:13am | ecbuck (prior anon)

Justin - I don't have any problem at all drawing a conclusion from her statement.  She would consider it after looking at the facts.  Unlike those (such as you) that dismiss it outright.  If you aren't an "environmentalist" or "against oil".  Why would you outright dismiss drilling in the Everglades without knowing anything about the proposal?  Looks like clear uninformed bias to me.

Aug 30th - 08:57am | ecbuck (prior anon)

Lee - I never have worked for any coal, oil, gas or related company. But not surprised that would be your counter argument - attack the person not the points.  Perhaps you would like to identify some of the other things "of this sort" that Michelle has "gone off on".

Aug 30th - 08:47am | Lee Dalton

Anon -- This wasn't the first time Michelle has gone off on something of this sort.  It's part of a much larger pattern from her.  Which coal or oil company do you work for?

Aug 30th - 08:38am | Anonymous

You guys are a hoot.  Bachmann makes a perfectly sensibile statement and you anti-oil "environmentalist" go nuts.  Contrary to the title of the article, Bachmann didn't say she would support drilling she said she 'wouldn't automatically rule the park off-limits".  In otherwords, she wants to see all the facts and not just kneejerk reach a conclusion without consideration of all the facts as you

Aug 30th - 08:35am | Lee Dalton

Congresswoman Bachman and sanity don't mix, either.

Aug 30th - 08:28am | Kirby Adams

"Congresswoman Bachmann needs to understand that oil and drinking water do not mix.” There are a couple layers of subtle sarcasm in that comment, whether intentional or not.

Updated: Hiker In Yellowstone National Park Died From Grizzly Attack

Aug 30th - 21:26pm | dave

well said dave harmon.

Aug 30th - 14:42pm | Lee Dalton

NBC News and the Today show this morning were sounding the alarm about evil bears.  It's a shame the parks have such a difficult time getting the full story out to the public.  But they did show the clip of the griz encountering a whole road full of humans that was featured a day or so ago on Traveler.  It was a great opportunity for the news crew to do a little educating, but they let it pass.

Aug 30th - 12:31pm | Dave Harmon

Folks: Please don't assume that John Wallace made any mistakes that were responsible for his death, at least until the full investigation is complete.  I knew John: he is from our local area here, was a friendly acquaintance, and worked at our local library.  He was a very experienced outdoorsperson and hiked often.

Aug 30th - 09:09am | justinh

Well said, Kirby.

Aug 30th - 08:21am | Kirby Adams

Pointing out the poor decisions this unfortunate hiker likely made is quite productive if even one person that reads this thinks twice about making the same mistakes. It's not about blame, it's about pointing to the apparent facts. Sometimes humans do dangerous things, either with full knowledge or abject ignorance of the peril.

Bear Watching Mayhem In Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Aug 30th - 17:28pm | Anonymous

Park officials need to impose some very STIFF fines for people who exit their vehicles when wildlife(griz, black bear, elk, bison) are about. As someone said, the cameras do have a zoom option. These animals are under enough stress without some idiots adding to the problem!! Many times, when a grizzly is taken down it includes not only the sow, but her cubs. They end up in zoos.

Aug 30th - 12:37pm | Dick Gutierrez

Just returned from Yellowstone and was lucky enough to see a wolf( Soda butte) and four grizz. It's true the tourists from outside of the US are really something. Unfortunatly it seems the Asian being the worse. Very poor manners--- one actually pushed my wife almost to the ground butting in line for ice cream at the Old faithful Inn.

Aug 30th - 11:20am | Anonymous

Folks, Yellowstone is NOT A ZOO! there are no fences between you and the animals and the animals are WILD. You are intruding into their habitat and they see you as a threat to their survival. So many people deserve to become bear food these days, no wonder we hear of deaths all the time in our National Parks.

A Short History of the Flat Hat's "Lemon Squeezer" Pinch

Aug 30th - 13:51pm | Karen Guenther

Thanks for the information about the hat!  I was asked about the "Smokey the Bear" hat when I worked as a seasonal ranger, as well as about the military-style uniform worn by rangers (which was quite different from--and less comfortable than--the costumes I wore as a seasonal costumed interpreter). 

Hiker In Grand Canyon National Park Apparent Victim of Heat

Aug 30th - 12:17pm | Dick Gutierrez

Hopefully the parks won't start restricting what people can do because of these foolish people. At Grand Canyon there are signs all over the place telling about this. If people are going to do stupid things after being warned it's no ones fault other then theirs

Aug 30th - 09:22am | AnonymousD

Yosemite definitely seems to be getting more deaths than usual this year, but GC always gets a few fatalities due to people hiking in extreme heat. It's so sad and so preventable. I tend to believe in signage, but this is one of those situations where lack of caution (to put it nicely) often leads people to think that the rules don't apply to them.

Aug 30th - 08:32am | Lee Dalton

Is it just my imagination or poor memory, or are the number of fatalities in parks increasing by leaps and bounds?  There has been hardly a day without another report of a fatal incident in the Digest or on these pages.

Big Cypress National Preserve Officials Crafting Hunting Management Plan For Addition Lands

Aug 30th - 09:46am | Frank Denninger...

It is very interesting how at this point in time folks with anti-hunting agendas come out to protest hunting in the Addition. They either conveniently forgot, never knew or intentionally don't want to acknowledge that had it not been for hunters - there would never have been a Big Cypress National Preserve (582,000 acres) or the subsequent Addition (147,000 acres).

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