ENVIROMENT - The Expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument

Need I say, Republicans and their Big-Money owners will not like this.  They want to be able to rape our environment for profit.

"Can Obama’s Pacific Ocean sanctuary plan balance environmental and economic interests?" PBS NewsHour 6/17/2014

Excerpt

GWEN IFILL (NewsHour):  The President used the power of executive authority again today, this time to protect a wider expanse of the central Pacific Ocean.

Jeffrey Brown has the story and why scientists believe the area needs special safeguards.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:  If we drain our oceans of their resources, we won’t just be squandering one of humanity’s greatest treasures.  We will be cutting off one of the world’s major sources of food and economic growth.

JEFFREY BROWN (NewsHour):  President Obama announced his plan to create the world’s largest marine preserve in a video message delivered today at a State Department conference on oceans conservation.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:  And like Presidents Clinton and Bush before me, I’m going to use my authority as president to protect some of our most precious marine landscapes, just like we do for mountains and rivers and forests.

JEFFREY BROWN:  Today’s directive would add to U.S. marine monuments in the Central Pacific designated by President George W. Bush during his administration.  President Obama’s proposal could expand protection areas around seven islands and atolls in the U.S. territorial waters from 50 miles to 200.

And while final boundaries have not yet been determined, the executive step would expand the sparsely inhabited Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument from almost 87,000 square miles to more than 780,000.  That would put drilling, fishing and other activities in the new preserves off-limits.