Oil drilling could hurt East Coast tourism

The Associated Press reports on the mostly negative reaction from residents, environmentalists, and tourism industry to President Obama's decision to drill for oil along the East Coast.

From the Delaware shore to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Atlantic coast beaches are a destination for many Northeast visitors. The vision of oil platforms, even beyond the horizon, did not sit well with tourism officials.

In South Carolina, tourism is an $18.4 billion business, with Myrtle Beach a big part of it.

"We don't believe placing oil rigs off the coast of South Carolina would be beneficial to the state and the best case scenario for oil royalties would not be close to the tax stream generated by coastal tourism," said Brad Dean, president of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.

Read the full story: Reaction mixed to idea of East Coast drilling

Photo from AP

Eco-friendly White House Easter Egg Roll

Mother Nature Network reports on the eco-friendly nature of this year's White House Easter Egg Roll.

The eggs (pictured right) are made from Forest Stewardship Council certified wood and painted with vegetable-oil and water based inks and coatings.

The Roll's activities will focus on getting kids to be active and healthy. First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign called Let's Move! brings awareness and solutions to childhood obesity.

Read the full story: White House to host eco-friendly Easter Egg Roll

Photo from Whitehouse.gov

This week's most un-eco trip goes to Barack Obama

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama went on a trip to the Middle East and Europe this past week.

He traveled thousands of miles on his plane and used up many road miles in private vehicles with security and local police escorts. The amount of carbon emissions spewed out are too many to count.

Senator Obama claims he is for the environment and even has a section on his own website touting all the energy and environmental things he wants to achieve including: reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Mr. Obama needs to take some of his own advice because as we all know airplane travel releases large amounts of greenhouse gases.

The trip was for the purpose of media coverage to show voters that he could be adept at international affairs, an area that he is admittedly lacking in. But the trip was so whirlwind, Obama also admitted that it could be of little political benefit since most Americans are focused more on domestic issues than international ones.

So if the trip was for nothing, then at least Mr. Obama can know that he helped add to the demise of the environment for no good reason except for his own vanity.

At least The New York Times today criticized the trip and questioned if the Senator's motivations of looking presidential were presumptuous and arrogant. We at Ecotravel News answer that with a strong "Yes."

For more on Obama's eco-hypocriticism check out this archived post where he's accepting non-biodegradable plastic bags.

How unenvironmental of you Sen. Obama!

In this week's US Magazine, Senator/Presidential hopeful/supposed environmental advocate Barack Obama gleefully accepts non-biodegradable plastic grocery bags from an Iowa grocery. The League of Conservation Voters claim he has a 90+ lifetime environmental record based on his time as an elected leader... if only his personal habits on the campaign trail were as good. You would think that such an environmental guy who even has campaign advisors would at least be able to find a reusable canvas bag somewhere. And if you look closely - these bags are barely full - he could have at least only used one... Here's a bag you could have used Senator Obama:

As for Senator Hillary Clinton's campaign's environmentalness, hers is carbon-neutral.

Look at the full slideshow: Barack Obama: he's just like US!