Whether we oppose Shell Oil Arctic drilling or laud it, we have something significant in common: Most of us are parents.

Well-designed research studies on man’s contribution to deleterious climate change and environmental degradation are very compelling, yet their findings are rejected by many who put greed, politics, power and expediency above knowledge, common sense and, ultimately, the well-being of their own children.

Yes, we must live in the present, but always with an eye on how our behaviors and choices will affect the future in which our children, grandchildren and beyond will live.

The development of clean-energy alternatives and a significant decrease in dependence on fossil fuels is critical for the health and viability of both the Earth and its inhabitants, from plankton to polar bears to people.

The Interior Department has estimated that Arctic drilling in the Chukchi Sea will result in a 75 percent chance of a major spill. The U.S. Coast Guard cautions that response to such a spill would be ineffective.

Given the research, the likelihood of a significant spill and our inability to effectively clean up the resulting mess, I appeal to President Obama to reverse the permitting process. Let’s all think and respond more like loving parents.

Sally Loughridge Busch

South Bristol


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