The White House in the fourth week of Dec 2016 permanently banned all new oil and gas drilling in the US owned waters of the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.
The ban is the final effort to lock in environmental protections before Obama hands over office to president-elect Donald Trump.
To implement the ban on the two Oceans, an area that is roughly equal to the size of Thailand or Spain in Arctic and 31 sea canyons in the Arctic, Obama used a 1953 law under which a president can block the mining and sale of new offshore drilling rights.
Law makes it difficult for successors to reverse the decision. Ban was jointly announced by Obama and Justin Trudeau, Canada’s PM.
Obama who signed the Paris climate agreement in 2015 supports the ambitious plan of reducing the global warming.
Trump had a different opinion on agreements and threatened to cancel the Paris climate agreement.
Untapped energy reserves of the country is the focus of the president elect and it will exploit fossil fuels.
Obama’s decision will act as a blockade for Trump.
Action came against the backdrop of climate scientists, who urged the President to come up with regulations or executive order to protect his climate legacy.
Know More About Barack Obama- Assumed office: January 20, 2009
- Vice President: Joe Biden
- Preceded by: George W. Bush
- United States Senator from Illinois
- Full Name: Barack Hussein Obama II
- Date of Birth: August 4, 1961 (age 55)
- Place of Birth: Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
- Political party: Democratic
- Noble Peace Prize: 2009
