President Obama is increasing the size of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument by over 316%, to encompass an area more than twice the size of Texas:
On Friday, President Obama will expand the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument off the coast of Hawaii, creating the world's largest marine protected area. Building on the United States' global leadership in marine conservation, today's designation will more than quadruple the size of the existing marine monument, permanently protecting pristine coral reefs, deep sea marine habitats, and important ecological resources in the waters of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.
Following this historic conservation action, the President will travel to Hawaii next week. On Wednesday evening, he will address leaders from the Pacific Island Conference of Leaders and the IUCN World Conservation Congress, which is being hosted in the United States for the first time. On Thursday, he will travel to Midway Atoll, located within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, to mark the significance of this monument designation and highlight first-hand how the threat of climate change makes protecting our public lands and waters more important than ever.
The monument was originally created in 2006 by President George W. Bush and designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. Since that time, new scientific exploration and research has revealed new species and deep sea habitats as well as important ecological connections between the existing monument and the adjacent waters. Today's designation will expand the existing Marine National Monument by 442,781 square miles, bringing the total protected area of the expanded monument to 582,578 square miles.
The move follows a similar expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument in 2014.
DOI press release, and more resources at NOAA.
Reported at NPR, National Geographic, NBC, and WBUR.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 27 2016, @02:59PM
Coming 3.. 2.. 1..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 27 2016, @03:02PM
Finally proven. Obama is Hawaiian. Definitely not Botswanan.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 27 2016, @03:09PM
After graduating from high school, I went to a small out-of-state college where no one from high school knew me. I was told many times how impressive my false Australian accent was, so I decided it would be great fun to go through college pretending to be from Australia. All of my friends and even my girlfriend of two years think I'm Australian. I have a completely fake Australian identity, family, and past. I will soon be graduating, and I plan on asking the girl to marry me. Everything she knows about me is Australian I don't know how to tell her she doesn't really know me. Guess I'm forever a bloke.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 27 2016, @03:14PM
doesn't really know me
Knowing random facts about one's family history does not mean someone knows you. Is your family in on the con or have you never introduced her to any family members?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 27 2016, @03:29PM
She met the fake Australian family.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 27 2016, @03:39PM
No she hasn't. I just slam her pooper every night shouting "throw another shrimp on the barbie!"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 27 2016, @05:50PM
> even my girlfriend
And that's how we know its all made up. No one here has a girlfriend.
If you hadn't tried to pack in that one extra lie you would have gotten away with it too.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 27 2016, @05:54PM
> Definitely not Botswanan.
Because Botswana is landlocked?
Of course, original establishment of this sanctuary [nbcnews.com] makes Bush Hawaiian too. Hana hou!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 28 2016, @03:27AM
I thought Obama was not-Kenyan, not not-Botswanan.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 28 2016, @04:28AM
Sigh. Do I have to explain the insane troll logic behind this. OK. Obama claims to be from Hawaii, but he's obviously from Africa, we all know it. The question is which part of Africa. Well since Obama is the opposite of white, he must be from the opposite side of the Earth, and if you look at a globe, Botswana is exactly opposite Hawaii. If you dig a hole straight through the Earth from Obama's claimed birthplace, you'll find his real birthplace.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by J_Darnley on Saturday August 27 2016, @03:14PM
"over 316%" So what, 317? 316.5? If you are going to use such a precise number do you really need the "over"?
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 27 2016, @05:56PM
Insightless pedantry — Check!
Does wonkey_monkey have a sockpuppet account now?
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday August 27 2016, @05:59PM
Find something useful to type.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 28 2016, @07:34AM
Ditto bro, ditto.
(Score: 2) by art guerrilla on Saturday August 27 2016, @03:40PM
...picked out where his retirement compound would be located, coincidentally right next to the expanded marine protected area.
(mere speculation)
(Score: 1, Troll) by frojack on Saturday August 27 2016, @05:05PM
And no voters in the designated area to reject the designation, or get pissed off.
Now, wait a few years, bring on the access restrictions, entrance fees, federal enforcement personnel, warrant-less searches, followed by outright closure, and total neglect.
We've seen this movie before.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by tisI on Saturday August 27 2016, @05:58PM
And why should anyone care?
I bet right now dubya is on his crawford ranch living like a king, instead of in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity where he belongs.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/bush-adminstration-convicted-of-war-crimes-and-crimes-against-humanity/5336860 [globalresearch.ca]
"Suppose you were an idiot...and suppose you were a member of Congress...but I repeat myself."
(Score: 2) by frojack on Saturday August 27 2016, @08:10PM
a special war crimes tribunal in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Yes there's a bastion of world authority.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by butthurt on Sunday August 28 2016, @04:14AM
Augusto Pinochet was arrested in the UK on a warrant from a Spanish court.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusto_Pinochet's_arrest_and_trial#Arrest_in_London [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 2) by art guerrilla on Saturday August 27 2016, @08:58PM
why should i care ? ? ?
well, i believe we should care that BOTH (and a number back) are war kriminals deserving of jail cells, not retirement compounds, libraries, lionization, and, -you know- 'speaking fees', 'foundations', and such...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 27 2016, @11:45PM
> I bet right now dubya is on his crawford ranch living like a king,
Nope. The ranch was a prop for his "ah, shucks" texan image. He didn't sell it, but he only drops in for holidays, if that.
He bought a house in a "whites-only" (not a joke) Dallas neighborhood months before Obama even took the oath of office.
http://www.alternet.org/story/112437/bush_ditches_his_ranch_for_ritzier_digs_in_dallas [alternet.org]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by JoeMerchant on Saturday August 27 2016, @04:22PM
Progress, good progress, but we really need to do more, faster.
https://www.mission-blue.org/ [mission-blue.org] is just one of a dozen serious campaigns.
http://books.wwnorton.com/books/half-earth/ [wwnorton.com] starts to approach a sustainable solution.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by Bot on Saturday August 27 2016, @07:14PM
I guess you need more upcoming elections, that is the moment when politicians do the good things (tm).
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Saturday August 27 2016, @08:10PM
This politician isn't running for re-election, but, yes... it does seem to be a time for their better side to come out.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday August 27 2016, @08:10PM
It's a Legacy Builder™. President Obama is in his second term, doesn't have to be worried about re-election, and can do whatever as long as it doesn't hurt his party in November. After the election he will probably do even more. Although if Hillary is coming in he won't have to worry so much about his legacy being rolled back.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by CirclesInSand on Saturday August 27 2016, @08:54PM
If this president has the power to increase it without the consent of Hawaii, then future presidents will have the power to reduce it without the consent of Hawaii. And what do you think will happen when the military demands more oil?
There is a reason these things are left under the jurisdiction of state governments.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 27 2016, @10:13PM
Is this still within the current legal EEZ limits of Hawaiian waters (200 miles from the closest shore of the nearest islands?)
I will note Britain has done similiar with Pitcairn and the nearby islands, despite the fact that 3 out of 4 are uninhabited, and only 1 other than Pitcairn qualifies as an inhabitable island under UNICLOS statutes.
The real purpose of all these 'marine protected areas' *IS* territory claims for mineral rights, or blocking competitors from making those claims in the future, rather than actually any interest in protecting the marine environment.
It is disgusting the level of sickness we have globally regarding ever more expansive land grabs.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 27 2016, @11:59PM
> And what do you think will happen when the military demands more oil?
If we are so low on oil that we have to start drilling where there are no proven oil reserves, then we've got bigger things to worry about.
If you were really worried about drilling on federal land, there are lot better places to do it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 28 2016, @07:35AM
"President Obama to Quarantine State of Maine" what the fuck oh that's not what it says