Typical Republican hack. The reality is that drilling in the arctic is too expensive, particularly at the current price of oil. Hence, Shell abandoned their leases. The other thing that you've got completely wrong is that the local people asked Obama to protect the area, so he did take the people's desires into account. What public do you think should have been allowed to comment? People who don't even live in the area and won't be affected by an oil spill there? People who aren't affected by the changes in the sea ice due to global warming? Why should people who have nothing to lose get to comment on the decisions in the area? Because Alaskans want to keep getting a free ride forevermore? You're wrong. The local people wanted the protection and President Obama gave it to them, as he should have. To do anything else would demonstrate a clear lack of empathy for the people who depend on the subsistence resources in the area.