Arctic Drilling
By: Lisa     

Last month, I tackled Global Warming, so this month I figured I’d expand on that by writing on a completely different topic that is still in some way related to global warming. So I chose to tell you about the controversy behind the Bush Administration’s plans to drill in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge. You’ve seen the politicians on TV trying to defend it, saying that the oil found there would help us reduce our dependency on foreign oil, thus reducing our gas prices. They’ve even gone so far as to say that the wildlife and the environment in the Refuge wouldn’t be disturbed by the drilling. Now, they may have fooled us on the gas prices going down and all, but who really bought for a second that oil drilling wouldn’t harm the environment in which it takes place? So I’m going to go off on the other bullshit claims our government has made in support of the drilling; the ones that may have made you agree to it. And once again, if you decide that you want to do something about it, I’ve also provided a way for you to make your voice heard.   

     I’m sure you’ve heard about the U.S. government’s plan to drill in the Arctic Refuge for oil, claiming it would eliminate our dependency on foreign oil and reduce gas prices. Sorry to let you all down, but this is just another case of the government spewing more bogus information in order to get you to let them continue screwing things up. Here’s an update: This past Spring, the House and Senate passed a budget resolution for 2006 that would allow for oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. By doing so, they were able to avoid having to deal with public hearings and debates, and were even able to dodge the 60-vote majority that is normally needed to pass any legislation considered controversial, according to an article entitled “Arctic Refuge Battle Heats Up” in the Summer 2005 issue of Defenders Magazine. Sneaky fellows, don’t you think? Instead of following the fine example of countries around the globe who are working together to find ways of stopping global warming by finding energy sources that don’t cause damage to our atmosphere, President Bush decided to take America out of the Kyoto Protocol, and would rather invest our tax dollars on oil drilling that---and here’s the truth, kids, so listen  up---would give us less than a year’s supply of oil. 

     On top of that, it would take a decade, at the least, to get that oil to consumers. Rodger Schlickeisen, President of Defenders of Wildlife, wrote in the Summer 2005 issue that, “At its peak flow, the amount would be so small that it would have miniscule impact on U.S. oil imports—and zero impact on prices. There is also no assurance that the oil companies that drill in the refuge would even sell that oil to the United States.” And my question is, why go through all this trouble when car companies themselves are taking the initiative to develop more hybrid vehicles, and more recently, hydrogen cars? Apparently, everyone except those in the Bush Administration realizes that global warming is a problem, and that it won’t be solved by drilling for more oil, destroying more environments, and forcing people to continue being dependent on fossil fuels to drive their cars. Apparently, other countries and major manufacturers are already working with scientists to find alternative energy sources that are cleaner and safer. But, as we all know too well, money talks, and I guess the Administration can’t seem to resist the dollar signs waiting for them in the oil industry, (not to mention the logging and mining industries as well, but that’s another story that I’ll save for another time). 

     So, in summation, our government is working toward passing a law that would allow oil companies to drill in the Arctic Refuge, which spans a whopping 19.8 million acres and is home to one of the last pristine environments in the world, only to have a tiny amount of oil actually dug up after the area is destroyed, and that tiny amount of oil would make it to our gas stations in about 10 years (that is if the oil is sold to the U.S.), and it would have no effect on our high gas prices. Is it just me, or does this sound like one big waste of time and money that could be used toward something good instead? Pissed off yet? If so, you can help stop this from happening. www.SaveArcticRefuge.org is a great site to find information on this issue, and it’s also the place where you can take action by sending a letter (that’s already written for you) to your Senator/Representative, urging them to vote against drilling. And check out www.defenders.org for more information. But act quickly! Congressmen and  Senators will meet in September for a final vote on whether or not to allow the drilling to take place.