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Should we drill for oil in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR)? Environmentalists and Democrats are apposed to the idea for fear of disrupting the natural habitat of a variety of species. Republicans and Economists (with the exception of Republic Presidential Candidate John McCain) are generally in favor of the plan citing a lower dependence on foreign oil and increased stabilization of the ever increasing price of fuel.
What is the Right Thing to Do?
I am 100% in favor of drilling in ANWR, but unlike the mainstream media I am not naïve to think that it will completely solve our energy problems.
To say drilling in ANWR will have “no environmental impact” is irresponsible. Just having a picnic with my family within the refuge would technically have an “environmental impact”.
However, having worked closely with the majority of America’s largest oil companies over the last 10 years in environmentally sensitive areas, I can say that tremendous environmental advances have been made in drilling and producing oil. I am confident that this trend will continue should Congress enact legislation allowing us to drill in ANWR, and along the West and East Coasts.
Unfortunately, even the most optimistic projections from the US Environmental Information Agency pin total recoverable oil reserves in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge at just over 4 billion barrels. To put this in perspective the total amount of oil in ANWR would only be enough to meet the world’s energy demand for 46 days. Furthermore, the EIA also predicts ANWR oil production at full capacity will have the effect of reducing the price of oil by less the $1.00 a barrel in today’s money.
What’s the Point of Drilling?
Drilling for oil in ANWR is only part of the solution. If we as a country are to have any chance at all of turning this energy crisis around we need to start enacting more than just drilling initiatives.
What Else Should We Do?
We need to be doing everything we can to find more of our natural resources (drilling in ANWR, along with East and West Coasts of US).
We need to be doing everything we can to develop technology to efficiently harness the wind, the waves, and the sun. We need to be investing $100 Billion a year (at least) in these areas.
It’s time for the big oil companies to realize they are in the “energy business” and actually make a meaningful investment in alternative energy. A billion here and a billion there isn’t going to cut it with the American public when they are making over $150 Billion a year in profits.
We need to finally bring geothermal energy into the mainstream media. You can literally save 50% or more in home heating and cooling costs just by investing a year or two’s worth of heating bills into a new air handling unit for your home.
We need to demand more fuel efficient vehicles and take measures to optimize our current vehicle’s fuel efficiency.
It’s time to start building new Nuclear Power Plants! Technology in this area has developed exponentially over the plants built in the 1970’s.
Drilling for oil in ANWR is only a small part of the action that we the people of the United States need to take if we are to free ourselves of the consequences our addiction to oil has invoked.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
You make some FANTASTIC points. Don’t forget about conservation as a way to reduce our addiction. If everyone in America turned their heat to 68 degrees and never moved it and every household used CFL bulbs and we all got just 2 miles better to the gallon, we would completely part ways with our dependence on foreign oil.
It should be opposed. Appose means put next to something.