ANWR...drilling is long overdue!

Yet another topic ripe with controversy. It would seem that many people that are opposed to drilling don't really understand the whole story. An opponent to drilling might argue that we can't drill and save the wildlife at the same time...wrong. They might argue that it would destroy the pristine environment...huh? Drilling in ANWR would be restricted to just a tiny fraction of the total land in the refuge. Anywhere from .01%-8% would be open to oil exploration. Even if oil is discovered, less than 2000 acres of land would be affected. It's almost as if the majority of opponents to drilling in ANWR don't have a clue what ANWR is or just how big it really is. About 75% of Alaskans support drilling. This comes as no surprise to me considering how dependent Alaska is on oil revenue. Tourism and oil, that's it...well maybe a bit of fish thrown in with some other natural resources but oil is by far the largest revenue maker for the state of Alaska.

"We need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels"...no kidding, but this can't and won't happen overnight. We do, however, need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The more oil we find in the US the better off we are and the more responsible we can be at reducing the overall use of fossil fuels. Forcing the issue too hard and too fast can have serious consequences in the World economy...oh wait, that's happening already.

"Wind and solar power are the energy sources of the future"...ok great, I'm all for it but the cost and efficiency need to be improved before we can hope to make even a small dent in the energy needs of the US. The minute I can afford to run my house with solar power I will but unfortunately I'm not there yet. As a matter of fact, I actually don't think I know anyone that uses solar power.

"More oil means more burning of fossil fuels which means more green house gases"...dammit people, there is no absolute in climate modeling. Every model has so many variables and permutations, the slightest change or guess can have major effects on the end result. Read and comment on http://alaskanspawn.blogspot.com/2008/07/alright-now-for-something-completely.html if you have something to say about global warming.

I suppose I could go on and on about why we should drill in ANWR but a buddy of mine that runs http://www.anwr.org/ has far more information than me. If you are from Alaska and are against drilling (Shannon) feel free to post your rebuttal but remember that reducing our dependence on foreign oil and ultimately reducing our dependence on fossil fuels takes time and MUST BE DONE RESPONSIBLY! Do not make the mistake of using ANWR as a poster child for special interests or personal agendas. Remove yourself from the emotional response associated with drilling for oil and understand the larger picture.

Btw, I do have a healthy disgust for the irresponsible actions of big oil companies. Having lived through the Exxon Valdez fiasco and many other spills I really have no respect for them. Please do not think you can derail my argument by saying I am in some way benefitting from the oil companies. I am not.

Also, I am aware that Alaska alone cannot support the entire US oil needs. It does not need to. With North Dakota finding oil, apparently significant amounts, we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil...reduce. I do believe this is the necessary first step.