No thanks necessary, but I appreciate the sentiment
.
Back to topic...
The summation of the situation with ANWAR is it's a new revenue channel for the same old oil companies. Think about it, apart from the heat because organizations like Sierra Club and whatnot are involved, it's just another oil deposit. I've heard in the news where they've found at least 2 massive oil deposits just this year.
I ask you this... When did these discoveries make the costs of fuel decrease? I realize that it will take time to bring them online, but truly I ask of anyone... Show me when a new source of oil has decreased the its price for more than the shortest of short terms. There are new drilling rigs being built upon new fields all the time, and oil costs continue to rise.
So what is so special about ANWAR that it will solve, or even help to solve the energy crisis we face? Most of our domestic oil now is sold on the market to buy oil from the Middle East, and God knows what else. What guarantee do we have that we're not just wasting a wildlife treasure to provide another revenue channel for Exxon, who already misuses their alternative fuel subsidies from the government to fund exploratory drilling?
In fact, there are companies right now that are investigating large-scale algal diesel production that say they can be online in 4 years, which is much sooner than ANWAR can be exploited. These technologies can provide up to 20,000 gallons of fuel per acre, per year, or 200,000 barrels per 50 acre facility. They can be attached to existing coal and oil-fired plants to reclaim the CO2 emissions to generate even more fuel. The resulting solids from the oil extraction process can then be fermented to make even more alcohol fuel. We even waste our pollution!
Why would you rather spend the money on ANWAR, which is a finite source, will cause a tremendous negative international view of our country (this IS important in a global economy), and will create risk for a major spill in one of the last pristine environments on the planet. I'm aware of the recent safety records of the oil companies, but my generation watched them dredging dead animals out of Prince William Sound after the Exxon-Valdez ran aground. Remember, Soviet nuclear energy had a terrific record until a few tenths of a second before that famous Chernobyl fuel rod got stuck.
In light of this, I could not in good conscience support the perversion or possible loss of such a national treasure like ANWAR. Not when almost no effort is made to eliminate, or in some cases even acknowledge our tremendously wasteful habits as pertaining to energy. Earth is not a roll of Charmin, and she should not be treated as such.
EDIT: Who knew this forum that satiates my inner grease-monkey would provide a channel for such wonderful debate of issues. Even those that I do not agree with express themselves in a respectful manner, and tend to stay away from low-brow flames and
ad hominem attacks. Thanks for that. Now help me with my intermittent clanking in my prop-shaft while in Park!
