ANWR - Arctic Drilling For Oil
The Bush Administration has been pushing to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve for years. Republicans have actually been trying to drill for oil here for much longer than Bush has been around. So far America has been successful in preventing the oil industries from getting their way.
Few can reasonably argue that drilling in ANWR will make a bit of difference in supplying our nations energy needs. It has been scientifically proven that there is not enough oil there to make more than a one or two cent difference in gas prices and it would be about 20 years before a drop of ANWR oil reached the U.S. markets if they started drilling today.
The Bush administration, being pressured by the oil industry, says that we can safely drill for oil in ANWR with little to no impact to the land or the wildlife there. This is absolutely false. They will have to build all the necessary extraction equipment and support needs. Support needs include roads, pipelines and other necessary buildings. They would also have to run power lines and if there were going to be people working there, housing and other resources vital to those employees. This could easily turn into a small town or a series of small towns.
Another argument that you hear is that technology makes drilling for oil safe now. This is also false. Recent events prove this is not true. Last week there was a spill in Alaska that released over 1/4 million gallons of oil into the environment. This leak kept spilling oil into the environment for almost a week before it was detected. It was only noticed because an employee smelled the oil. How is employees smelling an oil leak, an example of how technology makes it safer? I would hardly call an employees nose an example of technological advances. It also turns out that the pipeline that leaked the oil was last checked almost 8 years ago.
This is just one example that it is still not safe enough to drilling for oil in sensitive areas and that even if more modern technology exists, this leak should be proof positive that the oil industry does not use it. It is clearly evident by looking at their record profits and lack of preventive maintenance that they are much too focused on money to be capable of protecting the environment.
Few can reasonably argue that drilling in ANWR will make a bit of difference in supplying our nations energy needs. It has been scientifically proven that there is not enough oil there to make more than a one or two cent difference in gas prices and it would be about 20 years before a drop of ANWR oil reached the U.S. markets if they started drilling today.
The Bush administration, being pressured by the oil industry, says that we can safely drill for oil in ANWR with little to no impact to the land or the wildlife there. This is absolutely false. They will have to build all the necessary extraction equipment and support needs. Support needs include roads, pipelines and other necessary buildings. They would also have to run power lines and if there were going to be people working there, housing and other resources vital to those employees. This could easily turn into a small town or a series of small towns.
Another argument that you hear is that technology makes drilling for oil safe now. This is also false. Recent events prove this is not true. Last week there was a spill in Alaska that released over 1/4 million gallons of oil into the environment. This leak kept spilling oil into the environment for almost a week before it was detected. It was only noticed because an employee smelled the oil. How is employees smelling an oil leak, an example of how technology makes it safer? I would hardly call an employees nose an example of technological advances. It also turns out that the pipeline that leaked the oil was last checked almost 8 years ago.
This is just one example that it is still not safe enough to drilling for oil in sensitive areas and that even if more modern technology exists, this leak should be proof positive that the oil industry does not use it. It is clearly evident by looking at their record profits and lack of preventive maintenance that they are much too focused on money to be capable of protecting the environment.
posted by Superman @ 3/25/2006 10:34:00 PM
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