Cape Karen
On November 3, 2005, the U.S. Senate approved budget legislation that hides within it a provision for opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.
Did anyone even notice?
(The following information has been edited and paraphrased from various newspaper articles. The photo at the bottom of this page is courtesy of the NRDC website with permission.)
Although the Senate vote is a stunning setback - given that the majority of American voter's are against it, Congressional approval of Arctic drilling is not a done deal. The battle, between the protector's and the exploiter's of natural resources in the ANWR, will continue next week in the House where there is substantial opposition to the budget bill, largely due to the Arctic drilling provision.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has been off limits to oil drilling for decades. Environmental groups and those who care about the protection of the unique wildlife of that region have kept the greedy human wolves at bay. Now, however, we can only hope that the members of the House of Representatives will continue to protect this unique and pristine wilderness area by rejecting the "Budget Reconciliation" bill when it comes to the floor this week.
Drilling proponents have used an array of unorthodox maneuvers to
attempt to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. By burying the language in a budget bill, they purposefully side-stepped an honest, open, public debate - in an attempt to duck a 'yea or nay' vote on the issue.
By the government's own calculations, drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will do nothing to relieve gas prices or U.S. dependence on foreign reserves. In fact, government studies have shown that even 20 years from now drilling in the refuge would save American's less than one penny on a gallon of gasoline ~
The real deal behind all of this Arctic activity is that the polar ice caps are melting. Because of global warming, and the melting of formerly unreachable and economically undesirable areas, the Eastern European coalition, the Canadian Maritime communities and the United States are already beginning a territorial fight; a fight for control and domination of these newly emerging areas. The potential for new shipping lanes, vast new fishing grounds, and, of course, the lucrative potential for oil drilling, are all part and parcel of this multi-governmental endeavor.
That the Bush Administation is for oil drilling - anywhere, anytime - regardless of negative environmental impacts, comes as no surprise. What might come as a surprise, given the general apathy in our country these days, will be watching on our television news as Exxon-Mobile constructs massive oil rigs - smack dab in the middle of the 'former' Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Last week the alarm was sounded in the U.S. Senate.
This week it's going to be ringing in the House. . .
I hope our Representative's are listening.
Let your voices be heard - add your names to the NRDC petition.
www.nrdcactionfund.org