Drill ANWR Alaska NOW!

With gas prices soaring to new heights this Summer (estimated to reach 2.50/gallon) and continued dependency on foreign oil, we are faced with hard choices. I propose the following: We proceed with exploration and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) of Alaska NOW to buy us time and get away from foreign dependence, while simultaneously enforcing the retooling of our auto industry and gas stations completely for new, much more efficient auto fuel technologies.

At present, we Americans consume 20 million barrels of oil per day (to include all petroleum products like gasoline) - 60 percent of which comes from foreign and largely dubious sources. Meanwhile, we are sitting on 3-5 years worth of Alaskan oil (when combined with other domestically harvested oil) and largely ignoring current technologies that, if implemented in an aggressive, proactive fashion, could completely erase ALL need for oil importation beyond that. Using some current reserves and increasing off-shore production until drilling/production in ANWR, we can stop our dependence on foreign petroleum right now.

Here are some other interesting facts and statistics:

• In 1980, the ANWR coastal plain was set aside by Congress for oil exploration and drilling
• Out of the 19 million acre refuge, only a total of 2,000 acres would accomodate drilling
• Estimates of ANWR total oil deposits range from 5 to 20+ billion barrels
• Alaskan drilling is the cleanest in the world
• Research and drilling would have minimal, if any, impact on the coastal plains of Alaska environment
• Fairbanks and smaller communities North will enjoy a MAJOR economic stimulus
• Daschle is gone now and the GOP rules both houses of Congress - this is going to happen
• President Bush has called for 1.2 billion dollars in research for hydrogen-powered cars by 2020
• Other initiatives for alternative fuels are being pursued around the world (Example: MDI Presents: The Air Car)
• The only other American dependency left after this - Illegal Immigration / Border Security