gimini210's Blog

First do you know what ANWR is?

ANWR= national wildlife refuge.

   Map of northern Alaska and nearby parts of Canada showing locations of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), the 1002 area, and the National Petroleum Reserve—Alaska (NPRA). Locations of known petroleum accumulations and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) are shown, as well as summaries of known petroleum volumes in northern Alaska and the Mackenzie River delta of Canada. BBO, billion barrels of oil (includes cumulative production plus recoverable resources); TCFG, trillion cubic feet of gas recoverable resources Map of the ANWR 1002 area. Dashed line labeled Marsh Creek anticline marks approximate boundary between undeformed area (where rocks are generally horizontal) and deformed area (where rocks are folded and faulted). Boundary is defined by Marsh Creek anticline along western half of dashed line and by other geologic elements along eastern half of dashed line. Exploration wells are coded to show whether information from them was available for the 1987 USGS assessment of in-place petroleum resources. Dashed red line shows the offshore extent of the entire assessment area

The total quantity of technically recoverable oil within the entire assessment area is estimated to be between 5.7 and 16.0 billion barrels (95-percent and 5-percent probability range), with a mean value of 10.4 billion barrels. Technically recoverable oil within the ANWR 1002 area (excluding State and Native areas) is estimated to be between 4.3 and 11.8 billion barrels (95- and 5-percent probability range), with a mean value of 7.7 billion barrels

Typical view of the ANWR 1002 area coastal plain. .

The U.S. imports over 65% of the nation's needed petroleum. These oil imports cost more than $55.1 billion a year. This figure does not include the military costs of imported oil. These figures are rising and could exceed 80% imports by the year 2010.

Prudhoe Bay, located 60 miles to the west of ANWR, has been operating for nearly 20 years and has produced in excess of 10 billion barrels of oil during that time. It is among the most environmentally sensitive oil operations in the world. Present output at Prudhoe Bay has declined to 1.4 million barrels per day, and is continuing to decline

Conclusion.
The debate over drilling in Section 1002 of ANWR is not about destroying one of America's national treasures. The magnificent mountains, beautiful lakes, and precious wildlife will not be disturbed. Nor is it about enriching oil companies. Irresponsible federal policies and indifference by policymakers to the growing domestic shortages of oil, not the actions of oil companies, have made the United States more than 50 percent dependent on foreign oil sources and subject to price volatility. At issue is whether to use merely 2,000 acres out of a total of 19 million acres in ANWR to ensure the nation's energy security. When it takes up H.R. 4, the full House should follow the lead of its Resources Committee, which approved oil and gas exploration      and development in Section 1002 of ANWR's coastal plan, and resist               efforts to delete that provision from the bill. America has much at stake-most importantly, its national energy security.

                                                   
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
        Charli E. Coon, J.D., is Senior Policy Analyst for Energy and the Environment in the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation.

They look happy to me despite the pipelines we are told will destroy them.                 

I think the bear thinks he found a new place to play, I guess he doesn't know it is a pipeline that eill destroy his life style and maybe bring his kind to an end.    

So why are we made to beleive that drilling will destroy the wildlife and keep them off the lands they have lived on for 100's of years? I think someone is not telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Mkaes you wonder why. Why  would congress want us to think it will destroy the wildlife when they seem to    take full advantage of the pipelines.                                             
                      

 

Beneath a 1.5 million acre tract on the North Slope of Alaska is estimated to be between 3 and 9 billion barrels of recoverable oil. This area is a specially designated area within the 19 million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Known as the "Coastal Plain", this area was designated by Congress in 1981 as requiring special study to determine its oil and gas potential and the effects of development on the environment. In 1987, the Department of Interior recommended development. Congressional authorization is required for the Coastal Plain