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Breaking News: President George W. Bush Has Just Announced
a New Attempt to Help His Oil Industry Friends to Allow Oil Drilling
in the Beautiful Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. We Cannot Allow This
Environmental Crime to Take Place!
Stop New Threat to Arctic Refuge! Act Today!
Greenaction shares the sorrow
and shock of the nation after the recent terrorist attacks. In this
recovery period, our highest priority remains to participate in healing,
not forsaking our principles but neither fanning divisive arguments.
Unfortunately, Senator Murkowski
(Republican of Alaska) and other pro-drilling advocates are seeking
to exploit our nation's crisis for their own political agendas by attempting
to use the terror attacks as the excuse to open up the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.
What You
Can Do:
Please contact your Senators
at let them know that your desire for Arctic Refuge protection has not
changed. Please urge them to oppose legislation that would allow drilling
on the Arctic Refuge coastal plain.
You can contact your Senators
by calling the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
See Also:
Attention Organizations: Sign the Letter
of Support for the Gwich'in Indians Against the Proposed Oil Drilling
Plan. Read the Sign On Letter!
7/20 Read
Gwich'in Nation 1988 Statement Opposing Oil and Gas Development in Arctic
Refuge
6/24 "No Oil Drilling
in the Arctic Refuge!" Greenaction attends Gwich'in Indian gathering,
Arctic Village, Alaska, June 22-24, 2001. Read
the news coverage! And see
the photos!
6/21 Tell President
George W. Bush and Big Oil Companies: Stop the oil drilling plan in
the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge!
For more information,
contact:
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Reasons Why Drilling in the Arctic Refuge is an Inappropriate
Response to the Terrorist Attacks
- America cannot drill
its way to energy independence. The U.S. has at most 2-3% of the world's
oil reserves while accounting for 25% of the world's oil consumption.
It is simply not possible to produce our way to oil independence,
even if we sacrifice all of our wilderness, parks, refuges, and coastlines.
The only way to reduce dependence on foreign oil is through conservation
and alternative energy supplies.
- The U.S. Geological Survey
estimates that oil recovered from the Arctic Refuge would amount to
less than a six month supply for American consumers. At no time would
oil from the refuge be expected to amount to more than about 2 percent
of US demand. Even if you assume inflated and economically unrealistic
Arctic Refuge production figures (10 billion barrels), the refuge
would only curb daily OPEC imports by about 20%. As a political matter,
this is not sufficiently significant.
- Under any circumstances,
Arctic drilling cannot respond to our immediate or near term needs
for national security. It would take seven to ten years to bring Arctic
Refuge oil to market.
- Conservation, increasing
fuel efficiency and alternative energy are much better national security
measures that drilling in the Arctic Refuge. Terrorists cannot bomb
the sun, or stop the wind. Alternative energy facilities can be smaller,
dispersed and easily rebuildable.
- In tragic times like
these, we all think about what makes this country great. One of America's
proudest traditions is having, enjoying and protecting our national
natural treasures, like Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Everglades, and
the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. We cannot let these terrorists
take away one of our proudest national traditions, any more than we
can let them take away our civil liberties. It is patriotic to care
about protecting the Refuge, one of our country's great assets.
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