In the immediate weeks after his re-election victory, President Bush announced his plan to once again push for oil drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge.
Bush failed to enact the same plan during his first term, but with increased Republican control of both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, he may very well get his wish this time around.
Bush cited the oil drilling in the ANWR as being the number one priority in his new energy plan. He says it is important because it will reduce our dependency on foreign oil.
| The Issue Bush’s plan to drill for oil in Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge announced. |
As nice as this sounds, however, Bush and his administration are gravely misdirected in terms of energy issues in the United States.
While oil prices have skyrocketed to $50 a barrel as the world’s supply of this nonrenewable natural resource rapidly dwindles, while the Middle East remains in a perpetually unstable state and while car manufacturers in Detroit pump SUVs off assembly lines faster than people can be duped into buying them, our government continues to follow the short-sighted quick fix to a long-term problem path of increased oil drilling.
What Bush doesn’t say about drilling in the ANWR, aside from the obvious environmental tragedy that would result from drilling in some of America’s most beautiful and well-preserved land, is that it would include hidden costs and would be relatively ineffective in the grand scheme.
If the plan was enacted today, scientists estimate drilling could begin in 2010, hit peak production in 2030 and decrease from there. The United States would be able to drill about 1 million gallons a day, which would only decrease our foreign dependency by about 9 percent – still leaving it at about 50 percent. That is, if the necessary $20 billion pipeline running from Alaska to the lower 48 states is built.
There is no denying that we as a society must learn to wean ourselves off gas guzzling. Yet, Bush and his big business cronies are doing their very best to deny that very fact.
It is time for a smart, long-term solution to our energy woes. And that starts with acknowledging that the solution of drilling in the ANWR is not one at all.
