CNN/AP: Bill would permanently bar drilling in Alaskan refuge

[DeepModem Mom]

Bill would permanently bar drilling in Alaskan refuge
January 6, 2007

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Opponents of oil drilling in an Alaskan wildlife refuge are going on the offense after playing defense for a quarter of a century. They want the new Democratic Congress to make an oft-challenged drilling ban permanent.

Legislation introduced in the House on Friday would make the oil-rich 1.2 million-acre coastal strip of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge a permanently protected wilderness and end repeated efforts to open the area east of the Prudhoe oil field to energy companies.

"The consensus is that there should not be drilling in the refuge, so the logical next step is to pass legislation which turns it into a wilderness," Rep. Edward Markey, chief sponsor of the legislation, said in an interview.

The Massachusetts Democrat has introduced similar legislation in each of the last three congressional sessions. However, the House has approved drilling in the refuge a half dozen times, only to see the effort die in the Senate were supporters couldn't muster the 60 votes to overcome a likely filibuster.

This time, with Democrats in the majority and a number of moderate Republicans on record as opposed to drilling, Markey believe he has a good chance in the House to go one step farther and declare the refuge permanently off-limits to oil development....

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/06/arctic.drilling.ap/index.html

[badgerpup]

1. YES!!!!

About damn bloody time too!
:applause::woohoo:

[Tellurian]

23. This will be aTest of strength of the Demo majority..nm

[DRoseDARs]

2. Ooo, this'll draw some political blood...

I say go for it. We've got better solutions to our energy problems than digging in frozen dirt. Well, frozen for a little while at least...

[roguevalley]

4. Gail Phillips is already puffing herself up to do battle, the cow.

[Blue_In_AK]

5. Yeah, I read that editorial, too.

What a bitch. Hey, while they're stopping things, they need to stop the Pebble Mine, too. I HATE, HATE, HATE that project.

Readers, sign this petition if you haven't yet. (Sorry to sound like a broken record, but this is important, dammit.)

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/387663692?z00m=9408128<l=1167931454

[northofdenali]

6. Gail Phillips is a Big Oil whore.

Go for it, Dems!

[illinoisprogressive]

3. I love it and the environment loves it

[xxqqqzme]

7. '...the oil-rich 1.2 million-acre coastal strip...'

cnn showing its corporate fealty yet again. 'Oil rich' by whose interpretation?

[jamesinca]

8. 1 million barrels per day

10,500,000,000 barrels estimated, that makes 28.74 years of oil (365.25 days per year adds in leap years. The problem, what do you do in 28.74 years? You still have to deal with the problem, not postpone it. Sen. Stevens is very short sighted.

[hyphenate]

26. I've read it's not that much--

that no one knows for certain. Regardless, stopping the drilling there only means that they will drill elsewhere. And that's going to continue until we stop using fossil fuels altogether, an event that's as distant as the next inhabitable solar system.

[FujiZ1]

9. Oh come on people.

This is completely stupid. Nothing is permanent. You think when the only oil left is in Alaska everyone'll just remember how beautiful those animals are?

[w4rma]

10. It's fine with me if we wait until then to drill.

Natural oil should be worth a lot more, at that point.

I strongly support this bill to prevent drilling in the Alaska refuge "permanently".

[Judi Lynn]

11. The oil wouldn't be sold in this country. Everyone knows that.

Just getting yourself adquainted with the facts would do you a world of good. Don't embarrass yourself.

[sandnsea]

12. We better be off oil by then

Maybe if we quit deluding ourselves into believing there will always be oil, we'll move to alternative energy a little quicker.

[lligrd]

13. Oil Ain't Everything And It Ain't Forever

Time to get over it and find a better way. And the sooner the better. Long live the environment inspite of humans best efforts!

[magellan]

15. It's about much more than preserving beautiful landscape and animals

It's about learning restraint and living responsibly, with an eye towards the future.

If it gets to the point you state, that the only oil left in the world is in Alaska and we haven't found an alternative by then, I dare say neither you nor 99% of the rest of us will be able to afford it.

As for nothing being permanent, you're right. That includes you. Mind if I steal your valuables?

[LostinVA]

18. Oh brother

[mitchtv]

20. talk about stupid?

look closer to home

[atomicdawg38]

22. I agree...

You can't undo it.

[newyawker99]

25. Hi FujiZ1!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[depakid]

14. The refufuge will be drilled. It's only a matter of when and why

It's just plain stupid to drill there to perpetuate an incredibly wasteful system, though eventually, the economics of the depletion curve will force up the demand.

Hopefully by then, Americans will realize that petroleum is useful for many things besides fueling up fat assed SUV's.

[YankeyMCC]

16. I'm so happy with my rep nt

[StrictlyRockers]

17. And the hits just keep on coming. Man, I may need to stock up on popcorn soon.

[BenDavid]

19. Bring the bill to the floor

and lets give it a vote and structure the proceedings in either the House or the Senate in such a way that it would be unthinkable that the bill not pass....The Dems have got to move fast and hard, and get out in front of any legislation and all speak as one and not any of this saying something in the morning and give an apology by the afternoon. They the Dems have the majority of the people behind them and it is time to act.

[texanshatingbush]

21. I call bul*s*it

Does anyone believe that permanently outlawing drilling in Alaska refuge is realistic?? It's pure political pandering, good only for the moment. As oil prices rise, so will public opinion (and public desperation) to drill anywhere necessary to find oil, to support our oil addiction. This is a fact of life. Once again, this will provide an opportunity for Repukes to "come to the rescue of America", as oil prices go up and public opinion changes.

Now, ask yourselves, what would achieve the same goal--preserving ANWR et. al., when "the worm turns" and the American public is crying out for that oil? ANSWER: create stringent drilling laws NOW which ensure that the best technology is used to minimize the footprint left on these lands by oil exploration and production. Put some teeth into the law which would cause companies to think twice before risking ANY damage to the land.

[MasonJar]

24. Thank you, Rep Markey. Go, dems! There is not enough oil

there and even if there were, some things are more important than our immediate comfort. If we get past oil, we can discover new options.