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Drill in ANWR
How much oil is there? Between 4.3 billion barrels (95% probability) and 11.8 billion (5% probability).
How much do we consume each day? 20 million barrels
If we needed it to meet 100% demand how quickly would it be gone? About One Year
How short-sighted is America if they allow drilling in ANWR? Very
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Comments (7)
Personally, I've been steadfastly against drilling in ANWR, although my position may be softening on it.
Envionmental footprint needs to be transparent, monitored and reversible. I'm not convinced that could be possible, but I'm not convinced it's impossible as well. Every road and every building must have a life cycle - every piece of pipe, oil can, pop can and burger wrapper has to be recycled.
Right now, the American consumer is getting slaughtered at the pump - environmentalists do little for their long term cause by blaming the victims (auto owners) of stifled oil supplies.
If a plan can be devised to exploit this resource safely, and if it buys us sufficient time to secure futures from Canadian oil sand fields and institutionalize fuel economy savings and alternative fuels investment, I could be persuaded that we should do it, or some portion of it.
I do concede that it's not a strategic fix, but it may be necessary to relieve the pressure that escalating fuel costs are exerting on the economy.
April 29, 2008 1:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
The pressure to drill there will increase. If the only reason not to is environmental than this obstacle will be overcome. The reason I didn't say anything in my post about protecting the reserve is because I think it distracts from the number one reason we should not drill in ANWR. There is not enough there to change the course we are on and it should be saved as a last resort. I'm not talking about reducing costs here, but in the case that we cannot get supply from other nations for whatever reason.
April 29, 2008 2:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
How much richer would oil companies get by drilling for it? About $500bn profit, not including the subsidies they'd probably get for doing us the favor of getting rid of all that nasty cruddy stuff.
April 29, 2008 1:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
No Drilling Without Conservation. What will we use when there is a desperate need for that oil. All the drilling and profits for the companies for people to piss the oil away. I don't understand why those who decide cannot see this. I believe in technology and I also believe we maybe able to drill there. If and when we need the oil. I also know there is a fine line between conservation and the economy such as cutting back on some oil and gas usage (and I only use this as an example not a put down - NASCAR - which you see employs people and provides a big chunk to the economy). What do you do?
April 29, 2008 2:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
We do have a pretty large strategic reserve for that.
I agree, however, that the "only as a last chance" argument has some merit, although I have no illusions it will "change the course we're on" - collective will and probably harsh legislation can only do that. If that supply can be used to ease our society into a new energy paradigm, safely and cleanly, it may be an asset we wish to exploit.
As far as oil companies profiting from ANWR, there are mechanisms to control that as well - sequestering a portion of their profits for environmental restoration, or tax-incenting them to invest more in alt-fuels, etc.
Not, of course, with THIS administration....
April 29, 2008 2:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Even Peak Oilers disagree on ANWR. Roscoe Bartlett wants to save it for our grandchildren, Matt Simmons wants to drill ASAP (which is about ten years). ANWR will be an environmental tragedy, but probably not as bad as mountaintop removal, strip mining, nukes and whatever else we do to keep the lights on.
April 29, 2008 2:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not worried....
The North Pole is melting. Probably plenty of oil now available that isn't in an environmentally sensitive area.
Plus I'm against pissing off polar bears whenever possible. Canadians, too, and they would be upset if we developed our piece of that considerable Nature preserve.
After the pole is all melted, oil won't be the biggest issue, anyway.
Water will be.
April 29, 2008 2:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
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