ANWR drilling no solution to gasoline costs, Kerry says

adn.com ^ | March 31, 2004 | LIZ RUSKIN

[KQQL]

WASHINGTON -- While blaming President Bush for the high price of gasoline, his Democratic challenger, Sen. John Kerry, on Tuesday reiterated his opposition to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, saying it is no solution.

"We deserve an administration that doesn't fake it to the American people and pretend that somehow by drilling in the Alaska wildlife refuge we can deal with the problems of America," Kerry, D-Mass., told university students in San Diego. "We can't provide the supply of oil America needs from the Alaska wildlife refuge or from any other source in the United States, because we only have 3 percent of the world's oil reserves."

[RightWhale]

Higher oil prices help make alternative technologies feasible.

Oil has been cheap so far, even now. That's the problem with alternative energy. It just costs more. When oil costs that much, we'll already be in trouble.

[Dr. Frank fan]

It's not extraneous. See the title of the thread.

The title of the thread makes no mention of what you're implicitly talking about (i.e. long term solution to our national energy supply). It talks about gasoline costs.

Are you asserting that allowing drilling in more domestic sources would have no effect on gasoline costs?

[RightWhale]

When we were building the pads at Prudhoe we excavated the Sag River riverbed in the winter. It was 40 below and we ran the equipment under lightplants day and night. In the spring when the river was flowing again, it just filled up the borrow pits no problem. The roads were built while everything was frozen the same way. Ecological impact was nil. When the animals came out in the spring, they didn't seem to notice any difference at all.

[RightWhale]

Where are you getting your information

First of all, I'm here in Alaska and info dribbles in from all sides. We don't have any use for hype. The other thing is the Peak Oil theory, which might be interesting, and it is after all only a theory. Search on Peak Oil. The theory seems preposterous at first, but if you follow some of the links you might find something of interest.

[bondjamesbond]

Kerry: Supply has nothing to do with price. Everything you know about economics is wrong.

[Donaeus]

bttt

[KQQL]

ANWR ANYONE?

[HarryCaul]

I would assert ANWR would have no appreciable affect on gasoline prices, sure. Perhaps a tiny effect, if any, in the short run, but next to none in the long run.

It's just not that big a percentage to add to the overall flow.

It's worth doing, but it's not any sort of solution to gasoline prices.

[KQQL]

I BET IF RUSSIA STILL OWNED AK< THEY WOULD HAVE ALREADY DUG UP ANWR FOR OIL and GAS.

[RightWhale]

Those polygon shapes are characteristic of permafrost. It would be difficult to damage them in winter, but in summer the vegetative layer can be compressed leading to loss of thermal insulation and next thing you know your wheel tracks sink into a bog.

[Chewbacca]

Oil and fuels can be made from anything.
Oil is a renewable resource.
http://www.kantor.com/useful/oil.pdf

[KQQL]

YO KERRY !

[MEGoody]

Mr. Kerry, drilling in Anwar is a lot better solution to the 'problem' of gas prices than crying on your knees to the Saudis.

[RightWhale]

I'd say those who oppose developing ANWR's resources are the same who opposed Alaska's coal development back when Alaska had just been purchased. Alaska's development was frozen in the late 1800s and remains frozen for the most part unless it is the existing industrialists who will get the action.

[KQQL]

Don't you know Kerry will never fight a war for oil...

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

ANWR IS A SOLUTION!More drilling in other areas and the construction of new refineries are needed.It is time to to run rough shod over the environmentalists.IN THE NAME OF NATIONAL SECURITY AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO GET THIS GOING IS NEEDED!!

[Sorcerer3]

LOL!! Only months is we only used oil from ANWR all at once. But that's not it at all. ANWR can suppliment the US oil needs for decades. Add up to 735,000 jobs as well not to mention 27% of the total US oil reserves is in ANWR. These Commie liberal appeasers made the same arguments about Prudhoe Bay. They were wrong then and they are wrong again now. This is typical liberalism. Hate america, hate business, hate prosperity, hate self reliance, and hate humanity.

[goldstategop]

Granted America may not be Saudi Arabia, but is what is wrong with drilling for more oil? I don't think John F. Seinfeld really understands what makes America great.

[B4Ranch]

There are a lot of folks who can't understand how we came to have an oil shortage here in America.

Well, there's a very simple answer. Nobody bothered to check the oil.

We just didn't know we were getting low. The reason for that is purely geographical.

All our oil is in Alaska, Texas, California, and Oklahoma.

But all our dipsticks are in Washington, DC.

I'm not sure but there may be a spelling error in the last sentence.

[RightWhale]

Add up to 735,000 jobs

That's hype, not permanent jobs. We built the TransAlaska Pipeline with 4000 people over 2 years and there other tasks afterwards leading up to completion in a few more years that didn't have so many workers. Granted that there were a lot of jobs, but most jobs lasted a couple of weeks. Add in the steel workers in Asia that made the pipe itself and the ship workers that brought it over and the truckers that carried it all up and down Alaska and it still won't add up to the hype.