Posted on 01/05/2007 2:21:09 PM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - 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 (news, bio, voting record), chief sponsor of the legislation, said in an interview.
Markey 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.
A co-sponsor of the bill is Rep. Jim Ramstad (news, bio, voting record), R-Minn.
Cindy Shogan, executive director of the Alaska Wilderness League, also says this time is different.
"What's changed is we won't have those daily assaults" from pro-drilling forces, she said. "We are definitely on the offense."
Environmentalists said they plan to mobilize the same people that have fought drilling proposals in past years behind the Markey-Ramstad legislation.
Two years ago, when Republicans expanded their majorities in both the House and Senate, the likelihood of opening the refuge to oil development gained new momentum. It already had been a top energy priority of President Bush since 2001.
"Many people had written the obituary for the refuge," said Melinda Pierce, legislative director of the Sierra Club. But a concerted push by pro-drilling forces fell short.
Now Markey believes the momentum is going the other way.
"We now have a majority of House members that have publicly said they oppose any drilling in the refuge. In the previous Congress we were battling the Republicans in the majority who wanted to drill."
Environmentalist know that in the Senate they will need 60 votes to get the wilderness designation, with the filibuster threat coming from Republicans this time. Sen. Ted Stevens (news, bio, voting record), R-Alaska, who has battled to open the refuge to oil drilling for a quarter century, has not given up.
The coastal strip of ANWR, as the refuge is commonly referred to, is believed to contain 10.5 billion barrels of oil, approaching the size of the Prudhoe Bay field to the west. At peak production the refuge could supply 1 million barrels a day by 2025, according to the Interior Department.
On the other hand, to environmentalists and conservationists the refuge's coastal strip represents the ultimate wild place to be protected. They compare it to the Serengeti in Africa because of the wildlife that abound: polar bears, musk oxen, caribou and millions of migratory birds that fly there as part of their annual migration.
Drilling proponents argue that modern technology can limit the footprint on the coastal tundra and develop the oil without disturbing the wildlife.
Bush, who called for opening the refuge during his 2000 presidential campaign, repeatedly has said its environment can be protected alongside oil rigs. He views the refuge's oil as essential to lessening America's dependence on foreign energy sources.
Markey disagrees.
"Our addiction to oil is real (but) drilling in the refuge would amount to a declaration that we remain in denial about this addiction," he said.
"There are some places in our world that are so rare and so special, that we have a responsibility to protect them."
Is Rep. Markey from Alaska? The standard mantra for so-called environmentalists is "these are public lands, they belong to all of us." OK - but what if the public says "Hey, let's drill that sucker?" What about what the Alaskans want? The truth is, "environmentalists" are green on the outside, red on the inside - a strong streak of neo-luddite fascist/marxist golly knows what. It's time to stop calling these folks democratic, because they are nothing of the sort.
I'm all for banning drilling for oil as long as the dmeocrats who vote for it give me their personal incomes to help pay for gas and oil http://sacredscoop.com
Well, so much for the leftist clamor about "energy independence."
Wait-- I think they want us to be independent from modern technology, period, and live as if we were all on a hippie commune.
Yep and now its Bush better have b-lls, instead of why didnt we support our prez and party. It will be a long 2 years thats for sure
Who knows? Now, with federally funded stem cell research we may discover alternative energy sources. We don't know what they are but we might find 'em. ***demthink***
INDEED!!
I understand RFK, Jr. is excited about windpower and in fact is proud to demonstrate how well it works in the bay near his home in Massachusetts ... I think I have that right
They should send me to the House. "Apology accepted Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid."
We get to be even more dependent on Arab oil, Hugo Chavez, Mexico...
...and as an extra, added bonus, we also get to help pay the bills for Al Qaeda!
It is a tragic thing seeing our nation so dedicated to committing suicide.
Truth is Alaska doesn't have a dog in this fight. Drill or not, the revenue to Alaska is hardly worth the trouble.
Remind me again how long the Republican led House and Senate had to pass a bill to drill in Anwar?
These Democrats have only one thing on their minds and that is to starve this country of the energy it needs to function and to keep us locked in to the tyrants in the Arab countries who supply our oil needs.
Mind if I come along? There are a few others I want an apology from, and not all of em are Dims!!LOL
Here we go again...
Naaaah....Couldn't be...
Come with me it is the only way! We can tell them to give themselves to the Dark Side.
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