Bartlett drops opposition to oil drilling in Arctic refuge

Baltimore Sun/AP ^ | May 22, 2008 | staff

[saganite]

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett says high oil prices have prompted him to drop his longtime opposition to oil and natural gas drilling in a national wildlife refuge in Alaska.

The Maryland Republican has co-sponsored a bill that would allow for oil and gas production on part of the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

[pilipo]

. . . . eat his cake and have it too . . . .

It's nice to see this phrase expressed correctly.

[thackney]

We ship a lot of oil off the Pacific Coast and replace it with oil brought in through the gulf because there are not enough refineries on the west coast.

Not true. The West Coast does not produce enough oil to supply the existing West Coast Refineries.

West Coast (PADD 5) Crude Oil Exports
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/mcrexp52m.htm

West Coast (PADD 5) Crude Oil Imports for Processing from All Countries
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/mcripp52m.htm

[Liberty Valance]

Great laugh bump!

[okie01]

Clearly, you are better informed than I.

I recalled that, back in the seventies, during the last "gasoline crisis", there were reports that a significant proportion of Alaskan production was going to Japan. That made some sense to me at the time...but, obviously, those reports were not factual.

My apologies for having muddied the issue.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Or we cut oil consumption by 4% and we can have the market impact of ANWR tomorrow.

How about doing both?

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Or we cut oil consumption by 4% and we can have the market impact of ANWR tomorrow.

How about doing both?

[MrB]

did you squint your eyes shut in self satisfaction while typing that?

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Swell, Roscoe. But what do we do for the next 8-10 years until such oil reaches the consumer? Jackass!

Congressman Steve King says it will take considerably less time than that. We must get started. Stop talking and start drilling.

[ArmyTeach]

I've seen drilling in Alaska. Except for the facility site, which is about a city block in size and pristine and clean as a surgery, there is little impact. That was years ago and we have improved since. The caribou and other wildlife thrive, drilling is ‘directional’ leaving the area environmentally untouched. Trucks use an ‘ice road’ to protect the fragile tundra, and when the ‘ice road’ melts, no more trucking. We love our environment and know how to do it right.

[pilipo]

??? I don’t understand.

57 states = 114 senators.

114 - 51 dem and 5 pubs should leave us with 58 votes.

Where did I mess up?

[codercpc]

That's cute.

As I said in an earlier reply, I have learned more on this thread alone about the pricing of oil, than I have learned in my almost 40 years of being on earth. Thanks to all for their great information.

That is why I love Free Republic! There is an expert out here for just about any subject. Now if you ever want to know about medical billing, ping me ;->

[saganite]

The way the polar bear decision is being initially viewed is that it won’t matter where you are, even Arizona say, since the theory is that CO2 is responsible for destroying the sea ice ( GW ) you could be challenged on the basis that you’re producing more CO2 and thus imperiling the polar bear. This decision is an economy wrecker.

[thackney]

No, in the seventies, before we ever started producing North Slope oil, it was threatened that the oil would go to Japan, but that never happened because to get the pipeline approved, congress required that it could not be exported.

Since then, the myth continued and twisted. All people had to do was look at a map.

It is 3,577 miles from Valdez, Alaska to Tokyo, Japan.

It is 1,274 miles from Valdez, Alaska to Anacortes, Washington. (largest Washington refineries)

IT is 2,253 miles from Valdez, Alaska to El Segundo, California (major refinery near Los Angeles)

http://www.findlocalweather.com/forecast.php?forecast=pass&pass=distances&dpp=0&pands1x=Valdez%2C+AK&pands2x=El+Segundo%2C+California&Find+distance=How+far+is+it%3F

[saganite]

Isn’t that sweet. Who built that bike for you and transported it to the store you bought it at? If you were a true environmentalist you would walk to work. /s/

[JZelle]

Maybe they meant Pres. Martin Sheen. Now that would really stir things up.

[MEGoody]

A little late there, Congressman. If you'd have supported the idea awhile back, consumers might not be struggling with such high gas prices now.

You only have yourself and your fellow liberal nutcases to blame.

[MEGoody]

Or we cut oil consumption by 4% and we can have the market impact of ANWR tomorrow.

Oh golly, that means Al Gore will have to park his private jet, and the Kennedy's will have to put their yachts into storage.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

Good points. I should have mentioned the ice roads (I know about them from living in Canada's far north). If the development uses ice roads and barges for it's bulk resupply; and a pipeline to take the oil out; there will be negligible environmental costs.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

” ... but a caller into a radio show today suggested that since 80% of the domestic oil we produce in the US is actually exported to other countries ....”

That would be a caller who never saw this site:

http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/info_glance/petroleum.html

Making policy on the basis of the opinions of uninformed talk-show callers is not a good idea.

[trumandogz]

Obviously, we should do do both.