Letter to the editor:

Despoiling refuge for oil is futile

Doug Nusbaum, Henderson

Thu, May 15, 2008 (2:02 a.m.)

With respect to people who state that if liberals, Democrats, etc., would have allowed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, we would have much cheaper petroleum:

In all of ANWR, there is an optimistic estimate of 11 billion barrels. We consume 20 million barrels a day. So ANWR would give us two years of oil consumption.

If it could supply 10 percent of our oil, then it could help for 20 years. But if by chance we increased our mileage by 10 percent, from today’s 25 miles per gallon to 28 mpg, that would achieve the same goal for, well, forever — not for 20 years.

But no, keep driving your 3-ton runamuckas with their 15 mpg consumption to the store for groceries — then complain that we are not turning wilderness areas into sewers like Louisiana in the quest for limited resources. Or that we are not using the laws of mineral rights to put productive ranchers out of business, bankrupt them and ruin the land with no consequences.

Oh, and also ignore that oil would be a lot less expensive ($70 a barrel) if President Bush had not trashed the dollar by trashing the economy with this bottomless pit of a war. It might be less expensive still if we had not taken so much of Iraq’s oil off the table with this war, and made access to other oil riskier.

Discussion: 2 comments so far…

By The_Onion

5/15/08 at 11:06 a.m.

Suggest removal

I couldn't agree more. The idea of destroying ANWR for a band-aid solution to our larger problems is insane. The dollar is weak because our country is weak. We spend and spend on a futile war and we refuse, as Americans, to change the course. We should be more like the America of the 1940's, you know, the one where we sacrificed because we knew that the world depended on us. Well, the world needs us now, to be strong and resolute. I don't buy the "limbaugh line" that enviromainiacs just want to see our economy fail so nature can survive. If we don't act now, their is nothing that our economic will can do to stave off collapse. In addition, what is so damn American about making multi-national oil companies rich?
By NVMakz

5/15/08 at 11:48 a.m.

Suggest removal

There will be no destruction of ANWR, that's a lie - our dollar is weak because uber-lib-facists block the way for us to drill our own energy, while paying for alternatives' development- The war is being WON right now, like it or not, and da liberal keeps paying for it - The "Limbaugh Line" IS the facts of it - "big oil" earns 5-6cents / gallon profit, while government TAXES to 50-95cents.

In every generation, there are a few who simply give up, give in. Live with it!!

Eat an "Onion"!! It will give your post a much better smell. Not like the smell of rot, fear, sloth and resignation yours came here with..........