Senate votes for ANWR oil drilling - GreenHybrid

Jason · #1 (**permalink**) 03-16-2005, 06:05 PM

This isn't "hybrid news," but thought some of you would appreciate the article.

Quote:

Amid the backdrop of soaring oil and gasoline prices, a sharply divided Senate on Wednesday voted to open the ecologically rich Alaska wildlife refuge to oil drilling, delivering a major energy policy win for President Bush. The Senate, by a 51-49 vote, rejected an attempt by Democrats and GOP moderates to remove a refuge drilling provision from next year's budget, preventing opponents from using a filibuster -- a tactic that has blocked repeated past attempts to open the Alaska refuge to oil companies.

The action, assuming Congress agrees on a budget, clears the way for approving drilling in the refuge later this year, drilling supporters said.

- http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/....ap/index.html

AZCivic · #2 (**permalink**) 03-16-2005, 07:27 PM

From what I read, it's estimated to have perhaps 6 billion barrels of oil there. Sounds like a lot at first, until you read that they want to be able to pump a million barrels a day. That means 6 bil would last 16 years.. and by the way the US currently uses 20 million barrels a day. So by opening it up, we might increase our capacity by 5% of what we currently use, and be flat out of oil in 16 years. Sounds like a bad idea to me.

gbl102 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-17-2005, 04:50 AM

This is such bad news.

I continue to be frustrated and discouraged by this administration.

Jumperless · #4 (**permalink**) 03-17-2005, 07:23 AM

It's very sad, a short term solution to a problem that will cause a lot of damage and could easily be avoided with current technology and improved standards.

lars-ss · #5 (**permalink**) 03-17-2005, 08:04 AM

It's just a few drilling rigs, a few new roads, and maybe a pipeline connection. It's not that big a deal.

I grew up in Texas, where we had drilling rigs all over the dang place, 24x7. Did not hurt our wildlife one bit.

It's a big To-Do about nothing - just a bunch of enviro greenies trying to protect something that's not really going to be affected much at all.

gbl102 · #6 (**permalink**) 03-17-2005, 10:06 AM

Sorry Lars- I'm going to have to go ahead and disagree with you on that. How is it that you know it didn't hurt the wildlife in Texas? Where did you read that? I have several friends in the DEP and I can tell you, everything man does has an environmental impact. Roads and construction affect migratory patterns, breeding patterns, everything. The pollution that a single drilling rig puts out on its own is staggering. Its not a big to-do about nothing at all. Texas is one of the poorest examples of environmental prudence, by the way. I don't think you can really use it as a good example.

RipRip · #7 (**permalink**) 03-17-2005, 10:18 AM

Besides oil rigs make good stands to shoot caribou from. Come on they would only need about 2000 acres of the 19 million.

gbl102 · #8 (**permalink**) 03-17-2005, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RipRip

Besides oil rigs make good stands to shoot caribou from. Come on they would only need about 2000 acres of the 19 million.

I hope your kidding, right?

RipRip · #9 (**permalink**) 03-17-2005, 10:24 AM

Ya the first part about shooting from the oil rig was a joke you should at least get a few hundred yards away from them before pull the trigger.

gbl102 · #10 (**permalink**) 03-17-2005, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RipRip

Ya the first part about shooting from the oil rig was a joke you should at least get a few hundred yards away from them before pull the trigger.

i see.