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The
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is an
incredibly important ecological treasure whose
value
lies in its wilderness and natural
beauty, not its finite supply of oil.
Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is
not a long-term, responsible energy strategy – we
cannot drill our way out of our current energy
problems.
ANWR is one of our
most valuable, unspoiled wilderness areas. Let’s
look at the facts: according to the Final
Legislative Environmental Impact Statement done by
the Department of the Interior, “The Arctic Refuge
is the only conservation system unit that protects,
in an undisturbed condition, a complete spectrum of
the arctic ecosystems in North America.” It
provides critical habitat for polar bears, the
largest international migratory caribou herd in the
world, and millions of birds and waterfowl that fly
to or through every state in the country. Wolves,
grizzly and polar bears, arctic foxes, and many
other wildlife species also frequent the refuge
during the summer months.
Drilling
in ANWR to reduce our dependence on foreign oil is a
false choice. The Department of
Energy’s Energy Information Administration has
stated that if drilling were permitted within the
Refuge, it would have a negligible effect on our
future reliance on foreign imported oil, only
dropping our percentage of imports from 62 percent
to 60 percent in 2020. At peak production, which
would be about 1 million barrels a day in 2025, the
refuge would supply less than 4 percent of the
country’s projected daily needs.
We must consider
alternative and more effective measures for solving
our Nation’s energy needs. For example, an increased
use of renewable fuels and improved fuel efficiency
standards would contribute greatly to solving many
energy-related problems. The key is to
make the best renewable and alternate energy systems
competitive with today's non-renewable sources of
energy so that they can be developed and used both
at home and sold abroad. We need to expand the mix
of the country's energy sources with the realization
that power from nuclear and fossil fuels will
continue to be large part of the energy basket in
the next decades - but we must encourage safer,
cleaner and decentralized sources as well.
In fact, the fastest,
cheapest, and cleanest step we could take toward
reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign oil
would be to improve the fuel efficiency of America’s
auto fleet – and particularly our biggest gas
guzzlers – SUVs and minivans. I have authored
legislation that would boost fuel economy standards
by holding light trucks, SUVs and minivans to the
same standard – 27.5 miles per gallon – as passenger
cars.
Developing hydrogen
fuel cells is another promising solution to our
energy woes. Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT) and I
introduced a bill recently to encourage the use of
this clean, cutting-edge energy source.
Specifically, the bill would give consumers a tax
credit for purchasing residential and commercial
fuel cell systems to power their electricity. Fuel
cell units in operation today are capable of running
24 hours a day, seven days a week, for more than
five years with only routine maintenance. They are
installed around the world in power plants,
hospitals, schools, banks, military installations,
and manufacturing facilities. Because no combustion
is involved, fuel cells produce virtually no air
pollution and significantly reduce carbon dioxide
emissions. In addition, they have the ability to run
on any hydrogen rich source, including propane,
natural gas, methane or diesel.
Mainers are
overwhelmingly against drilling in the refuge. Since
February 1st of this year, I have
received 1,137 calls, emails, faxes, and letters
against drilling and 10 in support of it. Mainers
realize that ANWR’s minimal contribution to our
energy needs is not worth despoiling such an
important ecological system. Finding
alternatives to drilling in ANWR that would have
less impact on the environment would mean less money
spent at the gas pump and less reliance on foreign
oil. Our energy policy must not include drilling in
this national treasure. |
