ANWAR and the energy crisis

[auburngrad82]

From MSNBC, March 16, 2004:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4542853/

WASHINGTON - Opening an Alaska wildlife refuge to oil development would only slightly reduce America’s dependence on imports and would lower oil prices by less than 50 cents a barrel, according to an analysis released Tuesday by the Energy Department.

The report, issued by the Energy Information Administration, or EIA, said that if Congress gave the go-ahead to pump oil from Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the crude could begin flowing by 2013 and reach a peak of 876,000 barrels a day by 2025.


Compare the 876,000 barrels per day in 2025 to the current levels of American oil exported to other countries as reported in the CIA's World Factbook:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html#Econ

Oil - exports:
1.048 million bbl/day (2004)

We are currently exporting more oil than we would be able to drill from ANWAR and we wouldn't even see any oil for at least five years. My question is if we absolutely have to drill for oil to meet the demand in our country, why are we exporting more than a million barrels per day?

It appears to me that the "oil crisis" is another slippery slope frame that the GOP so loves to use, like "pro life" and "gay marriage bans". Especially since the oil companies post record profits every time the price at the pump goes up due to hurricanes, speculators, war, etc. Basically, we're being had by the oil companies and the GOP.