ANWR: My perspective.

[Indiana_Dem]

I often hear people around me and right wing pundits often complain that we aren't drilling for our own oil here in America, especially ANWR. Environmental aspects aside, my take is this: why would the USA allow the consumption of our remaining oil by the average joe's? I think it would be much more wise to save it for military purposes in the event we would be cut off from our suppliers???

This is why I don't understand the thought processes of the general populace and the right wing pundits who want drilling to occur in ANWR and other US locations.....

just my 2 cents.

[mike_c]

1. eviserating the U.S. military is about the only reason...

...I'd ever consider SUPPORTING ANWR drilling! :rofl:

Damn, I might have to rethink my opposition!

[HereSince1628]

2. The US military is supporting solid to liquid fossil fuel conversion

ANWR hasn't got what it takes to keep the US Military machine going.

ANWR is a fight about conservation. Contemporary Rapeublicans HATE the notion that any social value could stand in the way of 100% exploitation of dollar-value that they can imagine.

[Indiana_Dem]

4. But were you aware that there is only 6 months to 2 years worth of oil in ANWR?

With the US's present level of consumption this is how much oil is there. I wish this fact would be publicized so that the average person would realize it. It really irritates me.

[HereSince1628]

5. Yes, that is why I said there isn't enough there to meet the military's need.

The US Military has cast its lot with COAL, NOT ANWR. The US has more known coal reserves than any other nation on earth.
It ain't gonna be clean. It ain't gonna stop fossil subsidies from being added to the atmosphere. But it is gonna keep the systems that support the Empire fueled way into the next century.

The GOP wants to drill in ANWR as a matter of priniciple. ANWR isn't significant to them because of its energy reserves. It's significant to the GOP because it is a barrier to the Free Market Robber Barons.

[Fovea]

3. Less than a months worth

of oil for the world.

And what do we get in return for something that belongs to the American people?

Let's leave this for better technology and greater need.

[rurallib]

7. from what I heard they can't even get equipment in there anyway

due to global warming, the permafrost has turned to slush most of the year. Bushco supposedly allowed test drilling in there (illegally) and the oil companies had to airlift equipment in. Way too much work and cost for the little oil that is supposedly there.
I do not have a reference for this. Heard this on NPR's ATC about 4 years ago.

[Lorien]

8. Not for the world; for America. And only a few states in America at that

the last estimates I read said that there is enough oil in ANWR to supply the US with 1-3% of it's oil needs for up to six months. Hardly worth it, considering the billions that would be given to Halliburtan to build the infrastructure. it would be better to take that taxpayer money and work on developing clean renewables with it-or a high speed Mag-lex system!

[brentspeak]

6. ANWR oil = Oil sold to the highest foreign bidder

That's the little fact the ANWR-drilling supporters conveniently leave out.

[hunter]

9. It's going to get too expensive to drill for oil because oil is too expensive.

The economic infrastructure that allows us to extract hard-to-get oil has been built upon the easy-to-get oil. As easy-to-get oil production declines -- as appears to be happening in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere -- the infrastructure required to produce hard-to-get oil deteriorates.

I think the big oil companies have figured this out, they have all the numbers even if we do not. They know the game is ending soon, and that very soon now angry peasants carrying pitchforks and torches will be breaking down the doors, so they take all the money they can off the table and prepare their escape.

This is gonna suck. It's not just about the price of gasoline. It's about the price of most everything.

[AlCzervik]

10. imo if they drilled in anwr whatever oil there might be would be sold off to the higest bidder.

no way would that oil stay here.