ANWR: "A flat, white nothingness"

[SOteric]

A conversation I had the other night with a DU'er I'm close to reminded me that I hadn't posted about this in a while.

It's a subject I feel quite passionate about. The Bush Administration has described the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as "A flat, white nothingness." In an attempt to avoid public outrage over proposed oil drilling in the area, the Administration had the photographs of this talented young photographer, Subhankar Banerjee, removed from a proposed exhibit at the Smithsonian.

Please visit the link. See the photographs. Whatever decision is made about drilling the ANWR, the public should get an opportunity to see how breathtakingly beautiful it is in actuality.

http://www.naturalhistorysantamaria.com/july2004.html

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. The W and R stand for "Wildlife Refuge."

But then again, the Grand Canyon is just a whole in the dirt, New York City is a den of dirty libruls, and New Orleans is where black people live.

[InternalDialogue]

2. Mount Everest: Nothing more than a big hill

The Constitution: Just a piece of paper

Grand Canyon: Only a hole in the ground

Thanks for the link -- BTW, are you from Santa Maria? I lived there for a few years as a kid.

[SOteric]

3. No, I'm originally from San Francisco.

I live in Seattle now. The photographer, Banerjee was in Seattle for a number of years at the University of Washington. That's where I learned of his work.

:hi:

[ProSense]

4. Beautiful photos

[DS1]

5. Please don't deep-link

These people aren't made of money. Photobucket are, if you must.

Thanks for understanding.

[ProSense]

7. Huh? n/t

[papapi]

10. I doubt a few thousand hits...

in twenty-four hours will sink them. Internet SS.

[RC]

13. DU has overloaded web sites in the past from people linking to pictures.

It is called stealing bandwith. Theft, in other words. It is also against DU rules.

http://www.tipz.net/Bandwidth.htm

http://altlab.com/hotlinking.html

http://gidget.my100megs.com/definestealing.html


http://www.knitblog.com/bandwidth-thief.htm

[wryter2000]

6. Here's one I heard

From a regular freeper-type, not anyone in power. "Alaska? I'm never going there. Why should I care?"

[XOKCowboy]

14. Homer Simpson - I don't need to learn English...

I'm never going to England.

[roguevalley]

16. tell him if you can not to come. we accept anyone but we also

have enough assholes up here to last us. :P

[nomorenomore08]

8. Having ridden in a small plane over Alaskan ice fields, I think even a "flat white nothingness"

can be pretty cool. I admit that at times, out of desperation over gas prices, I've thought that drilling ANWR might be a necessary evil, but it can't be tapped quickly enough to be a short-term solution, and there isn't enough oil to be a long-term one.

If you ask me, the real "flat white nothingness" is the millions of Republicans pulling for McCain. :P

[ColbertWatcher]

9. Naturally, the Truthiness Encyclopedia has a "different view"...

ANWR is a giant wildlife preserve. It is a thin crust of land floating on a giant underwater ocean of oil. A small area on the coast (area 1002) is being proposed for drilling. For size comparison, if ANWR is a football field, the drilling area is a tic-tac.


The caribou are frightened by the oil drilling

--Truthiness Encyclopedia

Please stop by and post your own "information" about ANWR (remember, it's satire!).

[kestrel91316]

11. Ocean: A flat, wet, nothingness. At least if you're a Republikkkan.

[ismnotwasm]

12. Thank you for the link

I researched to area for my own knowledge a while back, even the oil companies who want to exploit this area know it's a precious, gorgeous part of the world. I won't link to any of the pro drilling sites, but they're full of "We won't hurt nuttin honest" verbage.

The Bush administration-- God I just no longer have words, even profanity isn't enough. (Unless, possibly I borrow something from "The Aristocrats" documentary)

[roguevalley]

19. they act like we can beam in and out of these areas, the sites

will only be yea small. the roads and etc will kill it forever. it takes about 200+ years for a boo boo to heal on this kind of desert.

[guitar man]

15. "A flat, white nothingness"

No, George, that would be the RNC :D

[MiniMe]

17. The line I hate is they would only drill on land the size of a postage stamp on a football field

They just don't get it. It isn't only the drilling, it is the roads and the pollution too.

[LSK]

18. please start calling it the Artic National Wildlife Refuge

[ColbertWatcher]

23. Good point. It reminds them it is a "wildlife refuge" n/t

[gatorboy]

20. So What's Alaska's take on this?

Has anyone taken a poll on whether they agree on ANWR drilling or not?

[Spike89]

21. I've heard pretty popular up there

My sister lives in Fairbanks and she told me that many of the people up there just aren't conservation minded, at least not when there is big oil money involved. In good years, each and every resident gets a $1,000 or so in oil money--basically buying loyalty. Doesn't really matter, the point is that people living in Alaska don't OWN the environment there (or the people in Oregon, Utah, NY, etc).

[Riktor]

27. It is all about priorities

Alaska has some serious development problems, and oil industry may prove a short-term solution. The derricks go up, the money pours in, and professionals from across the country move into a state that's desperately lacking in educators, doctors, and infrastructure.

I can't say I agree with it, but it is easy to see why Alaskans would prefer to see the oil business come to town.

Furthermore, there's so much wild, untamed land in Alaska, they probably figure, "What's a couple acres in the grand scheme of things?"

[Blue_In_AK]

25. Die-hard supporters on both sides of the issue.

Unfortunately, even our Dem politicians seem to think that supporting ANWR drilling is the way to get elected. It's maddening. Of course, it would bring monetary benefits to the state, not only in oil revenues but in jobs, but in my opinion it's definitely time to move "beyond petroleum" as BP is so fond of saying.

ed. Today's Supreme Court EXXON VALDEZ decision may cause people to have some second thoughts.

[City Lights]

22. Beautiful photos!

Thanks for the link.

[WindRiverMan]

24. That's PURE Bullshit

I have worked and hunted up there for many years. Amazing country with a subtle beauty and a harshness and cruelty that you can only understand through experience. I have watched the Northern Lights dance above me while I ate a fresh caught sheefish, washed my hands in the Artic Ocean, and been mosquito bait.

To paint that country as desolate and frozen, like say Antartica is criminal. I fear many of my fellow Americans will succumb to the lies though.

[Chuggo]

26. A flat white nothingness sounds more like a description for Bush.