[big_countryks]

You are referring to the ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) in the Northeast corner of Alaska? First of all, the oil will be drilled on the coastal plain, so unless you hunt geese off shore in freezing arctic waters I think you will be ok. The ANWR province will yield up to 1.5 million barrels of oil per day. According to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Resources that 1.5 million barrels, coupled with the Interior Departments estimate on future Gulf of Mexico production, could replace the amount of oil we import from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Iraq combined. I, for one, think that being less reliant on other countries for our energy sources is a good thing. Besides, how many people do you think goose hunt that area?

 

[big_countryks]

 

[big_countryks]

Looks like a frozen wasteland to me. I just love spending 2.25 a gallon on gasoline!! :thumbsdown:

 

[big_countryks]

I don't understand where you think Bush is getting rich off of oil prices. Show me some proof, don't you think if his bank account was getting bigger from this the media would be all over it? Secondly, have you ever taken an economics course? Oil prices were actually higher in the 80's when adjusted for inflation. Just because the price of gas is higher nominally, doesn't mean that it is higher relative to any other good or service now-a-days.

 

[big_countryks]

Show me where our president is getting wealthy off of the current oil situation. Also, if you read the New York Times yesterday you would see that there were weapons of mass destruction after all, including nuclear, that were looted by what they think was a professional job following the initial invasion on Iraq. The purpose of the story was to make the Bush Administration look stupid for not guarding these 4 or 5 facilities but in the process OOPS! they accidentally admitted that American, British and any other credible intelligence agency was right after all...there WERE weapons of mass destruction and are now probably located in either Syria or Iran. This was the whole premise for why you disagreed with us being there, now what do you have to say?

 

[big_countryks]

Let's set aside the fact that the portion of ANWR we are arguing over was set aside by congress in the 60's for oil drilling and exploration. Just to help you get some perspective, if the ANWR area was a tennis court, the portion set aside would be the size of a newspaper.
For those who are worried about the environmental impact of this, let not your hearts be troubled. The Central Arctic caribou herd near the oil fields at Prudhoe Bay have grown an average of 8.5% a year. As for the geese, section 1002 (the portion that will be drilled upon) is nothing more than an iced over dirt field, frozen wasteland if you will. While ANWR in general is prime breeding habitat, section 1002 specifically is not.
Now if we can accomplish some energy independance and not harm the environment at the same time, I call that a victory for "both" sides. :salude: