Reader Comments on ANWR Drilling Issue

Pete:

Your "Yes" column is inaccurate.  Is info from politicians?

(1.) The proceeds from drilling could dramatically lower the price of oil,
leading to another economic boom.

The EIA says that "technically" (ignores cost of oil production) recoverable
Refuge oil would only replace other declining Alaskan sources.  And they
admit that OPEC controls world oil prices.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/ogp/results.html

Does the almost 1 million barrels a day currently coming from Alaska
"dramatically lower the price of oil"?
http://www.alyeska-pipe.com/

(2.) It would lessen our dependence on foreign oil, especially in the Middle
East.

No, at best, it maintains current domestic production.  U.S. consumption
would continue to rise, increasing our dependence (unless we significantly
increase efficiency).  Oil is a global market.  Even if we imported no oil
from the ME, they'd still impact our oil prices

(3.) Drilling could easily be done without disrupting the refuge or damaging
the environment.

Not according to the scientists,
'Potential Impacts of Oil and Gas Development on Refuge Resources'
http://arctic.fws.gov/issues1.htm#section4

A speculative map of what the 2,000-acre "limit" allows,
http://www.inforain.org/Northslope/anwr_3.htm

(4.) It would dramatically help the economy and the people of Alaska.

Alaskans would continue getting their yearly "negative" income tax checks
from oil, but the U.S. economy would be basically unchanged.  See (1) above.

More deceptions debunked, at Senator 'Murkowski Watch'
http://www.nrdc.org/land/wilderness/artech/farcmurk.asp

Additional for your "No" column,

The business case against drilling, problems with the Trans Alaska Pipeline,
and other factors,
http://www.uspirg.org/reports/falseprofits2003.pdf
http://www.rmi.org/images/other/Energy/E01-04_FoolsGoldAnnot.pdf

We (and oil companies) would be forced to rely on an old, corroded, worn,
800-mile pipeline so indefensible a drunk shut it down with a hunting rifle.
A midwinter shutdown could congeal the heated oil, restart impossible until
next summer.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1584553.stm

Unknown oil geologies. The Badami oil field is between Prudhoe and ANWR, did
not produce as expected.
'Badami pipeline shutdown approved'
http://www.petroleumnews.com/pnads/232460769.shtml
'BP to mothball Badami'
http://www.petroleumnews.com/pnads/638153503.shtml

'Reducing America's Energy Dependence
Breaking our addiction to oil is the real solution to high gas prices. '
http://www.nrdc.org/air/transportation/gasprices.asp

'Building a Better SUV'
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/cars_and_suvs/page.cfm?pageID=1249

Ford's Escape Hybrid SUV
http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release.cfm?newsID=408

'Drilling in Detroit '
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/cars_and_suvs/page.cfm?pageID=228

Higher efficiency is our nation's largest "source" of energy, producing FIVE
times more than our domestic oil production.
http://www.rmi.org/images/other/EnergySecurity/S02-05_TakesMoreThanDrill.pdf

http://oilendgame.org/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------