Avoid Arctic Drilling Via Energy Efficiency
A guest editorial from the Izaak Walton League of America in Madison, Wisconsin’s Capital Times:
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska itself offers many reasons to oppose such a proposal, such as its spectacular wilderness, wildlife and other natural resource values. A great refuge like the Arctic should be last on the list of places to drill.
But the league also believes that drilling should not happen without an equally aggressive program of national energy conservation. Without such measures, we will squander the refuge merely to extend our profligate and wasteful energy habits.
Drilling in the Arctic Refuge will not reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil by more than 1 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The DOE estimates that in 2015, the U.S. will need to import 63 percent of its oil. If drilling oil in the arctic refuge is approved, according to the DOE, we will still need to import 62 percent.
