Looking North

After my post this morning about the legislation in the budget bills that would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration and drilling, I had a comment from one of our readers, asking, "don't you think we need to look in that direction, to lessen our need for foreign oil?" This is, of course, the rationale being used to push this legislation toward passage. In my reply, I urged my reader to do some research into this whole subject.

It's not easy to find information on the subject that is not biased in one direction or the other. I am clearly biased toward the maintainance of ANWR as a national treasure of wilderness and wonder, and entirely against despoiling it by all the human and mechanical trammeling that accompany the process of looking and drilling for, pumping and transporting of, oil.

But if you are as yet undecided, or feel insufficiently informed on the subject, I recommend this, a project by The Arctic Circle, this very thorough and balanced report: The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: A Special Report. A large amount of information is provided, in Part II - The Debate, there are government reports, pro-drilling articles and reports, as well as those from the environmental anti-drilling groups.

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