http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/features/details?item_id=796496
Stage is Set to Drill in Arctic Refuge
It's been our greatest protected wilderness, and many of us have
fought tooth and nail to keep it that way. But thanks to a recent
Senate vote, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is now a
significant step closer to becoming an industrial wasteland for the
oil industry.
For more than two decades, Democrats and some moderate Republicans
have been beating back attempts to open the refuge to oil drilling
with strong backing from the public. On March 16, 2005, however, the
Senate voted to clear the way for oil and gas drilling. The Senate
rejected an amendment offered by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) that
would have removed the sanctuary drilling revenue from the 2006
budget.
Take Action! Save the Arctic Refuge
An Incalculable Loss
Arctic wildlife is already gravely threatened by global warming,
caused by the very industries that intend to pillage the refuge's
natural resources. Polar bears and other mammals have less and less
access to food sources, as they depend on melting sea ice to provide
platforms for hunting and fishing. If the oil industry is allowed to
begin drilling, these and other wildlife, such as caribou and
migratory birds, will face the prospect of oil spills and the
accumulation of noxious pollution that is an inevitable part of oil
and gas development.
Drilling in the Arctic is no solution to our energy crisis. While
weaning ourselves away from foreign oil is a noble endeavor, the
solution does not lie in destroying our country's pristine areas for
a few months of oil. Instead, the government should be investing our
tax dollars in clean, renewable energy such as solar and wind.
So What Now?
Hope is not lost. First, the Senate must pass its 2006 budget
resolution. In the meantime, the House will be passing its own 2006
budget resolution. Then, the two bodies must reconcile their budgets,
and both must agree to the Arctic drilling measure.
That means time is short. We need to send a message to Congress now,
telling our representatives that this measure is unacceptable. With
gas prices at an all-time high and no end in sight to our occupation
of Iraq, politicians are scrambling to find ways to meet our energy
needs (yet somehow renewable energy sources like wind and solar still
elude them). They are feeling the heat to drill for crude oil
contained in the refuge - even though experts think there is just a
few months supply of oil.
We need to do our part. Our senators and representatives need to know
that their constituents care about this pristine wilderness, just as
much as the oil industry cares about lining its pockets.
Take Action!
Write your congressional representatives and let them know you won't
stand for this sneaky attack on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Urge them to vote against ANY measure that will open "the American
Serengeti" to unnecessary drilling. Take action now.
http://usactions.greenpeace.org/action/start.php?action_id=41
What do YOU think? Give your two cents on the possibility of drilling
in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by visiting our discussion
center.
A polar bear in Alaska . (c) Greenpeace/Beltra
Related stories
Oil Spill Devastates Alaska...Again
2004-12-14 | Features
Following in the Footsteps of Exxon Valdez
2003-11-13 | Features
Related Slideshows: Images from the Arctic
Get Involved
Receive up-to-date info and join the action.
Emailsubscribe
Greenpeace, Inc. 702 H St NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20001
1-800-326-0959
http://www.greenpeaceusa.org |