Scooby Doo wrote:
"Harry.Krause" wrote in
ink.net:
I'm sure one of the Bush-hogs will tell us that when adjusted for
inflation, we're actually paying less for gasoline now than at any
time in recent memory.
And the fools probably believe it, too.
A "fool" is someone who won't accept a compromise where he gets more than
92% of what he wants. ANWR is 19 million acres. The area identified as
the largest untapped petroleum supply in North America is 1.5 million
acres, or 7.9% of the 19 million. The proposal to open that 1.5 million
acres would create about 700,000 jobs, decrease our dependence on Middle
Eastern and other unstable foreign sources of energy, and allow 92.1% of
the wildlife refuge to remain untouched.
But supporters of alcoholic murderers like Ted Kennedy won't make that
compromise, because the thought of Schlumberger's CEO getting a bigger
Christmas (oh, excuse me, "Holiday") bonus keeps them awake at night.
Here's another definition of a fool: A guy who permanently disfigures
his face so he can look like an adventurous rogue for a hot blind date.
In 2000, US oil consumption was 7 billion barrels of oil per year.
Imported oil amounted to 3.8 billion of that total, and domestic
production was 3.2 billion.
There isn't some unlimited supply of oil at ANWR. USGS estimates with
95% certainty that we could recover at least 1.9 billion barrels of oil
(total) by drilling at ANWR. USGS estimates with 50% certainty that we
could recover
5.3 billion barrels, and there is only a 5% chance that we would
recover as many as 9.4 billion barrels.
Using the year 2000 figures, the 95% certain scenario says that by
carving up one of the few large and unspoiled natural areas in the US,
we would get enough oil to "reduce our dependence on imported oil by
50%"..FOR ONE YEAR!
The 50% certain scenario would provide enough oil to meet the total
crude oil needs of the US for about nine months, and the 5% certain
scenario would
produce enough oil to feed the US oil appetite for just over a year.
Here's an interesting thought: Cars and light trucks account for 40% of
our total oil consumption each year, or (by the year 2000 figures)
about 2.8 billion barrels. If we could improve fuel economy by only
10%, in 5 years we would have saved as much oil as the 95% certain USGS
estimate for recoverable oil from ANWR...without ripping up the
environment. And don't forget, if Bush talked Congress into letting BIG
OIL start drilling ANWR next week, it would take 4-5 years for oil to
start flowing. By improving fuel economy by just 10%, we would save all
the oil we can be 95% certain is in ANWR before we pumped a drop of it.
We are addicted to oil. Maybe we should try figuring out how to get
well, rather than continue to live like some crack addict worried about
what we can pawn tomorrow to pay for another hit.
As far as we know, ANWR is it. It's the last bottle of oxygen on the
space ship. Should we open it now to provide slightly more available
and affordable fuel our Hummers (and twin 454 gasoline boats), or maybe
hang onto it for a purpose we can't even imagine yet? What if we
discover that by
extracting some oddball element from 100 barrels of oil we come up with
the cure for cancer? It would be a shame if we had already burned it
all because we insisted on the free market right to "choose" deliberate
inefficiency in our commuting and recreational fuel uses.
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