U.S. House Leaders Strip Alaska Oil Drilling From Budget Plan
I had to rub my eyes as I read this:
Nov. 10 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. House Republican leaders removed from a $50.5 billion budget-cutting plan a provision that would have opened an Alaska wildlife refuge to oil drilling in an effort to win support from dissenting members in their party.
Of course I am rejoicing over the preservation of the Arctic National Wildlife Preserve. A pristine tract of wilderness is not a chotchky for the petroleum industry.
What really caught my eye, though, is the willingness of Republicans to part with the White House and the floor leadership. Absent Tom Delay and with Shrub and Co. having every appearance of a mutated quacking duck and lead albatross, the dark cloud may have lifted. Maybe little Frodo Fitzgerald climbed to the mouth of Mordor and tossed in the ring. If that's the case, is there redemption for moderate Republicans with the center left? It will take more than one vote for me. Even if former snarly-mouthed, talking-points-shoveling, Iraq-war peddling, tax-cut and spend Republicans turn all nicey-nicey before the 06 election cycle - we still need to kick them out on their cans. There has been far too many irresponsible, party-line votes under the bridge to just plain forgive and forget. Thanks for the ANWR Vote, though. It should help you sleep better in your collective retirements.
posted by Chris Dykstra @ 1:39 PM |
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8 Comments:
Just remember to refrain from comment on high gas prices and dependency on foriegn oil in the future. We here in the US have few new sources of oil and taking one of those off the table will lead to higher prices and further. conservation and mass transit will not change those facts.
Dave
The idea that drilling in ANWR will lower gas prices is totally false.
1. Who do you think will set prices? Please observe the current examinations of the oil industry for reaping record profits in the face of supposed shortages. Anyway, oil is a global price. ANWR is a drop in the bucket and would not affect global pricing either way.
2. The amount of recoverable oil in ANWR is unknown.
3. ANWR will not be in full production for a decade, and even then, the most charitable estimates put it's total output at 2-4% of the US total oil consumption.
4. US dependence on foreign oil is trending upwards, thanks in large part to the Bushies so-called energy policy. ANWR will not stop the rise in US consumption of oil because it is the policy of this administration to *increase* foreign oil consumption.
5. We need an apollos like program to develop energy independence and away from fossil fuel consumption. In the intervening decade before ANWR would even make an impact, why not sink that $20 or 30 billion into research. Hell, I'd even subsidize big oil to get out of the oil biz.
answers to your points
1 Our recent price spikes where caused by several factors, including global price speculation, damage to refining and production in the gulf region, global terror. Having another source for oil that is not subject to an increased hurricane cycle makes sense.
2 then lets find out. Those with the knowledge think there is a pretty good amount as even you admitted in your point 3.
3 better to start not than wait 10 mores years. The ANWR debate has been going on since the early 90's those resources could already be online or nearly so. Next time you are offered a 4% raise will you turn it down as being insignificant?
4 Our energy consumption is increasing along with productivity and population since we have chosen not to develop local resources ANWR, Florida, Nuclear (though I have big concerns there) and others where are we going to get it? It is not Bushes policy to take domestic resources off the table it is yours.
5 You missed a few basics of energy, the number 1,2 and 3 reasons we rely on oil as our primary energy source is that it is the most available, cheapest, most powerful option available. All other options provide less energy per unit of measure, are harder to process/create/develop. or are in limited supply that cannot be developed enough. Some require vast amounts of energy input for any given output (see ethynol/hydrogen etc..) which limited thier benefits.
There is no magic bullet that can be found via some big goverment program or private sector company the existing unused sources of energy (we know them all) are all far less useful and thus the lack of adoption by consumers.
6 ANWR is 19 million acres a little over 1/3rd of minnesota at 55 million acres the foot print of the oil facilties will be the size of the MSP airport (~2500 acres).
Dave
out of necessity and demand, i fully expect technology will play an important role in weaning us off of dinosaur power.
also, i meant to publicly thank Norm Coleman for sticking to his word on this issue.
can we talk about what an ass bill o'reilly is? I'm going to go run to my bomb shelter because osama is currently loading suitcase bombs in the BART chunnel. watch out! there goes coit tower!!
Oh, I need to stay on topic, hydrogen power? What about a nuclear powered Humvee?
-lj
Don't get too excited yet.
The Senate Bill includes it, and it just may come back in conference.
Chris is somewhat correct, the supply of oil is not the only factor in the price of fuel. Afterall, its only the raw material, not the finished product. However, its certainly not disconnected either, and a bump in the raw materials will have a stabilizing effect on price if nothing else.
-Censored
Dave said, "Just remember to refrain from comment on high gas prices and dependency on foriegn (sic) oil in the future. We here in the US have few new sources of oil and taking one of those off the table will lead to higher prices and further."
ANWR may be a U.S. source, but companies who drill there have no obligation to give that oil back to the U.S. market. In all likelihood, all ANWR oil would be exported.
- John
Bill O'Reilly invites al Qaeda to blow up San Francisco
If this were a game of chess, I'd probably sacrifice Michael Moore to get Bill O'Reilly off the board, even though I don't think they're at all equivalent.
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