Our Energy Future at Stake - Arctic Drilling Back on the Table

Posted: 08-Oct-2002; Updated: 09-Oct-2002

With the threat of war looming, Congress is steamrolling ahead with an energy package that could open the protected Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil drilling. Right now congressional members are at the conference table trying to reconcile the very different House version of the energy bill with the Senate's (which does not allow for Arctic drilling). Spurred on by the Bush administration, House Republicans are still bent on opening up pristine Arctic wilderness to oil interests under the guise of lessening the nation's dependence on foreign sources of oil.

With nine Democrats and eight Republicans on the conference committee, the balance could be tipped either way, and proponents of Arctic drilling are said to be offering meager concessions on energy-efficiency and actions to stem climate change in exchange for a green light on opening ANWR. No oil would actually be recovered for eight to 10 years and, even then, the scant amount of oil that could be recovered economically would hardly make a dent in U.S. oil supplies (whereas even a modest increase in the average fuel economy of American cars and trucks would save an equal amount or more).

Find out more about the upcoming congressional vote and securing our energy future. Visit our Energy, Arctic Drilling and Climate Change page.

Take action! Send a fax urging Congress to protect the Arctic Refuge from oil drilling and to secure our energy future.