Some of you may have received emails lately with the subject: ANWR Deception. These emails disparage the democrats and the green point of view in general. While I'm not here to defend democrats or anyone else, I feel it is important to know the facts since most email forwards are completely bogus. This one doesn't lie necessarily, but it does present quite a bit of propaganda.
I present the following numbers:
The US imports around 5 billion barrels of oil per year. The US uses 7.6 billion barrels per year.
7 billion barrels is what we can expect in total production from ANWR at the outside top top top estimate. Over the life of drilling, which will be well beyond 30 years, we can expect the price of oil to drop about $1 per barrel as a result of drilling in ANWR. Oil is already $140 per barrel. If ANWR is allowed to be drilled now, we can expect a drop in gas prices of about 5 cents per gallon, in ten years.
We don't need oil from ANWR. It won't help us much anyway. The whole flapping thing will give us less than 1 year's worth (that's 2005 numbers) of oil, and it will take more than thirty years to get all of it. To put it in perspective, the Strategic Oil Reserve holds about one tenth of the total volume of what ANWR holds. It won't help us, it won't lower gas prices, and it sure won't help us get rid of our addiction to oil. Not that I am particularly against drilling there, but it would be like standing on the stern of the Titanic with a bucket.
I say we save it for say thirty years in the future when we need a source of plastic.
WiredForStereo
4 comments:
30 years from now we will be able to make plastic from Sunlight or from hydrogen fuel cells. Oh wait that is what we are betting all our chips on replacing oil with. We shall see.
We can already make plastic from potatoes, soy, vegetable oil, corn starch, and some others. So, let's just leave it in the ground. There will be much less chance for oil spills, acid rain components, and staining my favorite shirt.
What I think most people are ignoring is that the true problem is our dependence on oil to begin with. I dont care if they could lower gases prices by four dollars by drilling in my backyard, it's simply not the point. The technology exists to relieve our dependence on oil, why don't we use them? Well, we know why. We know that the government will lose all its kickbacks and all the profits that fill their pockets. While I don't really agree with either political party here, I think the democrats have a point. I just wish they would go about it differently. Instead of apply to us "tree-huggers", stating time and time again how oil drilling has and will hurt our lands, maybe they should focus on alternatives and start to bring to light ALL of the options available to this country. Maybe, just maybe, if the people had all the information, we might be able to rise up and have our voice be heard.
I am inclined to agree with you.
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