7 congressional candidates visit Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Published Thursday, July 17, 2008
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ANCHORAGE -- Seven congressional candidates from across the country visited the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge this week, hoping the unusual campaign stop would draw support from voters battered by high fuel prices and a lethargic economy.
The candidates, all Republicans, said Thursday that the trip cemented their support for drilling in the refuge and vowed to cast their votes accordingly if elected to Congress.
"Our districts are crying out for help on these energy issues," said Craig Williams, a former assistant U.S. attorney who is running in suburban Philadelphia. "We need an energy plan now and although ANWR won't be the solution, it should be a component of that plan."
The candidates, from Indiana, Utah, Wisconsin, South Dakota and Pennsylvania, told reporters they were convinced that drilling could go forward in an environmentally safe manner and would barely make a dent on the vast Arctic tundra.
Outside, a group of about 30 environmentalists, Alaska Natives and others protested against drilling, which they said would ruin a key habitat for caribou, polar bears, whales and other wildlife.
"We just wanted to show that not all Alaskans believe this push for drilling is the solution," said Rebecca Noblin, an Anchorage-based attorney for Pacific Environment. "There's fuel conservation, alternative energy and other, better options."
Energy experts believe the extraction of ANWR's likely 11 billion barrels of oil would send a signal of increased U.S. interest in domestic energy production. However, in the long run, it likely would not significantly impact oil or gasoline prices.
The Energy Information Administration this year said that oil from the refuge would have only a slight impact on global oil prices, reducing them to $1.44 per barrel in 2027 in the best-case scenario. Assuming Congress approved its opening, it would take about a decade before the refuge could start producing.
The energy administration also predicted that dollars spent on foreign fuels would be reduced by at least $135 billion over a 12-year span ending in 2030.
The state-funded lobbying group, Arctic Power, set up in 1992 to push for drilling in ANWR, handled travel arrangements and other logistics for the "Congressional Challengers Tour." Candidates said they paid all expenses themselves during the three-day trip to the refuge and the Inupiat Eskimo communities of Barrow and Kaktovik, 600 miles north of Anchorage.
The group also included Paul Stark of Eau Claire, Wis., Chris Lien of Rapid City, S.D., Jason Chaffetz of Alpine, Utah, and Indiana candidates Mike Sodrel of New Albany, Luke Puckett of Goshen, and Greg Goode of Terre Haute.
The idea of drilling in the refuge is popular in Alaska, where roughly 85 percent of the state's general fund comes from oil royalties, and hearty support comes from both sides of the aisle.
Ethan Berkowitz, an Anchorage Democrat running for the seat held by longtime House Republican Don Young, said he would work to open ANWR despite his own party's long history of resistance. Young has been a vocal supporter of opening the refuge for years.
"Opening ANWR is going to require a bipartisan approach," Berkowitz said. "These guys will be in the minority, but I will be able to speak inside the majority to help make ANWR part of a comprehensive national energy policy."
Community Discussion
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Well maybe this might start some debate to bad it was interior states that came needed a few other outside corners to make a difference.
If Berkowitz gets in he might be in the minority judging from the way people are feeling about the Democrat controlled US congress. Their approval rating is even lower than the presidents.
Lakloey1: Don't be counting your chickens before they're hatched. LOL! From the numbers it looks like the Dems will be picking up quite a few seats in both houses of Congress this fall. Especially with all the Republican rats fleeing the sinking (and stinking) Republican ship! That President of yours that you Repubs thought was the absolute cat's meow just a few years back has so tarnished the Republican "brand" that they will be lucky if they can regain the majority in 50 years! The only reason the current Congress has such a low approval rating right now is because there are so many obstructionist Republicans in there, not to mention a veto-happy Republican President, that the Democrats can't get anything constructive passed. Once enough of those pig-headed Republican fools get swept away by the tide in November, the Democrats will be able to roll up their sleeves and put this country back on the right track! Mark my words, you'll be enjoying a nice fat slice of humble pie for breakfast come November 5th--I hope you like crow! LMAO!
Democrats really stink up Alaska! Huckfinn my guess is from Cali. Obama will lose and we will drill.
Pat
Gee pmcgraw, what a smart, stinging comeback! I'm blown away by your intellectual prowess--NOT! LOL! What makes you think I am from "Cali" as you slack jawed yokels in Bearflanks always seem call it. I guess it must be because I can express myself in a well composed, logical manner, which is apparently too much to expect from a knuckle dragging Neanderthal who doesn't even know how to spell California! This is like shooting trout in a barrel. Bring it on! Too fun!
Oh, and p.s. Alaskan born and bred here. I just had enough sense to move away from the dumb-dumb tree!
The San Francisco California based environmental group Pacific Environment is supporting the 15% of the people of the State of Alaska that doesn't want to drill ANWR. They had a good showing of 30 people versus what the other 550 thousand residents want for this State. I can understand that when a city has more people in it than our entire State has, that they think we need help keeping Alaska green, blue, white, pristine, or what ever the color their smog happens to be. I am suprised that we don't have anti gun groups from Washington D.C. helping us decide whether to carry pepper spray or guns. Since I already went down the sarcasm trail, Alaskans need to start a support group to go to other states and tell them how to fix their roads.
ONAPA needs to check his sources! Where do you get your statistics that only 15% of Alaskans want to keep ANWR safe from drilling? Have you ever BEEN to San Francisco? I suspect not, because it actually has some of the cleanest air of any city its size due to the fact it sits right on the Pacific Ocean and the prevailing winds drive any air pollution inland. You are obviously confusing San Francisco with Los Angeles, which happens to be 400 miles away! Try leaving your igloo for once! (I am obviously being facetious, to show you how ridiculous your logic is!) When one considers that less than 3% of Alaska is accessible by road (mostly gravel, BTW), your idea of Alaskans telling ANYBODY how to build roads is particularly asinine! Do you think you can just pull make-believe numbers out of your a--, and expect rational, thinking people to believe you? If anything, it exposes your faulty logic for all the world to see.
Okay Huck, take a break.
Here's what is interesting about the article:
"The Energy Information Administration this year said that oil from the refuge would have only a slight impact on global oil prices, reducing them to $1.44 per barrel in 2027 in the best-case scenario. Assuming Congress approved its opening, it would take about a decade before the refuge could start producing.
The energy administration also predicted that dollars spent on foreign fuels would be reduced by at least $135 billion over a 12-year span ending in 2030."
So eventually ANWR will have a tiny downward influence on prices and reduce our trade deficit by roughly $10 billion a year out of (?) $700 billion. Yet the reduced Fourth of July driving has driven the price of a barrel down from ~$149 TO $129. This means conserving can more quickly aid us than allowing corporations to lock up leases they have no interest in drilling (think Point Tompson and Exxon).
If your a dems good, repubs bad type thinker you are a fool. The leaders of both parties are using and abusing us all and the battle between the two parties is a smokescreen to hide their ill intentions.
I also like how someone can visit a sight for an afternoon and then be able to make an informed decision on a complicated issue like ANWR. I've been bouncing around up there for the last 15 years and I could go ether way on opening ANWR.
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