Yeah, what about the people? Let's start off with a former mayor of the area, Benjamin P. Nageak…

"This world of the Arctic, including the vast expanse termed the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by the United States government, has seen my people's footprints throughout history. We used the resources God gave us to build a life for our families.

This is why it is hard for my people to understand how anyone can view ANWR as some vast, frozen wilderness untouched by human hands. This picture of ANWR leaves out one of its most important elements - the Inupiat people who have shared the resources of that land with its animals since pre-history."

He wraps up his statement (referenced below) with the following words:

"We have the greatest stake possible in seeing that any and all development is done in such a way as to keep this land safe. Because it is our world. It is where we live. It holds the remains of our ancestors. It holds the future of our children."

And as an associated bonus, Alaskans support the opening up of the ANWR for oil and gas exploration—by a wide margin: 75 percent for, 19 percent against, six percent unsure.

To me, here's the most compelling reason to open up the ANWR: Reducing our dependence on foreign oil, especially from the Middle East. Read into that what you will, starting with the obvious things: The War on Terror and getting our troops home.

Technologies have greatly reduced the footprint of oil development. Prudhoe Bay's footprint would be 64 percent smaller with today's technology.

As a matter of Fair and Balanced Blogging, I visited the Sierra Club Web site. It's pretty, but it doesn't seem to say much.

Take a look at their "Call Now to Save the Arctic!" piece. There doesn't even seem to be a single maybe-fact in it. They wrap it up with a couple of interesting points to tell our representatives…

"Americans deserve a cheaper, quicker, safer and cleaner energy policy that safeguards the wild places we care so deeply about. We cannot drill our way to energy independence, but we can embrace responsible measures and real, 21st Century energy solutions that make cars go farther on a gallon of gas, promote conservation, invest in clean renewable energy, and protect our natural heritage."

Yeah, we do deserve better policy. But, um……what's the plan, folks? The Sierra Club doesn't have one, from what I could see. They speak in generalities that any budding politician would adore. For example..

"By simply increasing fuel efficiency standards for our cars to an average of 40 miles per gallon we could save more oil than we currently import from the Persian Gulf or could ever extract from the Arctic Refuge, combined."

Simply increasing the CAFE standard to 40 mpg? What kind of drugs are you taking, folks, and are you willing to share? There's a better chance of Santa Clause whomping a half a million — all in small, unmarked bills — down everyone's chimneys next month.

To be fair, as discussed in other articles on the IMT Blog, alternative energy plans do exist, and could work. Eventually, they will work. At this time, however, they're economically or technologically unfeasible.

So, umm, what do you think? Stay out of the ANWR or git 'er done?

References

House Shelves Alaska Drilling in Budget Fight
Subscribers: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/10/national/10cong.html
Non-Subscribers: http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051110/ZNYT02/511100855

Energy Information Sheets: Petroleum Products
http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/infosheets/petroleumproducts.htm

Top Ten Reasons to Support Development in ANWR
http://www.anwr.org/topten.htm

Inupiat Eskimos First, Best Environmentalists
http://www.anwr.org/people/nageak.html

Inupiat Eskimos First, Best Environmentalists
http://www.anwr.org/people/nageak.html

ANWR Poll
http://www.anwr.org/poll.htm

Call Now to Save the Arctic!
http://www.sierraclub.org/arctic/callnow.asp

Other Reading Material

Deficit Reduction Through Domestic Energy Supply
http://www.anwr.org/archives/deficit_reduction_through_domestic_energy_supply.php#more

Alaska Oil Drilling
http://www.govspot.com/issues/anwr.htm

Bush Pushes for Alaskan Drilling as Oil Prices Climb
http://www.guardian.co.uk/oil/story/0,11319,1434305,00.html

Alaskan Drilling Not So Bad
http://www.dailycampus.com/media/paper340/news/2005/02/16/Commentary/Alaskan.Drilling.Not.So.Bad-866062.shtml?norewrite&sourcedomain=www.dailycampus.com

Arctic Drilling Supporters Plot New Tactic
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/08/07/arctic.refuge.ap/

Bill Nelson's Puzzling Opposition to Alaskan Drilling
http://www.gopsenators.com/newsdesk/document.aspx?ID=1165