Alaska's Resources - ANWR

We have all heard about Alaska's vast natural resources, and we all remember the Exxon Valdez and the pipeline incident that has environmentalists doing everything in their power to keep us from any further exploration anywhere, but especially in ANWR (Artic National Wildlife Refuge); But what exactly is the ANWR? Where is it? What is the issue? Alaska is HUGE! Its the largest state by physical size and it is the least densly populated not to mention that it is the least payed attention to in daily life! Most of us don't know anything about it really. They don't even have an NFL team, so what exactly is up there that the environmentalists are so worried about?

NOTHING! Now, don't get me wrong here, I am not discounting Alaska's contributions, accomplishments, or citizens. More specifically I mean that in the small area of ANWR where the major deposits and natural resources that are being constantly debated, there is NOTHING! Let me give you a little excerpt about ANWR and the specific region that is in question [exerpt from: http://www.anwr.org]

"Lastly at the top of ANWR, there is a special area of 1.5 million acres on the Arctic Coastal Plain called the “10-02” Area. The 10-02 Area takes its name from the section of the Congressional bill, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), that expanded ANWR in 1980. In Section 10-02 Congress set aside 1.5 million acres of the Arctic Coastal Plain specifically for “oil and gas exploration”. This 10-02 Area is classified legally neither as “refuge” nor as “wilderness”, rather defined and separated by Congress for oil and gas exploration due to its well-known geological evidence of potential large hydrocarbon deposits. The 10-02 area, is bordered on the north by the Beaufort Sea, on the east by ANWR “wilderness” area and the U.S. Canadian border, and on the west by the Canning River and ANWR outer border. It is completely flat and barren with no trees, hills, or mountains. Nine months of the year is covered with snow and ice and practically void of life. Three of those months are in total 24 hour darkness. In the 6 weeks of summer the coastal plain is dotted with thousands of lakes and is covered by boggy tundra on permafrost (permanently frozen ground)."

Ok, so lets get this straight. We have "30 years" worth of oil, plus natural gas etc all in a very small region that is basically barren wasteland that was originally set aside for future production, yet we cant do anything with it? This makes no sense! And the environmentalists are playing on the ignorance of the general public saying that we shouldn't produce these resources because they are in a "Refuge". Well, this area actually ISN'T in a refuge at all now is it? This area is not "Protected" by any laws. And there aren't any endangered species there. And nobody is asking for permission to explore the actual refuge or wilderness. Just the very small area that was initially se aside for production! This is the same as going to your grandmothers house where she has everything she needs to bake some cookies. The only reason that she has all those ingredients is to bake some cookies for you; but the City Council has been pursuaded by the group against cookies to not allow the baking of any cookies within the city! It just doesn't make any sense!

By screaming about the endangerment of NOTHING these select few groups of people are effectively forcing our fuel prices higher and higer and keeping us dependent on foreign resources! Educate yourselves America! Don't fall pray to the fray! Make your own independent INFORMED decision! Lets take back our country! We have the resources, lets develope them!

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