Dubya's Policy to Drill ANWAR Points to His Losing Touch

[JoseCuervo]

An Environmental and Energy Policy that have been anti-Hunters continues to cause Dubya to lose touch to his own backers.

Bush Becoming Environmental Odd Man Out

The Bush Administration has become the environmental "odd man out". Europe has replaced us as the global leader in spreading progressive environmental reforms. The European Union has much stricter regulation of toxic chemicals than we do. There the burden of proof invariably falls on the manufacturer to prove a product is reasonably safe before it can enter the marketplace. We're not nearly so cautious.

Virtually the entire international community has been more aggressive than us in setting deadlines and quotas for meeting pollution reduction goals to alleviate global warming. Even in the developing world, China is enacting tougher vehicular fuel economy and emission standards than exist on our shores.

Europe has eclipsed us in launching the gradual transition from a fossil fuel economy to reliance primarily on clean, renewable energy sources. Applications of solar and wind energy are far more widespread in Europe and Japan than here, even though we pioneered many of the technologies.

The situation is not much better for Bush and company on the domestic front. Americans of all political persuasions are backing away from the president's environmental policies. Despite Bush's skepticism towards the threats posed by global warming, many major American multi-national corporations have taken their cue from stricter foreign environmental requirements. They are instituting their own pollution reduction and energy conservation programs.

Former Reagan Administration officials are urging President Bush to be more aggressive than he has been on energy conservation and alternative fuels.

Bush's concern that the cost of implementing global warming curbs will have a chilling effect on our industrial output has been refuted by an agency within his own bureaucracy. The Energy Information Administration concludes that restrictions on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases would have a negligible impact on the U.S. economy.

A number of states are not waiting for the president to see the light. They are moving ahead with compulsory limits on auto and power plant emissions far more stringent than federal standards. Although Bush has reneged on his promise to regulate power plants' carbon dioxide emissions contributing to global warming, the attorney generals of eight states are seeking to set things right by suing five delinquent electric utilities. Bush may be sluggish in mandating that utilities commit to a certain percentage of renewable energy use, but 18 states have enacted renewable energy standards that will save consumers more than $10 billion.

The president is encountering growing resistance --often from traditional allies--to his plans to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Range's (ANWR) coastal plain and huge swathes of remaining undeveloped land in the Rocky Mountain states. It's no small wonder. By simply pumping up their tires to the proper pressure, Americans would free up as much oil as is expected to be derived from the unique ANWR wilderness. Regarding the Rocky Mountain region, approximately 85 percent of its oil and gas is already available for leasing.

Increasingly aware of these realities, a majority of Americans oppose industrial activity in ANWR. The governors of New Mexico and Wyoming have objected to Bush's proposed energy development plans in their respective states. Long-time Republican ranchers, farmers and hunters in the Rocky Mountain region suddenly find themselves parting ways with their president and collaborating with environmental organizations previously viewed as adversaries.

A typical example is Tweeti Blancett, a New Mexican rancher who ran the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign in the northwestern part of her state; she is now organizing ranchers against energy development on federally-owned grazing land.

Other loyal constituencies are also distancing themselves from Bush's environmental policies. A number of Evangelical Christian organizations are lobbying for measures to reduce the threat of global warming, and to strengthen the Endangered Species Act that the president would like to see diluted.

George W. Bush may say the politically correct things to celebrate Earth Day 2005, but his policies are inexorably propelling him towards "green" isolation.

 

[BuzzH]

I think this is the most telling part of the entire article:

Increasingly aware of these realities, a majority of Americans oppose industrial activity in ANWR. The governors of New Mexico and Wyoming have objected to Bush's proposed energy development plans in their respective states. Long-time Republican ranchers, farmers and hunters in the Rocky Mountain region suddenly find themselves parting ways with their president and collaborating with environmental organizations previously viewed as adversaries.

Used to be if you hunted the Front in Montana...you better not show up without an NRA/Republican bumper sticker on the Ford F-250...now you better have a nature conservancy and "prune the shrub" bumper sticker on the subaru outback...

 

[Erik in AK]

The "majority" of Americans don't know like which state ANWR is even like in.

As far as we in Alaska are concerned, and with the noted exception of a few dope-addled hippies aside, the majority of those of us who actually contribute to society, want ANWR drilled. We have the technology to do it cleanly and the country needs the oil and Alaska needs the jobs.

I don't doubt that some Bush supporters are upset about his energy policy but that has little to do with ANWR. Drilling on the north slope was part of his 2000 platform--nothing hidden in this agenda...........

 

[JoseCuervo]

Erik,
How about if we all pump up our tires to the proper air pressure, then we wouldn't have to drill in the middle of a Wildlife Refuge??? We could let WILDLIFE live there and not worry about providing jobs to Alaskans at the expense of our hunting and fishing opportunities.

 

[BuzzH]

Erik,

The choice on ANWR is not up to AK residents...what part of NATIONAL dont you understand in NATIONAL wildlife refuge? National...meaning belonging to all people of the United States...meaning some hippie in Southern California has as much say in what happens in ANWR as Erik in AK does. Like it or not...thats the way she works...and rightfully so.

Also, I dont owe Alaskans a job...if they cant find a job in AK, tough...move to where you can find a job. Since when do the feds owe Alaskans jobs? Must have missed that somewhere.

By the way, just because shrub didnt hide something in his "agenda" sure as hell doesnt mean its not a stupid-assed idea...and totally unnecessary.

Shrub is a tool...

 

[cjcj]

And this is a Sportsman Issue?

Sounds like another current event ...Yea BABY YEA.

 

[JoseCuervo]

CJ,

Do you not hunt???? Don't you know why we have WILDLIFE Refuges??? Don't you think an energy policy to ruin hunting is a Sportsmans Issue???

 

[cjcj]

Yes actualy i do... just making a point for you and Buzzy [illegals are a sportsman issue] also....don`t you and Buzz agree.

 

[ringer]

They used to have real men in Montana until the hippies and rich boys with more money than brains took over the state. I know a few good men still inhabit the area and hope the harsh winters drive out the vermin and those good men stand their ground. I know that Alaskans know how to tcob and hope they win the battle. The whole ANWR histeria is manufactured and the animals will not be impacted based on the pipeline data. Nothing like lawyers and gubmint workers to keep the politics going.

 

[Erik in AK]

Jose, I agree that properly maintained vehicles would have a positive impact on our national petroleum consumption.

My point was that public sentiment against drilling has been largely driven by environmentalist propaganda. The issue has NOT been factually rendered to the public outside Alaska. The so-called environmental catastrophy that would suppossedly result from drilling in the coastal plain is nothing more than a campaign slogan for organizations who's primary function is to raise money.

To underscore my point about public awareness...where is your outrage over the Pogo or Pebble mines? Open pit mines of that magnitude will certainly disturb at least a thousand percent more habitat then the Keyhole spur.

Buzz you're a biologist right? At the least, you're well educated in this discipline.

I invite you to contact your bretheren at the AK DF&G. Your subsequent research will prove conclusively to your scientific mind, that the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, despite being met with the same apocalyptic hew-and-cry as ANWR, ultimately had zero long term impact on caribou numbers or herd dynamics. The only creatures truly affected were mosquitos, as they lost a few hundred hectares of habitat to road bed construction.

You make a good point about ANWR being a national asset but you missed something that never seems to make the debate...our statehood compact. As a condition of statehood, the federal government granted the State of Alaska, subsurface and mineral rights in perpetuity.

We, as in Alaska, owns the oil that lays under the tundra. The debate is over access.

Drilling in the Keyhole Site will amount to a 30 mile extension to a pipeline system thats already 800 miles long or a roughly 3.6% increase.

In all sincerity, if you ever care to explore or hunt ANWR please contact me and I will be happy to show you one of my favorite places.

 

[Delw]

Now this is the SI I am used to...
Carry on


Delw

 

[FAIRCHASEBEN]

Erik,
How about if we all pump up our tires to the proper air pressure, then we wouldn't have to drill in the middle of a Wildlife Refuge?

You can't seriously believe this BS HoseGummer ?
OK then I've got a better one for you ; If we all bought a deck of cards and stuck one card on everyones car antenna and drive with the wind at our back we could stop buying arab oil with the energy saved .

 

[MattK]

FCB- Jose has a point with proper tire rotation and tire inflation. I have heard different figures but the claim is being made that if vehicles are properly maintained, there would be enough energy (gas and oil) saved that drilling in the United States altogether could be stopped. Of course, that's an unrealistic dream.

I have yet to hear anyone say there is a shortage of oil and that is the reason for drilling ANWR. The price of gas right now has very little to do with the amount of oil. It does directly correlate with the number of oil manufacturers in the US (and the fact there is a monopoly on oil manufacturing).

 

[JoseCuervo]

FugginHasBeen,

“Not knowing the condition of your vehicle’s tires is equal to pouring money down the drain,” said Steve Mazor, the Auto Club’s principal automotive engineer. “Proper tire inflation is necessary for safe driving and to reduce gas costs.”

“Under-inflated tires can cut fuel economy by up to two percent per pound of pressure below the recommended level,” said Mazor. Every other fill-up, motorists should walk around their vehicles and check tires for uneven or excessive tread wear and proper inflation. They can refer to the vehicle’s doorjamb or glove box for original specifications or the manufacturer of the replacement tire for tire pressure inflation,” he added.

I know that I am now running Nitrogen in my tires on the SuperDuty and the Volvo....

 

[FAIRCHASEBEN]

OK ,
I checked the air in my tires now which card should I use and where do place it on the antenna ? Saving the planet is so much fun , I feel all warm and fuzzy already !

 

[JoseCuervo]

You gotta do more than just count the tires. My guess is you lost count a couple of times, didn't you????

 

[MarvB]

Every other fill-up, motorists should walk around their vehicles and check tires for uneven or excessive tread wear and proper inflation.

Thats gonna piss off those gas pumpers in Oregon, they don't like it when you get out of the car...

They can refer to the vehicle’s doorjamb or glove box for original specifications

Nope, I took the owners manuals out...less weight in the glove box = better mileage....

Jose` In all seriousness how many folks do you think do/or will do this?
I'm pretty dang anal about vehicle maintenance (including tire inflation and rotation) but check every other month at best. I also drive a crew cab 4wd and a Suburban 4wd so a makeover of the "fleet" would do a 1000X more on my consumption than 5psi.....time to do "all the right things" is a cost of business IMHO...