Protect the Refuge

We urge Congress to reject the energy bill introduced by Senate Republicans last week that would permit exploratory oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The 19-million-acre region is one of the last territories of unspoiled wilderness in the United States, a refuge ecosystem home to hundreds of plant and animal species. Birds from across North America depend on the refuge as a vital migration area, as do caribou herds on which a number of native Alaskan communities rely. There is no reason to threaten this wilderness when we should be working towards energy conservation and efficiency.

President George W. Bush has asserted that new technology will prevent the drilling from having a significant effect on the wildlife. We find it difficult to believe that large-scale industrial drilling in a pristine wilderness will be innocuous. More importantly, there is no pressing need to drill the refuge--we are by no means clutching to our last barrel of oil, despite Bush's ridiculous and intellectually dishonest references to the California energy crisis. The wildlife refuge would provide too little oil to justify its despoilation.

According to an assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey, the refuge contains about 3.2 billion barrels of economically recoverable crude oil, which is less than America consumes in six months. Focusing on energy conservation and efficiency would be a far more effective path: according to the National Resources Defense Council, 51 billion barrels of oil--approximately 16 times the yield from the arctic refuge--could be saved by improving the average fuel efficiency in new cars, sport utilities and light trucks over the next decade from 24 to 39 miles per gallon.

We applaud the vow of Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) to lead a filibuster to block the energy bill. Moreover, we encourage Congress to pass the bipartisan legislation introduced by Representatives Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Nancy L. Johnson (R-Conn.) in the House (as well as Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.) in the Senate) to grant the refuge "wilderness" status, effectively putting it off limits to drilling. Beyond the provisions affecting the refuge, much of the Republican bill is worth saving and should be incorporated in any bipartisan compromise, especially the tax incentives for consumers to use renewable energy sources and buy energy-efficient cars and homes.

The Arctic Refuge is home to a multitude of polar bears, grizzlies, wolves, caribou and a number of endangered species. Furthermore, it is part of the last 5 percent of Alaska's coastline that is not already open to oil exploration. This magnificent wilderness should not be put in jeopardy for six months worth of oil. It would be horrific if the refuge became a new Prudhoe Bay, a polluted oil field with 1,500 miles of roads and pipelines, 1,400 producing wells and 60 contaminated waste sites.

Bush should show less compassion to oil companies in favor of more conservation--of energy and of our natural heritage.