The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge issue, discussed in two threads on this World Community Forum, comes up in the Senate today. Here's the Senate schedule from http://www.senate.gov

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Tentative schedule for Friday, April 12, 2002:

The Senate will convene at 10:30 am on Friday for a period of morning business until 11:30 am.

At 11:30 am the Senate will begin consideration of H.R. 3525, the Border Security bill.

Upon resumption of S. 517, the Energy bill, Senator Murkowski will be recognized to offer his ANWR amendment.

There will be no roll call votes during Friday's session.

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I e-mailed Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell and Sen. Wayne Allard, the two from Colorado. You can go to this link, http://www.senate.gov/senators/senator_by_state.cfm , find your state and click the names of your senators to go to their websites. At their websites, you can e-mail them through the forms on site. Give them your name and address info so they know you are a constituent.

Here's what I wrote --

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Dear Senator Campbell,

As a constituent, from Cripple Creek, Colorado, I ask you to please work AGAINST the proposal that would allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The coastal plain is vital to wildlife and must be protected. The estimated amount of recoverable oil does not justify industrial exploitation of these lands held for the common good. Today and in future generations, people and wildlife will be better off if the Arctic Refuge is preserved as a pristine natural wonder.

President Bush's attempt to characterize the drilling proposal as a patriotic response to an Iraqi oil embargo is an insult to the intelligence of thinking people. Thank you for your kind consideration.

Sincerely,

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Maria

Thank you Maria!

I've written to Washington's Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell with a similar message, and urge all our other members to do the same with their respective Senators. This is an extremely important issue in its own right, and even more important in letting our elected lawmakers know that their constituents are not fooled by Bush's disingenuous (read "lying through his teeth") claims that profiting his cronies' oil industrey is a "patriotic" necessity.

Our lawmakers need to know that we are not as stupid as the administration takes us to be.

Love,
Greg

Here is the response I received from Senator Cantwell. It includes some additional points that could be worth mentioning in communicating with other lawmakers:

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Dear Mr. Ellison:

Thank you for contacting me. I appreciate hearing your concerns about proposals to allow oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), the largest untouched wildlife refuge in the United States.

Senator Murkowski and other members have expressed interest in drilling in ANWR to increase domestic oil reserves and may offer an amendment to the comprehensive energy legislation for this purpose. I have strongly opposed drilling in ANWR in the past and will continue to oppose any legislation that would open up this pristine wilderness to drilling.

I have cosponsored legislation, offered by Senator Lieberman and Congressman Markey, to designate ANWR as a wilderness area in order to preserve this environmental gem for future generations. While our nation must address how to provide affordable energy to our citizens, drilling in ANWR will not solve that problem but simply serve to destroy a fragile and irreplaceable ecosystem.

Proponents argue that we need to drill in ANWR to provide a solution to our energy problem. I disagree with that argument for several reasons. First, it would take a decade to produce oil from wells in ANWR and thus drilling there would not offer any short-term relief for American families. Second, even were we to decide it was worth ten year's wait, the ANWR refuge would not provide enough oil to result in lower prices since it would provide only a six months supply, according to geologists from the U.S. Geological Survey. Lastly, development of ANWR would not enhance our long-term energy security by significantly decreasing our dependence on foreign oil. In fact, Alaskan oil is not likely to flow into U.S. domestic markets because it is more profitable for oil companies to sell this oil abroad.

Oil and gas development in the ANWR would thus provide only a band-aid to our energy problems and could result in major environmental degradation. Home to over 200 animal species including polar and grizzly bears, wolves, caribou and snow geese, the ANWR coastal plain has more wildlife diversity than any other region of the Arctic. Drilling could disturb the movement of migratory wildlife, contaminate wetlands, and ultimately contaminate this remarkable ecosystem. But the environmental consequences of drilling go well beyond wildlife. Data from the Alaska Department of Conservation show that the Trans-Alaska and Prudhoe Bay oil fields have had an annual average of 409 spills since 1996 of crude oil and other substances.

Although I do not think drilling in ANWR is the answer, we must find a solution to our energy shortages and the consequent high energy prices in the Pacific Northwest. For example, we need to provide incentives to increase energy efficiency and conservation. I am proud that Washington state has been a national leader in promoting its environmental technology industry, and I will work to support our state's efforts. In addition, I support enhancing environmentally responsible domestic production as a part of a comprehensive energy policy and improving our energy infrastructure.

I believe that the energy legislation Congress ultimately passes must balance the need for increased domestic energy supplies with principles of environmental stewardship. As the Senate debates this legislation, please be assured that I will strongly oppose any amendments that would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. Again, thank you for contacting me, and please do not hesitate to do so in the future if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,

Maria Cantwell
United States Senator

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Love,
Greg

Good work you two!
Although I find Cantwells response a bit unerving since we DO have alternative resources!!..