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Tag(s): Biofuels; Future; Green; Power; Public Lands; Solar; Solar; Strategies; Waste; Wildlife
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August 12, 2008 at 09:10:51

No More Drilling on Public Lands

by Chris Lugo Page 1 of 1 page(s)

www.opednews.com

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President Bush and the McCain campaign are beating a dead horse these days and it is called the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. They want you to believe that we must squeeze the last bits of oil out of the earth, wherever we can find it, and we need to start right here at home by destroying our last remaining wild refuge and devastating our coastal wetlands in the name of boosting corporate oil profits. The right wing echo chamber has taken up the cause celeb, and candidates across the country can be heard ringing the bells of freedom for the global oil market.

Developing our remaining public lands for oil and natural gas is a waste of time and resources. The industry already leases 44 million acres of land for oil and gas development, and to date they have not used almost 30 million acres of public land. In addition, drilling in our most fragile wild spaces is a slap in the face to the environment and future generations who will judge us on the basis of how we cared for and exercised responsible stewardship of the natural resources of the planet.

The time will come when there will be no more oil to drill and we have already reached far beyond the point where we must begin to invest in sustainable alternatives to oil, such as biofuels, solar and wind power as our primary sources of energy production. Drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge is like using a garden hose to put out the forest fire. Clearly we need to develop new strategies and begin to invest in a sustainable energy infrastructure not dependent on the burning of fossil fuels. The scientific evidence has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that global warming is real and we are the source of the problem. It is time to become part of the solution.

The oil and gas industry already has plenty of access to public lands in the United States. It is up to us to protect our coastal beaches and marshlands from environmental devastation. It is up to us to lock up ecologically sensitive regions in Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico and Colorado before they are destroyed forever. There is no clear evidence that drilling on our remaining public lands will lead to a decrease in oil prices. In fact, oil prices are going to continue to rise regardless because global demand is far outstripping supply. The only real solution is to begin to invest in our alternative energy infrastructure and develop green solutions to the global energy crisis. We face a real challenge in the years ahead, but we can begin to make the right choices now by saying no to continued drilling in environmentally sensitive regions.

for more information on this issue please visit: http://action.wilderness.org/campaign/oildrill/

My name is Chris Lugo and I am a candidate for the US Senate seat in Tennessee. I am running as a progressive because I believe that the time has come to end the war in Iraq, ensure that all Americans have access to affordable, quality health care and to restore common sense and decency to our national dialogue. For far too long we have neglected the needs of the poor in America, allowing hundreds of thousands in Tennessee to go without healthcare and millions nationally. For far too long we have let our education system be a secondary priority to the military industrial complex. As a result of these misguided funding priorities we have a graduation rate in Tennessee of only about 60% statewide for high school students and only about one quarter of all Tennesseans graduate from college. We must take solid steps to ensure that all Americans have safe and affordable housing, that we live in a clear and healthy environment, and that we take steps to address the deep divisions of inequity that still persist in our society. I believe in the American dream and I believe that all Americans deserve the opportunity to have a rich and meaningful life, but the only way to ensure that these priorities are addressed is to make certain that our government makes this a priority, that our elected representatives make peace and social justice a priority on a national scale. We are at a crossroads in history, and Tennessee faces a choice which we all face. Do we choose to continue down the path of abandonment, of hopelessness and fear or do we choose to embrace the compassionate, hopeful elements of our national identity? I for one, choose to hope. I believe that the government is here to serve the people and our elected leaders are here to serve you.

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3 comments

Science is a passion.
sometimes blindedScience is a passion.

Have oil, will travel. . .

The coast guard is off to continue the charting of the artic oil. There's a race on between the US and Russia.

( www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN1138192220080811 )

Of course if you were from Montana or North Dakota your view, to leave the ocean / off-shore areas alone, might be particularly welcomed. The USGS released a report earlier this year assessing the oil in the Bakken formation.

( pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2008/3021/pdf/FS08-3021_508.pdf )

Who cares how much, where, how easily extracted, or the impact on the environment? Even the common man can invest! ( click here )

Good luck on your election. The country could use a few people with concerns for the future!

by sometimes blinded (1 articles, 44 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 210 comments) on Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 4:31:47 PM

Political Activism is a passion but I have earned a living since 1995 through my web page design and hosting business. I also do graphics design and offer business cards, fliers, brochures etc. My most recent venture which can be seen at http://www.locationpromos.com is to provide custom items via my China connections to the souvenir trade.
Paul KrugerPolitical Activism is a passion but I have earned a living since 1995 through my web page design and hosting business. I also do graphics design and offer business cards, fliers, brochures etc. My most recent venture which can be seen at http://www.locationpromos.com is to provide custom items via my China connections to the souvenir trade.

One word..."ROYALTIES"

In Alaska, citizens receive an oil royalty check each year. I believe that no oil company should be entitled to take "public property" in order to sell it back to the public for the sake of private profits without paying the public for that oil.

Sadly enough politicians have been bought and paid for by Big Oil and drilling may start. We know it won't help anyone but oil share holders.

So...what we need to do nationally or state by state, is institute oil royalties paid to the citizens of each state where oil is being taken from public lands.

by Paul Kruger (33 articles, 1 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 275 comments) on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at 11:02:30 AM

10 year Navy veteran,former Federal employee with various agencies,
Gallaher10 year Navy veteran,former Federal employee with various agencies,

No more drilling for water

No more drilling for water. It is clear that the amount of fresh water is running out and that drilling for more water will not lower the price, so no more using public land for fresh water supplies.

Using it will only cause a higher population and therefore less water for the people already here.

No more drilling for water.

by Gallaher (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 762 comments) on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at 2:32:27 PM