Everyone agrees, the sticker shock at the gas pump has left us all a little dazed. I wince when I think that a single tank of gas costs more than my high school church camp. I saved up for that for months. It costs a fifth of my freshman semester tuition at ISU.
Intellectually I understand inflation and economic realities, but emotionally my eyes water.
All the conservative pundents have shared their solutions to our gas price blues, so I wasn’t surprised to hear them trot out their old chestnut of an answer to all our fuel problems. Everything will be better if only we would drill in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge.
I have to give them points for persistence.
Located in northeast Alaska, the Arctic Refuge is the biological heart of this untamed wilderness. It contains the greatest diversity of animal life of any conservation area in the circumpolar region. Often called the “American Serengeti” ANWR is the wildest place left in America. Numerous species depend on this fragile, unique ecosystem for survival.
As the Politicos babbled, I could hear the faint strains of banjo music in my head, and see all the happy oil executives standing around the “cement pond” talking about the “bubbling crude” and smiling about the prospect of even more record profits.
A song came to mind, of course accompanied by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs on their five string banjos. Please sing along to the tune of “The Ballad of Jed Clampett”, or otherwise known as the Beverly Hillbilly’s theme.
The Ballad Of ANWR Drilling
Come and listen to a story ‘bout a bunch of phonies,
rich oil men and their oilmen cronies.
With oil prices high, they resurrected their dream,
To drill the Artic refuge is the devious scheme.
Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea.
Well, first thing they do is mention oil on the air,
Life will be better if we get it out of there.
The democrats don’t love ya if they won’t let us drill.
Who cares about the ecosystem that we’ll kill.
Caribou that is, snow geese, polar bears.
Of course drilling won’t get started for quite a few years,
And it won’t actually help us dry our present tears,
And when we get it going who’ll share the news,
ANWR’s only 5% of our total use.
Not much that is, drop in a bucket, fools gold.
..........................................
And every time pro-drilling advocates lose another round, they just smile in their mansions and say, “We’ll all be back now, y’hear”.
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Have you ever been to ANWR? Do you know what is there that is so wonderful that it cannot abide a few oil drilling rigs and pumps? If you liberals think ANWR is such a wonderful paradise, then buy it. Own it, preserve it, live there. At least visit once.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry it took me so long to see this, but life got in the way and I didn't blog for a while. You probably won't see this, but it will make me feel better to answer. 1) An individual can't buy ANWR. It is owned by the Federal Govenment, hence why congress gets to vote on oil leases. As most people know, the initials stand for Alaska National Wildlife Reserve. I'm sure if it could be purchased "we liberals" would have purchased it through the Nature Conservancy or some other such group to save it from "you conservatives" and your rape and pillage policies. Technicaly since it's owned by the govenment, we the people do own it through our taxes, and since I've paid a great many taxes over a great many years, I do own a hunk of it! 2) Why would a person want to live in or visit a wildlife reserve? That kind of defeats the purpose of keeping it wild. 3)I don't need to go somewhere to want to see it preserved. I'd love to go, but age, money, committments etc. would all conspire to keep me home. I've never been to the Amazon and never will be, but I wouldn't want to see the forrest cut down, I've never been to the top of Mt. Everest, but I wouldn't want to see a Walmart there. (Well, to be honest, I wouldn't want to see a Walmart anywhere) 4) Yes, I do know what can't abide the disaster of a few oil rigs, humans, pollution, etc. being there. The wildlife it was formed to preserve. Many of the rare nesting birds only nest there and if disrupted would become extint. The list of fragile eco species is too numerous to mention.
ReplyDeleteI think the trouble with many people is they are amazingly self centered. If it doesn't affect them, their money and stuff they don't care. Frankly, I think that people who only care about themselves and money are pathetic, and missing out on the best things in life.