Published: July 23, 2008 05:18 pm            

Letter: We must search for more oil

Originally published in the July 11, 2008, print edition.

To the Editor:

If you are mining anything — be it coal, iron, copper, silver or gold — ultimately you are going to deplete the mine and have to look for another. This is what is happening to oil production in the world today.

Brazil just discovered a new oil field in the Gulf. The Bakken Formation, lying under North Dakota and Manitoba, has a potential of over 400 billion barrels of oil, more than the Saudi Arabian and Russian oil fields put together. (Editor’s note: The U.S. Geological Service estimates the Bakken Formation’s amount of “technically recoverable” oil at just under 4 billion barrels; the State of North Dakota estimates 2.1 billion.) In Alaska the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has very significant oil possibilities, as well as both the Pacific and Atlantic offshore coasts.

In 1995 Congress passed a bill allowing oil companies to drill in ANWR but President Clinton vetoed the bill. Just recently our Democrat-controlled Congress voted against allowing the development of the oil fields because of it’s “pristine wilderness.”

These were the same reasons given by opponents of the developments in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, back in the early 1970s. This was at a time when OPEC was limiting production and the price of fuel was increasing very rapidly. Shortly after production started in Alaska the price of fuel fell to around $1 per gallon at the pump and this included about 35 cents in taxes (federal and state). The reindeer still are doing fine after 38 years.

One of the oldest tricks in politics is to take credit for all the good things that have been done and blame your opponents for those things that turn out badly. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., blames President Bush. Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., says if he had the power he would add another 50 cents in tax.

Had President Clinton in 1995 signed the bill we would not have had $4 dollar gas today with prospects that it will go even higher. Had the Democrats now controlling Congress voted to allow drilling in the ANWR or coastal waters we could see lower prices within 3 years. Every study I have ever seen tells us that the lack of supply is the basic cause of our high gas price.

Democrats stand for higher taxes on fuel, more laws to curtail your choices and protecting the pristine wilderness, polar bears and reindeer, and blaming it on others. Republicans believe we should do as we always have in the past: look for additional sources of supply.

The blame game works well for winning elections but will it get you more and cheaper fuel? The person to blame is yourself, if you vote for those who feel that protecting the reindeer, polar bear and pristine wilderness is more important than the cost of driving to work or heating your home.

Al Schumann
Eyota

        

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