Fresh from Asia ~ Bush bonks Daschle head with ANWR club

Reuters / Whitehouse.gov ^ | 2-23-2002 | W.

[Trailer Trash]

related..... http://www.dumpdaschle.org

Bush Says U.S. Needs to Drill for Oil in Alaska
Sat Feb 23,10:24 AM ET
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020223/ts_nm/bush_energy_dc_11

By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Facing tough odds in the U.S. Senate, President Bush on Saturday launched a new campaign to gain approval for oil drilling in a pristine Alaskan wildlife refuge, saying it would create jobs and help wean America from foreign oil.

Photos Reuters Photo

"America is already using more energy than our domestic resources can provide, and unless we act to increase our energy independence, our reliance on foreign sources of energy will only increase," Bush said in his weekly radio address.

The Senate in the coming week is to resume debate on energy legislation and at the moment it does not contain language to allow drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), believed to hold up to 16 billion barrels of crude.

Republicans wants to amend the legislation to include ANWR drilling. The House included drilling in the refuge in its energy bill last August.

A final Senate vote is not expected until March, and Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, a South Dakota Democrat, has said he has enough votes to block Republicans from adding language that would allow drilling in the Alaskan refuge.

Bush said he stopped in Alaska a week ago on his way to Asia and met with many Alaskans, including "native leaders who want to preserve the grandeur of their state while carefully developing the energy beneath a small fraction of it."

"New technology makes this possible. Our national security makes it urgent. Alaskans know firsthand that modern technology allows us to bring oil to the surface cleanly and safely, while protecting our environment and wildlife," Bush said. "We should listen to Alaskans who support exploring ANWR in a safe and clean way."

The Arctic refuge stretches over 19.6 million acres and is home to caribou, polar bears and other wildlife. Democrats and environmental groups oppose drilling in the refuge, preferring an energy policy that emphasizes more conservation and stricter fuel efficiency standards.

Bush believes taking oil from the refuge would help reduce America's dependence on crude oil imported from volatile Middle Eastern nations.

Republicans say Alaskan drilling will create tens of thousands of jobs, and backers say the refuge could produce 1 million barrels of oil a day at peak production. The United States uses 19.5 million barrels a day, and imports account for 60 percent of that.

Interior Secretary Gale Norton has said it is too early to say whether Bush would veto energy legislation that does not include ANWR drilling.

Bush on Monday will underscore his support for conservation when he takes a look at three experimental energy-saving vehicles, including the Chrysler Town & Country Natrium minivan, which is fueled with sodium boro-hydride, a compound chemically related to borax, the naturally occurring substance used in laundry soap.

The White House insists Bush's commitment to conservation, including tax credits for purchases of hybrid vehicles, has been overshadowed by the flap over ANWR.

"Conservation technology and renewables are important. Yet they alone cannot solve our energy problems. We must also reduce America's dependence on foreign sources of oil by encouraging safe and clean exploration at home," Bush said.

 

Radio Address by the President to the Nation

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/02/20020223.html

Listen to the President's Remarks
 

 

PRESIDENT BUSH:  Good morning.  As I return from a successful trip to Asia, the United States Senate will return from its recess for an important debate on America's energy security.

As our economy continues to grow, U.S. oil consumption is projected to increase by about one-third during the next 20 years.  Our demand for electricity is expected to rise by 45 percent.  America is already using more energy than our domestic resources can provide, and unless we act to increase our energy independence, our reliance on foreign sources of energy will only increase.

I have a balanced, comprehensive and aggressive energy plan that will help address this challenge.  The plan has five main parts:  First, it promotes conservation.  It increases funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, and supports the development of fuel-efficient vehicles.

Second, my plan will modernize our energy delivery systems.  America can't meet tomorrow's energy needs with yesterday's infrastructure.  Just as the Internet has made our information more convenient, new technology can make our energy cleaner, cheaper, and more efficient by upgrading power lines and connecting producers and consumers across the whole country.

Third, my new budget invests in new technologies, such as fuel cells that may someday power our cars with hydrogen and emit only water.

Fourth, my plan offers tax credits and other incentives for the use of renewable energy sources, like wind power, solar power, and fuels derived from crops.  Renewable energy can increase our energy independence and help our farm economy.

Conservation technology and renewables are important.  Yet they alone cannot solve our energy problems.  We must also reduce America's dependence on foreign sources of oil by encouraging safe and clean exploration at home.

On my way to visit Asia, I stopped in Alaska, a place of tremendous natural beauty and important energy resources.  I met with many Alaskans, including native leaders who want to preserve the grandeur of their state while carefully developing the energy beneath a small fraction of it.  New technology makes this possible.  Our national security makes it urgent.

Alaskans know firsthand that modern technology allows us to bring oil to the surface cleanly and safely, while protecting our environment and wildlife.  We should listen to Alaskans who support exploring ANWR in a safe and clean way.

Passing my comprehensive energy plan is not just important for energy security, it is also vital to our economic security.  Economic growth requires reliable and affordable energy, and labor organizations support my plan because they know my energy plan means thousands of new jobs across America.

We all remember the blackouts and the sky-high energy bills of recent summers.  I urge Congress to protect consumers from these wild swings in energy prices for the future.  The House has passed my agenda for energy independence.  Now I urge the Senate to act.

Thank you for listening.

END

[Trailer Trash]

During the Presidential Asian trip we had GAO and the VP, Waxman, all the hype.

He comes home and boldly slams back with a direct hit on their favorite campaign issue for the 2002 cycle.

Go W!

[vannrox]

Mr. Bush. I love this guy!.

[thinktwice]

America can't meet tomorrow's energy needs with yesterday's infrastructure.

"(Y)esterday's infrastructure" includes -- Tom Daschle democrats.

[metacognate]

Ain't 'W' grand? Now think how much energy we could conserve if all enviro-liberals rode bikes and gave away their air conditioners to the losers of life's lottery!

[Trailer Trash]

The chads and butterfly ballots now seem so insignificant.

[Dialup Llama]

The media wishes to return to the days when chads, Monicas and Britneys ruled the attention of all. They are so good at majoring on minors but have trouble with truly important events.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

Notice the tone of the article-makes it seem as if GW wants to drill all 19 million acres-instead of the 30 sq miles or therabouts. GW must hammer this fact in his press briefings !

[CyberAnt]

"pristine Alaskan wildlife refuge"

When is somebody going to inform Mr. Steve Holland that ANWR is not a "pristine Alaskan wildlife refuge". There is no wildlife there - wildlife cannot exist there, there are no trees, no grass, nothing but rock - somebody who knows how to reach this guy - please send him some pictures of ANWR.

[nicmarlo]

Conservation technology and renewables are important. Yet they alone cannot solve our energy problems. We must also reduce America's dependence on foreign sources of oil by encouraging safe and clean exploration at home.

Bully pulpit!!! Bush, go ahead and speak over daschole's little head. He's the idiot and doesn't care about our economy or country. But the people and you do.

[Reagan Man]

If we don't become less dependent on foreign oil imports from Middle East energy suppliers, America will one day find herself embroiled in a huge regional conflict, involving the military armed forces of many nations. That day is getting closer and closer. A full-scale war with Arab nations, over control of these petroleum fields is not out of the question.

Right now ANWR is a viable option that the US should be taking advantage of, but instead, is allowing environmental groups to control the debate in Washington DC.

[soycd]

The ecoWhackos (Sierra Club, Nature Conservency etc) have been calling the shots for too long. We MUST expose them to joesixpack and get Bush to cut off their tax-free status.

Work smart and play dirty. The tree huggers need to be stopped now!

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

What happens if we have problems with Kuwait and elsewhere?Daschle is being extremely irresponsible along with the wacko environmentalists!STOP ALL GROWTH,STOP ALL LIFE,bottom line this is what they want.

[Reagan Man]

Check out this FR thread on the NRDC

[chainsaw]

Dasshole is being bated by Bush for this years elections and he doesn't know it. Dasshole is going against everything that Bush and the people want and it losing credibility big time.

At the same time Dasshole is spending Social Security Trust Fund money to clean up toxic waste in North Dakata left by the Homestake mining Co.     If we run out of SS money we can blame Dasshole.

[chainsaw]

The ECO wackos like to tell everyone that there is only 45 days of oil in ANWR. In reality there is 500 years of oil there at todays present usage rate.

[doosee]

A final Senate vote is not expected until March, and Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, a South Dakota Democrat, has said he has enough votes to block Republicans from adding language that would allow drilling in the Alaskan refuge.

Just once, please, just once, I would like Pres. Bush to publicly ask Daschle and Byrd if we are so concerned about the pristine wilderness, should we stop mining coal in WV? After all, if you want to see the top of mountains being leveled to get energy, forget Alaska, go to WV.

[WellsFargo94]

Regarding the comment made about there being no wildlife in ANWR that is not true. Being an Alaskan I'll tell you there is abundant wildlife, grasses (in summer) no trees as it's well above the Arctic circle but there are people that live up there. The weather is very harsh but these people have adapted over thousands of years. I agree 100% that drilling should be done. If anyone has been up to the the North Slope to see the very minimal impact that drilling has caused they'll see that it's very clean and no impact on wildlife. The pipeline has done a tremendous job of transporting oil safely, no accidents (wildlife love the pipeline as it's raised off the ground to facilitate large moose, caribou to pass underneath and herd populations have increased) as they have stations located along the pipeline to monitor safety. These stations have introduced jobs to an indigenous people that have long been subsistence livers who have suffered tremendous economic hardship with the PETA people effectivly banning wearing furs. A good website is www.anwr.org and specifically www.anwr.org/people/nageak.html

[CyberAnt]

Hmmmm? I was told there was no wildlife there - please, tell me what wildlife is there at ANWR; I guess I have a hard time believing any wildlife could survive with no supply of food.

[Go Gordon]

The ECO wackos like to tell everyone that there is only 45 days of oil in ANWR. In reality there is 500 years of oil there at todays present usage rate.

Chainsaw, I think your calculator is broken. If there are 16 Billion barrels, and they can pump a million barrels per day, thats 16,000 days. Divided by 365 days, is slightly less than 44 years.

The article states we consume slightly less than 20 million barrels per day. Thats about 800 days if all our oil came from ANWR (which from what I understand is impossible to do). So the Enironwackos are way off base, but 500 years seems equally off. (I did the math by hand, so I could also be off...)

[WellsFargo94]

There is wildlife up there, caribou, moose, bear, fox, lynx, mink, etc. and polar bear on the ANWR Coastal plain. Lots and lots of mosquitoes! They eat grasses, lichen, fish - there are many lakes, streams, ponds, bushes, berries and polar bear fish for seal, sea lions, etc. There isn't snow and ice on the ground year round. People live there too. There is Arctic Village on the edge of ANWR - the only people who live in ANWR itself are the Inupiat Eskimo in the village of Kaktovik. They eat the animals, berries, fish, etc.