Heritage Foundation Leadership for America

Ben Lieberman has a strong piece in the Washington Times today looking at all the strange arguments people make against opening ANWR to oil exploration. It would despoil a pristine environment, they say; it would destroy ecosystems; kill wildlife, like caribou; wreck a unique natural environment; etc., etc., so on and so forth.

But as Lieberman clearly explains, these claims have little basis in reality. ANWR is enormous and little of it would be subject to drilling. The areas that would be opened are not unique. The expected environmental impact, based on decades of experience drilling in the state, is minimal. Wildlife is thriving in nearby Prudhoe Bay, a major oilfield.

As Lieberman concludes, "If the average American, and his or her representative in Congress, knew the facts as well as the average Alaskan, ANWR drilling wouldn't be controversial."