OPINION/COMMENTARY

Solution to Oil Problem is Multi-Step

Step one in determining how to solve the current oil problem is to assess the problem. Petroleum is expensive and gas prices are hurting the American consumer. As Lakely continues to report, "The United States imports 62 percent of its oil, up from 58 percent just five years ago." Much of our imported oil comes from the Middle Eastern country of Saudi Arabia. This is a huge problem because although the United States is on somewhat friendly terms with the Saudis, they are not really our 'friends'. America is sending money into a country that harbors people who live for America's destruction. The worst part is that America is dependent upon them. America needs to cease its dependence on Middle Eastern oil, to prevent hard times in the event of countries like Saudi Arabia turning their backs on us. Step two in fixing this oil situation is to formulate a goal. Where does this country want to go in terms of energy independence? Factors to keep in mind include environmental health, petroleum independence (as it's being depleted), and maximization of the U.S. economy. A major concern with alternative sources of energy is that switching to these sources may harm the economy. The solution is a gradual process. While America is switching to cleaner, renewable sources of energy such as solar and biodiesel, we need to relieve our dependence on the Saudis. A domestic source of oil with huge potential is ANWR. In Alaska, ANWR covers 19 million acres of territory. A big concern about drilling in ANWR is the environmental harm it may cause. Mr. Bush has proposed drilling on just 2,000 acres. New technology allows companies to drill horizontally once they're underground, thus limiting the surface destruction. Mr. Bush, a Texan, explained that we can access all of the oil in ANWR by drilling on those 2000 acres. To better understand this size ratio, here's an analogy from Neal Boortz: Imagine ANWR is a 9 X 12 foot rug. Flip two quarters onto the rug. That's the size of the proposed drilling. That's not much. According to the Resource Development Council for Alaska, Inc., ANWR could potentially produce one million barrels of oil per day. This production would dramatically reduce oil prices as well as the potential for oil to raise in price. In addition, it would relieve some foreign oil dependence on other countries. The website www.anwr.org provides details on how many jobs (up to 735,000) would be created by employment in ANWR, as well as what time of year drilling occur. Plans for drilling intend to drill only in the winter time, when wildlife is absent from the region. ANWR is not the solution to the problem, however. ANWR is only a temporary alleviation to the problem. The solution is to convert to cleaner and more economical sources of energy that are renewable. A combination of ANWR drilling and conversion to alternative sources of energy is essential to maintaining and progressing the American economy. Neither one by itself will solve the problem....

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