This is an iconic scene in Texas, and more oil wells are actually pumping these days. I have no objection to firing up any oil wells in Texas or other places in America that are already built. From a conservation standpoint, the habitat destruction has already occurred. From my standpoint, it seems like a waste to build them and not use them.
I do, however, cringe at the idea of building new oil drilling sites. I wrote this letter to my Senator and Congressman today:
I want to add my voice to those who do not want to see America’s natural habitats turned into oil fields!
I love nature and wildlife and spend a lot of my time outside, enjoying it. I enjoy seeing birds that travel across America, sometimes even to and from other continents. All along the way, they need suitable habitat to continue their life cycles. These birds are just one small part of a humbling web of life which includes flora and fauna, our lands, and our skies.
There are so many ways that human “habitat” competes for and wins against the habitats of many other wonderful creatures with whom we share the planet. Drilling for oil seems like such a losing prospect - we simply cannot continue to rely on oil for our energy needs. I truly believe that expanding our drilling will do much more harm than good, and this belief is supported by facts available from sources too numerous to name.
I do not take for granted the ready availability of energy for my lifestyle. When I am not outside, I sit at a computer in a well-lit, air-conditioned room, and can hop in my car to go wherever I want. It costs me more these days. But I want the people who represent me in my government to support our energy demands in a way that frees us not only from foreign oil, but from oil, period. If any nation can do this, America can!
Please help usher in the next era of energy and related industries, jobs, and prosperity for America. Please oppose the expansion of drilling and support or even author legislation that will open up new opportunities here in America, saving our lands and setting an example for the rest of the world.
I welcome any comments and am always interested in respectful debate. For those of you who have similar views, I encourage you to add your voices to mine and contact your senators and congressmen.
July 23rd, 2008 at 2:02 pm
I already received a response from Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. Here it is, followed by my reply.
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Dear Ms. Coakley:
Thank you for contacting me regarding our nation’s energy policy. I welcome your thoughts and comments on this issue.
I support a comprehensive energy strategy that combines conservation, the development of alternative sources of energy, and an increase in domestic oil and gas production. We are increasingly dependent on foreign sources of energy - importing over sixty percent of the oil we use today. Preliminary research data suggests there may be as much as 125 billion barrels of oil and over 565 trillion cubic feet of natural gas located in designated production areas of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) combined. The domestic oil reserves in both the OCS and ANWR, when coupled with existing U.S. reserves of 21 billion barrels, are more than Iran’s total oil reserve of 136 billion barrels. However, Congress has enacted a moratorium on production in these areas.
In order to bolster domestic production and reduce our reliance on foreign sources, I cosponsored the American Energy Production Act of 2008, which repeals current misguided policy and provides access to America’s domestic energy supplies in ANWR and the OCS. The bill also allows access to alternative sources, such as one trillion barrels of shale oil in Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. These sources, which presently sit unused, are equal to three times the reserves of Saudi Arabia.
I have also supported numerous initiatives to encourage alternative energy use through market- and incentive-based approaches. On March 28, 2007, I introduced the Creating Renewable Energy through Science and Technology (CREST) Act. It promotes the research and development of renewable energy sources, including wave, solar, wind, geothermal, and biofuels. I am very proud to say that Texas is the nation’s leading producer of wind energy, illustrating our state’s commitment to alternative energy production.
Our nation’s energy policy must be proactive instead of reactive. Some of my colleagues in the Senate believe that imposing a windfall profits tax on oil producers or suing the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is the solution to our country’s energy crisis, when, in fact, neither of these proposed plans produces one more ounce of energy. The burden of this tax would be passed down to the consumer, causing record-high fuel prices to rise even higher. Additionally, a windfall profits tax would discourage oil companies from increasing refinery capacity and furthering exploration and production of our own domestic resources. These are not solutions. Instead, a comprehensive energy policy that combines conservation, the development of alternative sources of energy, an increase in domestic oil and gas production, and a safe nuclear energy program will lower energy costs and help our nation become energy independent.
You may be certain I will keep your views in mind regarding any energy legislation offered in the 110th Congress. I appreciate hearing from you, and I hope that you will continue to keep in touch on any issue of concern to you.
Sincerely,
Kay Bailey Hutchison
United States Senator
284 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5922 (tel)
202-224-0776 (fax)
http://hutchison.senate.gov
PLEASE DO NOT REPLY to this message as it is not a valid e-mail address. Due to the tremendous volume of mail Senator Hutchison receives, she requests that all email messages be sent through the contact form found on her website at http://hutchison.senate.gov/contact.cfm .
If you would like more information about issues pending before the Senate, please visit the Senator’s website at http://hutchison.senate.gov . You will find articles, floor statements, and press releases, along with her weekly column and monthly television show on current events.
To sign up to receive Senator Hutchison’s weekly e-newsletter, please send your request to newsletter@hutchison.senate.gov .
Thank you.
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Here is my reply:
I’ve just read your response to my prior email correspondence. Thank you for the prompt reply. As one of your constituents, I think it is important for you to hear my voice and consider it when doing the important work you do in the Senate.
I am impressed to learn of your sponsorship of the CREST program and would love to learn more about its progress. I will try to find out more about it on my own, but would appreciate any tips on finding that info.
I am equally distressed by your support of drilling in ANWR. While I agree that we cannot continue to depend on foreign oil, I do not believe that we can afford to compromise one more acre of America’s public lands. Especially not in our national wildlife refuges.
I am in full support of using any existing oil wells that we already have. I have noticed that Texas seems to be turning on the pumps that have long been idle. I am particularly impressed with the Pickens Plan, since it appears to offer a way to get us through the next couple of decades, giving us a chance to develop the next generation of renewable, low-impact fuels for Americans.
I do not believe there are any perfect or simple answers, but I strongly believe that we can find ways to meet our energy needs without resorting to drilling in ANWR.
Please, please, consider my voice when you cast your votes on my behalf in the US Senate.
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