A while back I'd said I'd post information on issues like this that I became aware of. Below is the text of an alert I received from audubon.org
November 2, 2005
THE ARCTIC REFUGE HAS NEVER BEEN IN GREATER DANGER!
WE NEED YOUR HELP TODAY TO PROTECT AMERICAS WILDEST REFUGE!
What would opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration and drilling mean for the millions of birds that nest, migrate through, or spend the winter in the refuge? A report prepared by AudubonÂs Alaska State Office and Science Division found that:
[T]the combination of habitat lossÂplus human disturbance, increased predation and other indirect effects of oil developmentÂwould reduce the value of the Arctic Refuge coastal plain for migratory birds. Over time, fewer birds would nest or stop in the refuge, and species with small, declining or vulnerable populations would be most at risk. In the event that an oil spill were to reach coastal lagoons, the threat to bird populations would increase dramatically. The loss of birdlife that would follow oil development in the Arctic Refuge would diminish its value to everyone, including subsistence and sport hunters, backyard birdwatchers, scientists, and outdoor enthusiasts around the world.
Critical votes that will decide the fate of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are being cast now. The Senate is debating the bill now; the House will vote on the fate of the refuge the week of November 7. Audubon members and millions of Americans have fought against opening the Arctic Refuge for years, but oil companies and their allies in Congress and in the White House have snuck the drilling language into the budget bill. This backdoor approach limits debate and keeps the American public in the dark about the consequences of opening the Arctic Refuge to oil drilling.
THREE PHONE CALLS TO SAVE THE REFUGE
Please call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your representativeÂs office and the office of your two senators (you can find your elected representatives by visiting www.congress.org/.)
Tell whomever you speak to in those offices that you want your elected officials to vote against any bill that would open the Arctic Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling and exploration.
Then if you would do one last thing  let us know you took action on behalf of America's great wilderness refuge by sending us a quick email.
Here are some reasons why the Arctic Refuge must be protected:
The Arctic Refuge will become an industrialized oil production complex. The coastal plain of the refuge contains unique bird habitat and is critical to the survival of the Porcupine caribou herd. While proponents of Refuge drilling argue that only 2,000 acres of the RefugeÂs "1002 Area" would be affected, the industrial oil complex would require a sprawling matrix of roads, pipelines, drilling pads, processing plants, gravel mines, and airports. Drilling will destroy wildlife habitat.
Oil production will result in pollution. Spills of oil and other toxic substances occur wherever drilling takes place. In the North Slope oil fields in Alaska, several hundred spills occur every year and, in some cases, the results can be catastrophic. An April 2001 spill released more than 92,000 gallons of crude oil and salt water onto the tundra in the Kuparuk oil field. Oil spills cause long-term damage to bird populations and habitat.
Even at peak production, drilling in the Arctic Refuge would only lower the price of gas by one penny. . . 20 years from now. Not only are the consequences of drilling dire for wildlife making their home in the Arctic Refuge, but the measures proposed by Congressional leaders would likely not bring any benefits to Americans for years to come, if at all. The result would be an industrial wasteland where a wildlife refuge used to be with virtually no positive effect for consumers or energy independence. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is more valuable as a refuge.
This vote will be very close, so every phone call will make a difference. Contact your members of Congress today. . .now. . .before it's too late and ask them to vote against any bill that opens the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. That's all you have to say and what you say counts on Capitol Hill!
PLEASE FORWARD THIS ALERT TO YOUR FRIENDS. Now is the time to draw the line in the sand on the Arctic Refuge.
Signup for AudubonÂs monthly legislative Advisory
mountain_curmudgeon
lorisOriginal Author
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