On Extending ANWR

19 Million Not Enough

ANWR, the famed Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, it is under attack – from down under! With that in mind, it is time to come to action and extend the protection status of Alaska's North Slope. British Petroleum has a saying, “Beyond Oil”. I have my own banner of worship, “Beyond ANWR”. After years of a somewhat functional and workable relationship with “Big Oil” wherein the environmental effects of oil development just west of ANWR has shown minimal effects, we have upon us today a changing mindset along with a suspicious attitude towards that protective status, as it appears that “protection” today finds a single element of importance – that of money over environment. As the throughput in the Trans-Alaska-Pipeline has weakened and caused panic and fear amongst this state's legislative branch, it warranted the “Open for Business” sign to be illuminated, which has invited in outside vagabonds - a.k.a. The “Independents” - that have every intent to rape the resource base then take the money and run, as these newcomers seem to not give a rat's ass about what this “new” movement could mean to the environment – or degradation of. Over the years, “Big Oil” has been somewhat shackled with respect to outlaw activity that could damage the environment, such restraints maybe not by choice, as we have before us a system of checks and balances that seems to provide some semblance of stewardship upon the “Serengeti of the North”. But things are changing, because of a home grown Sarah Palin like bureaucratic bother that is bent on different priorities, wherein the health of the land falls under the equal no-consideration clause, in line with the governor's consideration of health care for needy Alaskans. There is no future consideration to protect the environment, it is that simple. Parnell gallivants around the country, using the podium to complain about too much Uncle Sam control over Alaska, wherein he wants more control to allow for oil development just about anywhere, land and sea. Unfortunately to what is coming our way, we need more oversight, as we cannot police our own actions when it comes to greed thirst first. We find today before us a mentality that would say GO to oil development and say NO not yet to keeping Alaska the “Last Frontier”. What wilderness status? May as well start another license plate campaign, “The Lost Frontier”! Look, there is no comparable ecosystem on earth as with that found on Alaska's North Slope. We must start again to protect this sacred status by promoting an expansion effort, “Beyond AWNR”, by increasing the acreage to include the Brooks Range “foothills” and the Beaufort Sea coastline with a 5-mile buffer zone and a forever ban on offshore exploration. Matter of fact, we need to increase the size of ANWR to include all reasonable wilderness left on the “slope”. My concern is a warning! There is a reason why the Native Alaskans are trying to push oil development away from Barrow, as they know that it is devastating and that challenges their 10,000-year old livelihood, of subsistence. Like already mentioned, the Alaska North Slope environment is under attack, from unreasonable development that wants to utilize “new” technologies. Now “new” technologies doesn't necessarily mean good technologies. It appears the “Great Bear” wants to “frac” the hell out of the aquifer on the “slope”, in a shock & awe blitzkrieg to explore to exploit, in efforts to unlock the hydrocarbon potential hidden away in shale. I still cannot get it. Those in favor of destroying this Arctic environment still have this notion that it is desolate, dark and cold! That what happens down below, stays down below. It's somebodies back yard, mind you! And Look at the concerns that have followed along the same “black gold rush” in North Dakota, it is out of control and “frac” work is causing untold horrors with the underground aquifer. Shale oil is more expensive to produce then conventional oil production, but when the cream of the crop is gone and shale is all that is left, the cheap and easy method preferred by cheapskates is to “frac” the formation, to unlock the hydrocarbons. And now that “frac” work is under attack, those in favor this technique have started to advertise “clean” fluids for annihilating the earth's inner core, with environmentally sound stuff that can be found in your kitchen, byproducts from the food preparation industry! Talk about a hoax. Take Haliburton's CleanStim from its CleanSuite line of crap: “A new hydraulic fracturing solution made up of ingredients sourced entirely from the food industry? Well, our new formulation doesn't quite call for the downhole delivery of fruits and vegetables. But it does rely on some of the same acids and enzymes present in those items to create one of the most innovative and environmentally safe fracture solutions ever conceived. Now, are we saying you should eat the stuff? Nope. But when diluted and used as directed, we are saying it's an exciting new innovation in the field – one that reduces chemical exposure risk at and below the well site.” Whoopie Cushion Doo Doo! But according to the safety data sheets made available by this nutcase company, 13 of the 15 ingredients are “Hazardous”! So it is nothing shy a glamorous sounding hazardous nightmare concoction that has not been tested to see what effects this “fruit & vegetable” stuff will have on the natural chemistry that goes on many feet below the surface. Here we go again, as it is nothing short a “Let Mikey Try It”. Look, when we want to inject some new medical concoction in a human guinea pig, it takes FDA approval. The earth is no different, as we should have proof first that what we inject will not cause future nightmare consequences – like “Love Canal”. Bottom-line, so-called “frac” work and the accompanying fluids used to re-arrange the “Mother Earth's” underground ecosystem, this action is truly illegal from a hazardous waste standpoint, but we find in the law books what is called an E&P exemption - made possible by Congress. It has been on the books forever, but nowadays, we see where a carte blanc license to kill has no merit. It is preferential treatment for oil exploration that allows almost anything, as a lame excuse. So there is no control. There is no oversight with this “only fools rush in” scenario and who knows what “hydraulic fracking” will deal us in the end. Cheap energy? There is no such thing as cheap energy anymore, not since Wall Street found a new whipping boy! But the United States has come to a very defining moment, as our addiction to crude oil has this country on thin-ice. So we need to also strive for added protection our sovereignty, by starting to conserve. We need to start a cold turkey reduction in our energy consumption and needs, if not, we will find it catching up on us and it will make life miserable all around for a once great nation. Just look at the snaggle-puss hold $100-dollar a barrel oil is having on the economy. From cereal to diapers, it is having a snow-ball and domino effect on a recovery and it dooms the future. So it is time, to extend the size of ANWR. By placing acreage off limits for oil exploration and production, it will force us to give up the habit and start us down a road of conservation thus recovery. And here is another scary thought that has not as of yet aroused the concern think table. Shale formations have an inherent silent nightmare waiting in the wings, called NORM – Naturally Occurring Radioactive Matter. It is radioactive matter that is locked safely away in the formations, but inject some propant pills along with thousands of gallons of Haliburton fruit juice under enormous pressure, this action acts as a sweeper to disrupt the radionuclides - like cancer causing thorium - which when disturbed after millions of years in dormancy, this stuff mingles with the oil and gas and comes topside. Yes indeed, maybe the TAPS will glow like the Northern Lights when the “Great Bear” has succeeded in filling the pipeline! And once again, not to worry, as NORM is not regulated in Alaska. Which means it doesn't have to be measured or monitored. We are about to unleash an Armageddon nightmare upon the underground ecosystem, not only in Alaska, but everywhere. And the earth is dynamic, an ever changing variable, which means over time this crap will surface and could cause havoc with respect to health concerns, and by that time all the money made will be hidden away and even if the surface looks natural, it will be but another chapter for the Super Fund annals. And you thought Love Canal was hazardous! They play chemist and we end up paying for their experiments gone haywire. So it is time to put important things in front of disgusting things - like money over natural matters - it is time to extend ANWR and for any senator trying to unlock this great sanctuary for E&P exemptions, it is blasphemy at its highest degree - hear that Lisa and Mark? I plan to float a petition for extending ANWR and at the same time introduce to the state legislatures concerns over NORM, especially now that the “Great Bear” fracking mentality is coming to an oil field in our backyard. But due budget shortfall concerns, I am sure the latter will find peace deep within the shredder – the one labeled “No Concern”!