1991: Republicans tried in 1991 and 1995 to open the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, but Democrats blocked them both times. With gas topping $4 a gallon these days, calls to open the refuge — and the country's coastal areas, including North Carolina — to drilling are starting to gush.
more oil drilling in the US
The irony of Bush/McCain/Limbaugh plan to begin an aggressive program to locate and drill for more oil within our own boundaries is that while this campaign is going on, the US Congress is debating legislation that would cap global warming emissions in the US. On one hand our elected officials are promoting more global warming emissions while on the other hand trying to figure out how to cap them.
It is no wonder the American public is so cynical about our political leaders. The window to stop the worst effects of global warming is closing in on us, but instead Bush and McCain choose to pander to the electorate.
Hasn't the extreme weather across many parts of the country showed where we are headed if we do not address our oil addiction soon? Leaders in this country will be judged in history by whether they dealt with the global warming crisis or not. I hope our children will read heroic history and not the sad story of doing nothing.