1. 21 December 2005

    Mark Dayton and Norm Coleman, hear me out

    989 days ago

    A few hours after having written this: Looks like the drilling bit didn’t pass.

    I just wanted to let you know that I think it’s despicable that your fellow senator, Ted Stevens, has shown the disdain for congressional procedure and our troops fighting valiantly (in a pointless and unlawful war none the less) halfway across the world to hijack a defense appropriations bill with a provision to allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The scumbags in congress today disgust me. Is it not completely inappropriate to force your personal agenda (as he has done) upon an entire nation while there are phenomenally more important issues at hand?

    First thing, ANWR will provide a windfall for the multinational oil corporations, but tear up a national treasure (the eighth wonder of the world?). I don’t care how small a percentage of the full reserve will be opened to actual surface penetration by drilling apparatus, the entire area will have forever lost it’s pure, unique air.

    Second, the actual volume of oil cached within ANWR is pitifully insufficient for it to be at all worth it. I’ll admit I’m on the environmental side of the issue, but at peak production (20 years from now), the subsidy provided to the american people by the surplus oil will be just 1 penny per gallon, and that’s the most it will ever do [1]. One penny per gallon. People will be saving 10 cents per tank, and who knows if they will even need or want it? You cannot tell me it’s worth such an enormous sacrifice (once it’s opened, cut through with highways to transport oil and pumps to extract it and all the necessary infrastructure, ANWR would hardly pass muster as a national park, and will never return to it’s former state) for such a trivial [2] benefit to America and it’s people.

    I’m a freshman in college at the University of Minnesota, Morris. My family was never rich, but well off. We had three cars at times during my life. That does not mean we struggled with gas costs. There are smarter and better ways to get around. For two years, fall/winter/spring, I biked the Midtown greenway to school every day. I attended 4 years at South High. 5 miles each way, I was fitter then ever and loved it. If it was too cold I could hop on the bryant avenue bus to lake street and be at school in no time, and I’ll admit to driving myself or catching rides occasionally. The metro transit system could use improvements, but it’s just as good as driving. Also cheaper, more social, and less stressful. Biking triply so.

    Please don’t cave into Bush and (Ted) Stevens hollow agenda to repay the multinational and ethically challenged corporations that financed their election campaigns. After the death of Paul Wellstone, who was the only elected official I’ve ever genuinely trusted and looked up to, I don’t see much good at all coming from any avenue of government. That isn’t how it’s supposed to work.

    Now with talks of Bush finally being held accountable for the crimes he’s committed since becoming president [3], I’m just starting to regain the naive confidence I held in government as a kid. Please don’t let me down: do what you know is right for your constituents (not big oil, but minnesotans) and shoot down this corrupt and anti-american drilling provision. If you’re not quite sure how to do it without holding up the Defense Appropriations bill (which, as much as I’m against the Iraq war, still must go through), see the third paragraph in the blog post at the bottom of my letter [4].

    Sincerely,
    Kjell Olsen

    1. http://www.alaskaaction.org/the-penny/
    2. http://www.answers.com/trivial
    3. his impeachment, his discredit, his dishonor and shame
    3. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/flavia-colgan/arctic-refuge-in-the-bala_b_12673.html

  2. 20 December 2005

    990 days ago

    Alaska Action for ANWR - The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

    The most money that drilling the Arctic Refuge would ever save American consumers is one penny per gallon, and that would be almost 20 years from now when oil production out of the Refuge would peak.

    via Kjell Olsen990 days ago

  3. 10 December 2005

    1000 days ago

    Ideas for Creating American Jobs That Are Better Than the 735,000 Jobs Promised If Drilling Is Allowed in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

    at McSweeney’s.

    via Kjell Olsen1000 days ago

  4. 10 November 2005

    1030 days ago

    Arctic drilling dropped from House bill - Environment - MSNBC.com

    Provisions for drilling are still in the Senate’s version of the bill, but yesterday the House dropped them from theirs! If the House passes the bill today it goes into committee to reconcile differences between the two versions, where hopefully it won’t get back in.

    via Kjell Olsen1030 days ago

  5. 04 November 2005

    Senate votes to begin drilling Alaskan oil

    1036 days ago

    What the fuck is wrong with my country?

    The idea of drilling in ANWR has the wisdom of an overweight diabetic eating the last 8 chocolate cake pieces at the buffet, just to succumb to his insulin shock. No offense to people who suffer from diabetes. threehundredandsixty

  6. 16 March 2005

    1269 days ago

    The New York Times > Washington > Senate Votes to Allow Arctic Drilling

    While this afternoon’s vote is not the final word on the issue, it nevertheless made drilling in the wilds of Alaska – an idea favored by the oil industry and fiercely opposed by environmental groups – far more likely than before.

    The closeness of this afternoon’s vote could be a prelude to bitter debate ahead. President Bush and many Republicans say drilling in the refuge would help make the United States less dependent on foreign sources of oil.

    Good – looks like the deal isn’t sealed, but how could we go about doing something like this to ourselves? And what is there that one can do to fight it?

    Maybe waltz on over to the senate and tell your representatives what you think – you are pissed, right?

    via Kjell Olsen1269 days ago

  7. 15 March 2005

    1270 days ago

    Profit at any cost | MetaFilter

    Stuff like this just ought to break everyones heart – but I guess it doesn’t, and looks ready to pass and become reality. Fuck.

    via Kjell Olsen1270 days ago

  8. Also somewhat recently

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