The Most Environmentally Friendly Oil Project Ever: National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska
Can Oil Companies Be Good Stewards of Our Land?
Austin, Texas: The Wall Street Journal just reported that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued a permit on Monday to ConocoPhillips that would allow the energy company to develop the first commercial oil well in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.
The permit sets 22 special conditions designed to minimize the environmental impact of the project, and Conoco will pay fees into a special fund to compensate for damage to tundra wetlands, which the corps, in a statement, said would be “unavoidable.”
As both an environmentalist and a businessman, I understand that compromises are needed. My feelings are that this will probably be the most pristine oil project of all time – as the eyes of the world will be upon it.
If this project goes well with very minimal environmental impact, it will open up more of Alaska’s reserves to drilling and development–which can be beneficial to the United States, both in terms of reducing our dependence on foreign oil and for job creation.
If there are environmental problems, any further discussion of oil projects in Alaska will be shelved–probably for decades.
Let’s hope that this project is a success – and we can make further exploration dependent on increased alternative fuel subsidies.
I am certainly for green energy and clean energy.
Our dependence on fossil fuels is destroying our planet through climate change and air quality issues.
We will certainly not wean ourselves from fossil fuels overnight, but we should definitely do what we can to stop supporting Middle East unrest.
Let’s test this job creation project with a tremendous amount of oversight.
We need to increase all forms of energy–fossil fuels for the short term and solar, wind and geo-thermal for medium and long-term security.
Hopefully both sides of the political spectrum can soften their approach to energy and we can move forward on cleaner energy for a better tomorrow.
Tighter regulations mean cleaner fuel projects.
I grew up in New Jersey and can still remember the smell of the refineries.
Let’s clean up our act.
Let’s increase expenditures for alternative fuels from the profits of this new exploration.
It can create a win-win — more jobs, cleaner energy.
That’s a platform I think most Americans can support.
