House committee approves drilling in Arctic Refuge

[BigBearJohn]

Just now got the following email:

Hi,

I wanted to update you on the exciting progress we've made in our campaign to protect Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - and there is good news. But today we're suddenly facing a new assault on the Refuge. Yesterday, the House Resources committee voted on a new energy bill introduced by Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA) to authorize both drilling in the Refuge and opening our coastlines to offshore oil drilling.

This bill will now go to the House floor, and we're going to need all the help we can get to protect the Arctic Refuge from the devastation of oil drilling. Please consider an emergency tax-deductible donation today to help us win this struggle.

Congress is using every legislative vehicle it can to advance its unpopular energy policy initiatives by exploiting the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. But there is no compelling reason to drill in the Arctic Refuge other than oil industry greed. Geologists estimate that only a few months' supply of oil lies beneath the Refuge and it will take ten years before any reaches the market. But in the meantime, the effects of drilling on wildlife, including polar bears, caribou, and wolves, could be deadly.

We urgently need your help today to make this campaign succeed. You've already taken action, you may have given generously, and we are so grateful for all you have done. But we're asking for your help once more this week because this fight is so close - and Big Oil's allies are so determined to use every excuse, including Hurricane Katrina, to open up America's last pristine wilderness to toxic oil drilling.

We're now fighting a two-front war on the Refuge - the Budget Reconciliation Bill, which will be voted on next month, and Rep. Pombo's new energy bill. Last spring, the House passed their version of the budget bill by only three votes, and the Senate by only five. Big Oil, Vice President Dick Cheney, House Majority Leader Tom Delay, and Interior Secretary Gale Norton are pulling out all stops to again prevail.

Our partner, Defenders of Wildlife, has been working tirelessly to flood Congress with phone calls from citizens opposing drilling; run educational ads in Congressional swing states; and organize thousands of activists for last week's successful Arctic Refuge Action Day in coalition with other groups.

Help us stop this assault on Arctic wildlife: please make an emergency tax-deductible donation today to Defenders of Wildlife to protect the Arctic Refuge from toxic oil drilling.

Thank you for all of your hard work to protect our natural heritage,

Rebecca Young,
Care2 and ThePetitionSite team

[Lorien]

1. Done. Thanks!

:hi: