Protect the Arctic Refuge by Voting NO on H.R. 5429, the Misnamed “American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act
05/24/06

U.S. House
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative:

The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is the political voice of the national environmental community. Each year, LCV publishes the National Environmental Scorecard, which details the voting records of Members of Congress on environmental legislation. The Scorecard is distributed to LCV members, concerned voters nationwide, and the press.

LCV urges you to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by voting NO on H.R. 5429, the misnamed “American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act.”  Drilling in the Arctic Refuge would pose a grave threat to this national treasure, but it would not solve our energy problems.  The United States has less than 3% of the world’s proven oil reserves and consumes 25% of the world’s oil, so we cannot drill our way to energy independence.  Even if oil is discovered in the Arctic Refuge, drilling there would affect gas prices by only about a penny per gallon at peak production in 2025 – despite false claims to the contrary.  Instead of destroying our last wild places, Congress should pursue sensible solutions to our energy problems like increasing fuel efficiency for automobiles.

Protecting the Arctic Refuge is among the highest priorities for the national environmental community.  Drilling in this incomparable wilderness would threaten polar bears, grizzlies, migratory birds, and the 123,000-member Porcupine caribou herd as well as the subsistence culture of 7,000 Gwich’in people.  As a March spill in Alaska’s North Slope demonstrates, the environmental consequences of drilling can be devastating.

We urge you to protect the Arctic Refuge by voting NO on H.R. 5429, the “American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act.”  LCV has scored votes on the Arctic Refuge on numerous occasions in the last two decades, and the Political Advisory Committee will strongly consider including this vote in compiling LCV’s 2006 Scorecard.  If you need more information, please call Tiernan Sittenfeld or Nat Mund at my office at (202) 785-8683.

Sincerely,

Gene Karpinski
President, LCV