Poll Supports Refuge

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

When Americans can read balanced arguments for and against opening oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the majority says no, according to an October poll financed by The Wilderness Society.

The poll found that 56 percent of Americans said drilling in the refuge is not worth the risk to the fragile wildlife mecca.

The poll has a 3 percent margin of error, according to pollsters from the Mellman Group.

“Drilling for oil in the Arctic Refuge makes no more sense than damming the Grand Canyon for its energy potential,” said Allen Smith, Alaska Regional director of the Wilderness Society.

“Regardless of whether or how much oil the Arctic Refuge might hold, recent history has shown that new production would have no impact on oil prices or U.S. energy security,” he said.

“For example, when Alaska’s much larger Prudhoe Bay oil field came on line in 1977, average U.S. gas prices doubled within four years.”

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the refuge may hold 3.2 billion barrels of oil. That’s far less oil than Prudhoe Bay, and the equivalent of less than six months worth of U.S. oil consumption.