Editorial
Protect arctic area
against oil drilling
In these days of uncertainly about the oil supply from
the Persian Gulf, the U S. Department of Interior has been
considering alternatives to the current over-reliance on
foreign oil.
And. alas, one of these alternatives, according to
Donald Model, U S. Secretary of the Interior, is to exploit
wilderness regions, particularly Alaska’s Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). an undisturbed strip of land along
Alaska's northern coast that is home to rare mammals and
countless species of birds.
In an attempt to solve "dependence on unstable sources
of foreign oil." drilling for oil at the 1.5 million-acre coastal
plain is "vital to our national security." argues Model, who
is attempting to persuade Congress to open up the wildlife
refuge.
Drilling at the refuge, however, would incur long-run
costs that outweigh any short-run benefits from the extracted
oil.
Although about $15 billion dollars of oil potentially
could be received from the proposed area, about 180,000
caribou would be displaced — a result that could have
negative effects, such as stopping the caribou from
reproducing. Other fragile wildlife, such as two million
shorebirds, also would be displaced.
Fut her more, the drilling would violate the sensitive en
vironment and ecosystem of the region. Roads would be
constructed, noises and air pollution would be discharged,
and the wilderness would be exposed to all the adverse af
fects resulting from the presence of people.
The Interior Department conducted a study of the en
vironmental impact that could be expected from drilling in
the area, but according to the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency it was tainted with inaccurate and inadequate infor
mation. Moreover, the report neglected to consider in full
the environmental costs of drilling.
If the Interior Department is determined to drill at AN
YVR, the least it would do is provide an objective study of hte
environmental effects along with recommendations.
Aside from the potential environmental Impact, other
costs exist Drilling at the refuge, where there’s only a
19-percent chance that any oil will be discovered, would
decrease the incentive to look elsewhere for a less en
vironmentally sensitive location with a higher probability of
oil extraction. If the Interior Department adamantly believes
that it must increase domestic oil production for the sake of
national security, then alternative oil-drilling sights that
would not displace a large amount of wildlife or damage a
sensitive environment should be considered.
The incentive to develop other energy means as a
substitute for oil consumption also becomes a low priority. If
special interest groups, such as oil corporations, are allowed
to exploit the environment at will, the environment with
suffer and technological progress aimed at overcoming
dependence on increasingly scare resources is less likely to
occur.
The short-run gains of consuming domestically ex
tracted oil will be offset by unrepairable long-run costs to the
environment. People with big-business interests, such as
Hodel, myopically pursue environmental policies oriented
toward short-run benefits, and hence fail to perceive the
long-run implications of their actions.
Or if they do perceive the implications, they do not care.
« *r£jf3
BILLY MARTIN]
RETURNS TO j
VANMEf
Letters
Misguided
In reading Jeff Morn*rich's
letter. it mnu that his com
ments are colored by
homophobia and misinforma
tion regarding the transmission
of AIDS (ODE. Oct 19|
He claims that the recent
Supreme Court Marti wick deci
sion is the U S. government's
attempt ''to do away with one of
the major causes of AIDS." His
linking of the court ruling
allowing states to uphold or
create anti-sodomy laws to
AIDS prevention seems
misguided at the bust
The Hardwick decision
allows each state to pass laws
barring two people (in many
states the law indicates two peo
ple of the same gender) from
engaging in anal intercourse.
Tim Hughes, co-director of
the University Gay and Lesbian
Alliance, was correct in sug
gesting that the court decision
is an attempt to restrict the right
to ''love whom we choose in the
way we choose."
Mornarich dismisses Hughes’
comment by stating. "Unfor
tunately you are entitled to your
own opinion." He further
displays his homophobic bias
later in his letter by adding.
"Why don’t you start attaching
your flyers to cast iron
trousers?"
AIDS is hardly a subject of
which to be making light If
Mornarich were to educate
himself more thoroughly on
AIDS and its transmission, he
would learn that anal inter
course is not the only activity
that has the potential of
spreading the HIV. Vaginal in
tercourse and oral sex can also
spread the disease just as effec
tively. Why doesn’t he push for
laws barring these sexual acts?
Even "wet kissing" is con
sidered only "possibly safe."
Perhaps Mornarich should be
evaluating his own practices
rather than condemning those
of others. AIDS is much too
serious for anyone to be poin
ting fingers
The fact is that anyone who
practices unsafely any activity
is placing himself or herself at
risk of infection Insensitivity
and ignorance, as demonstrated
by Mornarich. are inappropriate
and ineffective methods by
which to debate the manage
ment and prevention of AIDS.
Mark l.anglic
Sophomore, theatre arU
Cross cultural
At 7:15 p m. Friday. Oct. 16.
my roommate and some dorm
mates are ready to purchase
some alcoholic beverages from
the cashier of a local store My
roommate. 23. shows his
driver's license. Then another.
The cashier calls another clerk
over who says he's in charge.
He looks at the two. then
another, before saying he can't
accept out-of-state I.D.s. He
needs three I D s to make this
statement.
My roommate's neighbor of
fers his I D. It will be understan
dable if this particular I D. were
from Oregon, but it isn't. It is
just another out-of-state driver's
license
My roommate files a written
complaint on the spot while a
manager conies by. The clerk
tells him that this guy is acting
like a jerk, and we are eventual
ly asked to go elsewhere. The
manager explicitly rips up the
complaint
What is so uncommon about
this? The fact is that this kind of
thing is too common. My room
mate who got his I.D.s rejected
is black. Mis neighbor, whose
1.1) was accepted, isn't. |ust
plain sad.
In today's business and social
worlds, it's becoming increas
ingly important to be able to get
along with, understand and
become friends with people of
different cultures This is the
theme of one such dorm on
campus. Adams Cross Cultural.
Through relationships with
people of different color, na
tionality or religion, one can
gain invaluable knowledge and
much improved attitudes just
by knowing different kinds of
people (this means by giving
them a chance and actually get
ting to know them), one can
automatically learn important,
new physical, social and com
munication skills and ultimate
ly gain some fresh attitudes on
being able to enjoy life even
more.
There's an entire world out
there, so don't live on an island.
You won't get anywhere.
Neil Takemoto
Architecture
Oregon Daily
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