Herman Cain writes:
The American Energy Protection Act of 2008 (Senate Bill 2958) would remove restrictions on oil exploration and drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). This would have opened access to about 24 billion barrels of oil, which is enough to keep America running for five years with no foreign imports, while other energy technologies are being developed.
…
Senate Bill 2958 would have removed commercial leasing restrictions on oil shale rich areas of Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. Oil shale is a solid material containing oil, which makes it more expensive to extract than traditional oil liquids. But today’s oil prices have made access to this source of oil more cost effective.
It is estimated that there are two trillion barrels of unexplored oil shale right here in the United States. That’s trillion with a “t”.
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The original Senate Bill 2958 is stuck in committee.
A few thousand emails to Sen. Jay Bingaman, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, might help to blast it onto the Senate floor. If you are interested, go to www.hermancain.com and click on “Do Something Now!”
Let’s see if the Democrats in the Senate can ignore 10,000 voices.
OK, I’m in. Here’s the info:
- Bingaman, Jeff- (D – NM) Class I
703 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5521
E-mail: senator_bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov
Have fun!
UPDATE:
Here’s what I wrote. Feel free to cut and paste if you want:
Senator Bingaman,
I filled up my minivan last night at a cost of over $60. It isn’t the price of gasoline that upsets me, however. It is the fact that so much of our natural resources in America are off limits to American oil companies, leaving us at the mercy of oil producing countries. To show you how obscene this is, China is drilling 50 miles off of Key West, in an area off limits to American oil companies. This is to prevent an environmental disaster, as if China has a great record of respecting the environment.
Senator, Senate Bill 2958 is stuck in your committee. It would end this foolishness and give America a chance to provide for itself by doing two things:
1. It removes restrictions on oil exploration and drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). This would have opened access to about 24 billion barrels of oil, which is enough to keep America running for five years with no foreign imports.
2. It removes commercial leasing restrictions on oil shale rich areas of Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. It is estimated that there are two trillion barrels of unexplored oil shale right in our own country.Let’s end the dedication to a small percentage of environmentalists, who rejoice at high oil prices because it lowers the number of cars on the road. It also raises the cost of many other things.
Senator, please do the right thing here. Take action that will help a majority of Americans.
Respectfully,
Duane Lester
