BURTON: America's energy future

I wish I could understand the logic behind the Democrats energy policy. Democrats are against offshore drilling, drilling in ANWR, etc. I can understand that if the logic is scarcer supplies drive up prices, reduce consumption, and environmental concerns trump all. What about the environmental aspect? From a global perspective, why is ANWR more important than an equally desolate area in Nigeria that would have the risk of environmental impact as well? Is our next step a global moratorium on all new drilling? Democrats want to release oil from the strategic energy reserve. Is the logic now high prices are bad and we want to increase supply? How long is this effect expected to last? Surely the effect is temporary. What happens when prices are low - we buy big cars and move farther away from work? Democrats are for alternative energy. Everyone is. How much of an impact will alternative energy have between now and the next 10 years? Nuclear is being talked about, but nuclear will be used for electricity generation, and electric power plants use natural gas for the most part. Only one thing makes sense to me. We need more oil from safer parts of the world - and our back yard is best. Also, why is this never talked about... Energy affects the economy. The economy affects real people. How many people in the third world are at the threshold of life and death and go either way depending on the state of the world economy? Why is this not important, or at least a consideration? Would the democrats prefer to control energy and perhaps ration it to solve some of the above issues? That's at least a strategy.