Have y'all *BEEN* to Alaska?? (and not just the cities either :wtf: )
Have y'all ever dealt with the oild industry other than putting gas in your vehicles??
Have y'all acdually *DONE* anything remotely resembling development of oil spill cleanup methods that *don't* destroy the effected area??
Have y'all actually *SEEN* these animals natural habitat??
Have y'all ever had a hand in the discovery of new species of marine life??

If not, then you really don't have a clue. Maybe if you were to do some studying (and not from CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, or CBS)... then you might find that the oil industry today is a far cry from what it was 20 years ago.
But... If you really *WANT* to pay for $5.00/gal gasoline, as well as the cumulitive effects on businesses of all sizes that translate to uncontrolled inflation, higher unemployment, and higher prices for *EVERYTHING* without comensurate increases in salary....then go ahead on with your misguided "save the planet" philosophy.

As a retired Coastie that spent 4 years of that time as a polution investigator, having sailed from pole to pole, as well as being a business owner for the last 14 years, I speak from first hand experience.

You can say what you want, but when all else fails, common sense applies.

BTW.. here's another tidbit for you.... if petroleum products can be taken off the futures market, and the oil companies regulated like they were 30 years ago, bring the price of fuel at the pump back down to $1.50 or less at the pump....... this would give the average 1 car family an additional $2,000 in disposable income per year *WITHOUT* additional taxes. In these parts, thats a months salary for most folks..
Think on that for a while.