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Energy
The U.S. is dangerously dependent on imported oil. We currently import about 60% of the oil we consume, much of it from the Middle East. The Department of Energy projects this number will increase to 73 percent by the year 2025. This ever-increasing dependence is harmful not only to our economic growth but also our national security as well. We must find new domestic sources of oil and gas to increase domestic production in an environmentally sensitive manner. One way to increase this production is to finally open ANWR to oil and gas exploration. The United States Geological Survey estimates that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge contains 10 billion barrels of recoverable oil, which is enough to increase known domestic reserves by 50 percent.
Resources of this magnitude cannot simply be ignored. ANWR alone would be capable of reversing the decline in U.S. petroleum supply within a decade. It is not a quick fix -- there are no quick fixes -- but it is the quickest and most reliable option we now have to reverse the decline brought upon us by years of neglect of our domestic capacity.
New technology currently exists that would minimize the environmental impact and new, even better technologies are being developed all the time. We must be vigilant in protecting the environment, but energy security must also be considered. I am convinced that we can find the proper balance and secure our nation's energy needs.
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