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'Drill More' Gilmore has wrong energy plan

June 27, 2008 12:15 am

While I would love it if gas prices dropped in the near future, Jim Gilmore's plans, while tempting, would not achieve this ["Warner outlines energy proposals," June 19].

Mr. Gilmore favors drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and along our coastline.

It would take approximately 10 years for drilling in either of these areas to affect our gas prices even the slightest bit. Additionally, drilling in these areas could cause irreparable damage to the environment in and around drilling sites.

I am not willing to sacrifice a wildlife reserve, created to preserve the environment, to fuel our oil habit that plays a hand in destroying it.

Beyond risking environmental damage that would result in little change in gas prices to show for our efforts, Mr. Gilmore does not seem to have any other answer. His solution is no solution at all.

While Mr. Gilmore has proposed outdated, unrealistic answers to our problems with gas prices, Mark Warner supports viable, environmentally friendly solutions.

By supporting greater tax credits on hybrid vehicles, Mr. Warner works to make fuel-efficient vehicles more realistic for the average buyer.

Additionally, Mr. Warner supports an increase in research and development of various cleaner and renewable energy sources, which, in the long term, could enable us to wean ourselves off oil altogether.

Katie Deabler

Stafford





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