Robert Scardapane, Published in Daily Journal - Vineland on 09/21/2005

Recently, Republican House Majority Leader Tom Delay of Texas announced his intention to revise the Energy Bill of 2005.

He is using the temporary disruption in oil production from Hurricane Katrina as an excuse to justify drilling in protected areas such as the Alaskan National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) and our eastern shoreline. This is a poor excuse to despoil environmentally sensitive areas.

In the case of ANWR, drilling will do little to solve our energy crisis. No oil will reach the market for 10 years, and most likely, the Alaskan oil will be sold to China.

It's time to stop debating these false solutions and get working on real answers.

The Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards should be significantly increased and more research funded on alternative fuels.

Now is the time to stop feeding the oil monster and support alternative solutions such as hydrogen fuel cells and flexible biodiesel engines.