APPLY THE BRAKES

Our nation is addicted to a finite resource – oil. As our population and energy consumption increase, so will the pressure to open areas like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, our coastlines, deserts, and other wild places to oil development. Drilling in these sensitive areas will fragment intact ecosystems and weaken global biodiversity – a key component to the health of the earth and all of its inhabitants.

Even if we destroy our remaining wild places searching for the last drops of oil, the sad reality is that we still won’t have enough. The United States has at most 2-3 percent of the world’s oil reserves, while accounting for 25 percent of the world’s oil consumption. Foreign sources, including Canada, Russia, Venezuela, and the Middle East, supply 60 percent of the oil we consume. We can't ever drill our way to oil independence, and relying on other countries for our energy supplies puts us in a vulnerable position. As the global population continues to climb, and other countries rise to our level of oil consumption, we cannot continue our unsustainable lifestyle fueled by a dwindling resource.

There is a better way.

We can meet our energy needs, preserve our natural treasures, and lead the world to a sustainable future with a threefold approach: 1) conserve oil and other fossil fuels; 2) develop clean, renewable energy sources; and 3) reduce our population and energy consumption per capita.

Our need for clean, renewable energy, and the need for energy independence for our nation are vital to securing a livable future for our children and grandchildren. The fundamental need to preserve nature and its gifts of clean water, air, and food is vital to all peoples of the world. We can be good stewards. We can lead the way.

Amy Gulick is a photographer, writer, and speaker. Her work has appeared in Sierra, Audubon, E Magazine, and High Country News. In addition, her work has been featured in the conservation campaigns of the Alaska Wilderness League, Ocean Conservancy, Sierra Club, and the Alaska Rainforest Campaign. She is a Fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers, and the 2008 recipient of the Daniel Housberg Wilderness Image Award for Excellence in Still Photography, presented by the Alaska Conservation Foundation. She is a Mission Award recipient of the North American Nature Photography Association, which also awarded her its Philip Hyde Grant for her conservation work in the Tongass National Forest.

Gulick is a national speaker on the current oil drilling debate regarding the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Her Internet story "Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Wilderness or Wasteland?" won a Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award presented by the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation. View the story at: http://www.oneearthadventures.com.

(Organizational affiliations listed for purposes of identification only.)