What kind of a cynical ploy was this, tagging the wildlife-refuge drilling on to the back of a defence spending bill? And they came within four votes of getting aay with it.

Having probably seen more of Alaska than nearly everyone in this thread, I m completely dismayed at the prospect that its priceless eco-system should be put at risk so that dopes like DougR can carry on squandering oil with complete peace of mind.

People of the DougR mentality are on course to destroy Alaska, and consequently the rest of the continent, regardless of what happens in the ANWR. If they think that sounds far-fetched, they need to look at what's been happening to the temperature of the permafrost in recent years. From this they will realise that the permafrost will melt some time soon, reducing much of Alaska and northern Canada to an arid desert. As the region is such a colossal proportion of the north American continent, the ramifications will be felt across the whole continent.

No need for Doug to worry though - it's not going to happen in his lifetime, quite. The mess will be for his kids, and their kids, to sort out.