The message below, a letter from Robert Redford urging concerned Americans to
protest President Bush's plan to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to
massive oil development, was sent to you by Martin Reeves from
http://www.nrdcactionfund.org

Dear Friend,

The Bush White House and Congressional leaders are exploiting rising gas prices
to ram through legislation that would destroy the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge. 

These front men for Big Oil are doing their damnedest to convince Americans
that sacrificing our nation's greatest wildlife sanctuary will solve our
problems at the gas pump.

It's a lie. 

Here are the facts: the Bush Administration's own Energy Department says that
drilling in the Arctic Refuge will save consumers only one penny per gallon at
the pump -- and that's 20 years from now! The oil companies win, everyone else
loses. 

Even the most optimistic government assumptions admit that Arctic Refuge oil --
at peak production -- would amount to less than 1% of world oil production.
Meanwhile, we use 25% of the global supply! Our nation simply doesn't have
enough oil to affect the price of this world commodity. 

We will NEVER drill our way to lower gas prices and energy independence. But we
CAN secure our energy future by reducing our out-of-control appetite for oil.
And there's already legislation pending in Congress that would do just that.

"The Fuel Choices for American Security Act" would cut our nation's dependence
on oil by 2.5 million barrels a day within 10 years -- more than we currently
import daily from the Persian Gulf. 

We can do it by producing more hybrids and other fuel-efficient cars...by
making renewable American biofuels widely available at our local gas
stations...by relying on smarter and cleaner ways to power our economy. 

But unless millions of Americans demand that better future right now, President
Bush and Congress will continue leading the charge for Big Oil to plunder the
Arctic Refuge.

Please go to http://www.nrdcactionfund.org/arctic/action.asp?step=2&item 387
right now and send a message to your Senators and Representative. 

Tell them you will not surrender the Arctic Refuge to save one penny at the
pump. Tell them to get to work on solving the real energy problem: our nation's
dangerous and expensive addiction to oil. 

Thank you for speaking out.

Sincerely,

Robert Redford
NRDC Action Fund