U.S. PIRG's Gene Karpinski

A year ago, looking at how the results of the November elections had emboldened the oil industry and other powerful anti-environmental interests, we used this page to ask the question “How Are We Going to Stop Them Now?”

For example, many in the media and on Capitol Hill assumed that 2005 would be the year that Exxon and their allies in the White House and on Capitol Hill would finally get their way and win approval to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

But as of this writing, we have managed yet again to block efforts to open this pristine wilderness area.

First the polluters and their allies tried to push drilling through a backdoor budget process. When that failed, they stooped to a new low—adding Arctic drilling to the bill that funds the military in the last few days before Congress adjourned for the year, and daring senators to filibuster the defense bill.

But our champions on Capitol Hill and our allies in the environmental community didn’t flinch, and we won another truly historic victory. We did this by working with a core group of bipartisan congressional leaders, and an exemplary coalition of environmental groups in Washington and outside the Beltway who just plain refused to give up—even though the Arctic had been declared lost several times this year.

We did this by mobilizing PIRG members and organizers across the country to keep sending a loud and
clear message to Congress that the public won’t stand for drilling to the last drop if it means spoiling America’s last wild places, and by reminding people that there’s a much better way to reduce our dependence on oil by significantly increasing the fuel efficiency of our cars.

Most importantly, this couldn’t happen without your support.Drilling proponents are making it clear that they’re not giving up. They’ve pledged to be back again when Congress returns in 2006— looking for even more outrageous vehicles to push their anti-environmental agenda.

But with your support we will remain vigilant in the face of these and other assaults on our environmental, consumer and public health protections.

Many thanks.

Gene Karpinski
Executive Director