mr. chairman , i rise in strong support of the markey-johnson amendment to protect the alaska national wildlife refuge . 
the coastal plain of anwr is the last major part of the north slope that has not been developed . 
in my judgment , it would be far better to develop prudent and lasting alternate fuel energies than to risk irreparable damage to the wilderness of one of north america 's most beautiful frontiers . 
the reason the anwr `` solution '' seems so simple is because it 's too good to be true . 
it wo n't fix our energy problems -- with so little oil available up there , it could n't possibly , as it will take a decade to get the oil down here . 
that time would be far better spent developing clean , renewable energy sources that will provide infinite energy without imperiling our last remaining wilderness areas . 
even a modest increase in cafe standards would save more oil than would be produced by drilling in anwr . 
we simply wo n't have a world to live in if we continue our neglectful ways . 
what we really need to ask ourselves is : how can we square legitimate environmental concerns with our expanding energy needs ? 
mr. chairman , drilling in the arctic refuge is the wrong answer to the right question . 
i urge my colleagues to vote yes on the markey-johnson amendment . 
