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The article presents information about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. A recent bipartisan poll found that 73 percent of the citizens are in favor of alternative energy and conservation over increased domestic oil drilling. By a margin of 58 to 33 percent, a majority of the Americans also are against opening the Arctic Refuge to drilling. Rather than voting to develop the refuge for oil, lawmakers could vote to raise fuel-efficiency standards on all vehicles, an action that they have not taken in decades. The point is not to dictate vehicle type or to suggest that one size fits all. Consumers should have better choices for fuel-efficient vehicles across all model types. Such choices would take advantage of hybrid and other existing innovations in technology, which reduce greenhouse gases and curb one's dependence on foreign energy at a faster pace than developing remaining oil reserves on the public lands.

Discusses the advocacy for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska in 2005. Commitment of the public to protect the refuge; Advantage of raising automobile fuel efficiency standards; Quality of life issues that should be considered by the advocates.