The world is all too aware of the dangers of transporting crude oil from wells to the rest of the world. The Exxon Valdez spill in 1989 is proof that environmentally sensitive areas can be totally destroyed in one foul swoop. Twenty years later, the scars of toxic sludge and residue still fester.

Hearing on the news today that good old George Dubbya has lifted a ban on gas and oil drilling in Bristol Bay Alaska sounds like another stellar step towards unparalleled stupidity. Or maybe it's just the republicans proving that raping and pillaging a wilderness paradise is all in a day's work.

Experts calculate as much as 2 billion barrels of crude oil and about 5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas lay buried under the bay, ripe for the picking. Just in time to boost an economy that's seen its share of toxic spills of all kinds.

So where does this leave nature?

Haven't we learned anything from the past? The plan to extract the crude involves a mega pipeline, passing through some of the most pristine environments on earth. Are we ready for another told you so, or is it time to move into the age of technology and give the more sound systems of energy generation a chance?

I have visited the damaged areas of Alaska and seen the effects of spill after spill after spill. It's time to protect what wonder there is left in the world - for the people who depend on it for their livelihood or their enjoyment. The fishery industry, for example, depends on an eco-friendly approach to drilling for oil and gas - and so do we if we want eat their catch.

Let's hope that the pilots of this space ship can steer clear of another disaster.

Paul Lander,
Nomadik Fanatik