51¶¯Âþ

America’s treasured Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is safe from oil prospectors, for another year at least. Last week the US Senate voted down George Bush’s plans to allow drilling on the reserve as part of his new energy policy to reduce US dependence on foreign oil. Oil companies already control most of the Arctic shoreline of Alaska. After the defeat, the President’s spokesman said he would “continue to fight” for drilling rights in the refuge. The reserve is the destination for one of the largest animal migrations on the planet as each year 130,000 porcupine caribou arrive to graze the summer pastures on Alaska’s northern coast.…