Christopher Shays: “I believe we will not have a world to live in if we continue our neglectful ways. I believe that with all my heart and…”

“I believe we will not have a world to live in if we continue our neglectful ways. I believe that with all my heart and soul. But earlier today this House continued these neglectful ways by refusing to hold SUVs and other light trucks to the same efficiency standards as today's cars. If we had taken that simple step, we would have saved more gasoline in just over 3 years than is economically recoverable in ANWR, and yet people say we need to drill in ANWR. I find it unconscionable that we would now consider despoiling one of North America's last great wilderness areas, when we are unwilling to take even the smallest steps towards slowing the growth in demand for energy resources. Mr. Chairman, drilling in the Arctic Refuge will make Japan very happy, because that is where this oil is ultimately going. It is not going to the United States, it is going to Japan. The bottom line is, we are not resolving our energy needs, because we are not conserving. We'll just continue to consume more and waste more, consume more and waste more, and act like it doesn't matter. We are on a demand course that is simply unsustainable!”