Haley Stevens: “I will read portions of it. It says: ``A waste of energy?'' Pity the poor caribou. There they are, minding their own…”

“I will read portions of it. It says: ``A waste of energy?'' Pity the poor caribou. There they are, minding their own business, roaming silently in the snow and soft tundra of the desolate Arctic landscape. Then, suddenly, they're everywhere: migrating through green Web sites worldwide, their survival the subject of urgent concern. If Big Oil starts drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, environs say, the lovely reindeer are at risk. Antlers, unite! Enough already. The caribou are fine. In fact, since exploration started around Alaska's Prudhoe Bay in 1968, the local herd has thrived. And in case you're interested, the polar bears roaming ANWR are doing nicely, too. But don't get confused: This fight over 2,000 Arctic acres is not about wildlife. It's not even about oil. It's about political theology--and a small piece of land that has become a huge symbol and great fodder for fundraising. ``We need a poster on the wall, and here it is,'' says Bruce Babbitt, ex-Clinton interior secretary, who opposes drilling in ANWR yet keeps a certain perspective on it. ``Why do we spend so much time quarreling over this tiny sliver that has no real implications for energy independence?'' Good question. Here we are, in a war likely to expand throughout the world's oil-producing region, and we're importing 57 percent of our oil--including 790,000 barrels a day indirectly from our buddy, Saddam Hussein. Remember that this is U.S.…”