There has been an inordinate amount of media attention focused on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as the answer to our energy woes. It isn't just ANWR. The real issue is whether America is taking advantage of every energy resource we have - shale oil, liquefied coal, natural gas, gas from coal, off-shore drilling, nuclear power, solar, wind, bio-fuels and electric battery powered cars.

Will it really take five to 10 years for us to realize the benefit of new oil extraction? No. The moment we prove serious about capturing these reserves, the price of oil will come down because there is a significant psychological component to market speculation. The emotional influence on Wall Street will positively affect oil futures pricing downward for a sustained period - beginning almost immediately. In addition, thousands of ancillary industries tied to energy would revive and thrive.

The issue has degraded into partisan, election-season bickering. This is our national security. If our politicians rallied around a bipartisan Manhattan Project devoted to freeing us from energy dependence, we would rule our economic destiny for many decades into the future.

Brad Langton

Kaysville