Case for not drilling in ANWR yet.

Consider the parable: You have three loafs of bread. And your neighbor, Mr. John, also has three loafs of bread. And both of you have slim (but not zero) chances for more food in the future. You learn that Mr. John is willing to sell you his bread. And so you buy his bread (even if it is somewhat overpriced) and eat it first, then use your own (hey, you will have to be able to defend it from the hungry, and angry, neighbor at this point. But that's life.). All the time you are working hard and hoping that the additional food will be available before your supplies run out. That's much better position than using up all your resources first, and then hoping Mr John will share what he has left with you...

The same can be said of the oil reserves in ANWR (or anywhere else in the US for that matter). Save them for the time oil really starts running out. When no money and no military can get us the oil elsewhere, well -- other countries will be in the same spot. But while China will need to return to her bikes, and Parisians will start pushing rickshaws, we will drive our cars (and tanks and airplanes and ...) fueled by the oil from ANWR.

If by that time alternative sources of energy are viable, only the better. But if not, using others' resources first and saving ours for later will give us a bit of time for research and development.