Alaska's oil and gas will strengthen US national security

Regardless of what you think of President Barack Obama's recent decision to expand outer continental shelf drilling across the nation, it has caused a much-needed shift in focus back to the role that domestically produced oil and gas have to play in our national security.

It's a fairly simple concept, and one that's embraced by Republicans and Democrats alike: The more oil we are forced to import from overseas, the greater the likelihood that we are lining the pockets of a potentially unfriendly nation or leader. We must end our national addiction to foreign oil, and we must end it now.

It's an estimated $700 billion a year that we are shipping offshore, and it's a direct result of our inability to produce oil, gas and energy here at home. It's a state of affairs that handcuffs our ability to enact sound foreign policy and causes us to idly sit back and watch "producer" nations, such as Russia and Iran, use their oil and gas resources to carry out their political objectives. Similarly, our addiction to foreign oil hampers our ability to compete with emerging economic superpowers such as India and China, only further weakening our national standing.

America need not look any further than Alaska to see how developing the nation's untapped oil and natural gas resources could create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, generate trillions of dollars in new revenue, and decrease our reliance on imported energy.

America's military strength has always been tied to our economic strength.

We must remember that the oil and gas industry currently supports millions of American jobs -- tens of thousands of which are right here in Alaska. We have seen firsthand the remarkable benefits of responsibly developed oil and gas projects; they fund our state government, affordably heat our cities and small businesses, and provide good paying jobs for Alaskan families.

An ICF International study found that up to 30,000 new Alaskan jobs would be created in 2030 if development is permitted by the federal government in some areas currently off limits. This would be on top of the 40,000-plus oil and gas jobs that already exist in state and the thousands of other new jobs being created in the realm of renewable energy. The conversations and debate over these expansions will be vigorous and difficult, but we owe it to ourselves to begin having the discussion.

As citizens, we have a duty to call on our state and federal lawmakers to demand action that will lessen our dependence on foreign fuel. We need a tax structure that will encourage new investment, and we must lessen the regulatory hurdles and red tape that continually prevent new responsible development from occurring both here in Alaska and nationwide.

Please join me in asking our elected leaders to take whatever steps necessary to lessen and end our dependence on foreign fuels. The future of our nation will depend on it.

Veterans' advocate Tim Wheeler is co-founder of the Alaska Veteran's Business Alliance. He served in the US Army from 1990 to 1998 and has testified on behalf of veterans in both the Alaska House and Senate. He is currently living in Washington, D.C., working for the Veterans of Modern Warfare in his role as Director of Economic Opportunities. He can be reached at twheeler(at)vmwusa.org.

Talk of the Tundra features commentary by Alaskans from across the state. The views expressed are the writers' own and are not endorsed by Alaska Dispatch.