April 22, 2005
Friday

Today, Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) questioned the validity of what Stevens called the "Ben and Jerry's ice cream stunt" held on Capitol Hill with an enormous Baked Alaska.

 "Baked Alaska takes a lot of energy to make - from the churning of the ice cream, to baking the cake, to baking the dessert, to driving it to the nation's Capitol," said Stevens. 

 "This stunt goes to show that Ben and Jerry's does not have a firm appreciation for our county's energy crisis - or the very significant role oil plays in our daily lives.  I suggest that they use a horse and treadmill to run their ice cream machines if they are really concerned about decreasing our nation's dependence on fossil fuels."

Senator Stevens encourages Alaskans and Americans across the country to protest what he calls a misinformation campaign and get the facts about ANWR.

 Stevens provided this list of ANWR Facts:

1. It is estimated that ANWR will produce 10 billion barrels of oil.
2. Caribou on the North Slope have increased from 3,000 to 32,000 since oil development began on the North Slope of Alaska.
3. The U.S. imports 60% of our oil from foreign sources, ANWR will reduce our dependence on unstable and unfriendly regimes.
4. ANWR will have the most stringent environmental safeguards in place for exploration.
5. This is American oil, produced on American soil, with an American workforce and will be used to heat American homes and power America's farms and businesses.

According to Ben & Jerry's web site the Baked Alaska demonstration held in Washington DC today - Earth Day - was planned to protest drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Sources:

Office of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens
Web Site

Ben & Jerry's
Web Site

 

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