the funny thing is that the caribu dont seem to have taken a big hit from the industry..people thought they would die off with the pipe line..but they havnt..they acctually stay clost ot it for warmth during the mid winter. the truth is not only do we need the oil for the economy and such..but Alaska needs to be able to get to it as well. I live up here and to tell the truth in my local area one company in the oil industry is closing due to lack of buisness and the high prices.. some of the platforms are rumored to be running low and will be closing in about 5 to 10 years. this is a hard hit for my comunity. In Alaska, everyone is in the oil industry. weather your school teachers or chefs or whatever... our main suport is oil. without it the only thing we would have left is lumber.. and with the beatle kill thats not so hot anymore. I have been hopeing that they would drill in ANWR for a while now. I hope it goes through all the way.