President George W. Bush yesterday issued an executive order to lift the ban on domestic offshore oil drilling.

“By lifting the ban on drilling in our coastal waters, President Bush is using executive authority in a way that would make global warming worse and keep the U.S. addicted to oil for decades to come,” said Larry Schweiger, President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.

“According to President Bush’s own U.S. Department of Energy, the total additional oil that could be brought into production from drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and the Rocky Mountain states combined is likely to be only about 1.2 million barrels of oil a day at peak production. Even in the most optimistic case, drilling in those areas combined would only mean 4-5 cents a gallon less by 2025,” Schweiger said.

“America’s future is not in fossil fuels. Our future has to be about breaking our addiction to fossil fuels and building a clean energy future…Federal legislation that promotes clean, alternative energy and reduces global warming pollution will reduce our oil imports four times more than drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and the Rocky Mountain states, combined.”

“Investing in a clean energy future is the only way to break our addiction to fossil fuels and protect us from the catastrophic consequences of global warming.”