All around the world, the human race is facing an energy crisis. Closer to home, the United States is suffering.

The American people are utterly dependent upon outside sources for our supply of fuel and energy, even while we tread on vast energy reserves right under our feet. The Alaskan National Wildlife Reserve is home to trillions of barrels of oil, yet environmental groups and Congress continue to oppose drilling there. Based on raw facts and data, I contend that drilling in ANWR would be of immediate benefit to the people of the United States and will not leave any lasting effects on the major, or minor, wildlife in the region.

One fact that I found surprising when I first started researching this issue was that more than 75 percent of Alaskans support opening up ANWR for exploration. That percentage even includes the native Inupiats who live on ANWR land! I was recently in Newark, N.J., at the airport waiting on a flight when I struck up a conversation with an Alaskan. She told me she was for the exploration of ANWR because they pay close to $6 a gallon for gas. And you thought we had it bad! If the people of Alaska support exploration, why shouldn't we?

Another facet to this issue is whether wildlife will be adversely affected. It most certainly will not, I assert. First, some numbers: ANWR is about the size of South Carolina at 19 million acres. The area that would be explored -- not drilled -- is 1.5 million acres, or about 8 percent of ANWR's area. The area that would be drilled, should oil be found, is 2,000 acres, or less than the size of Los Angeles' airport.

Would such a small area hurt wildlife? I think not!

Gregory Taylor Brooks, Evans