In a state that has tried for years to develop a well-rounded economy — tourism has boomed, fishing is suffering but still profitable — it is oil that continues to fuel the state treasury, and oil and gas that remain the cornerstone of Alaskans’ planning for their futures.

“It’s like cocaine,” said Kip Knudson, general manager of Era Aviation, a regional carrier. “Without it, we just don’t have the population base nor the property tax base to support the life to which we have become accustomed. We are about as Third World as you can get. We are completely dependent on resource extraction, and we don’t know what to do without it.”

I do like that the story presents both sides to the argument; there are signs that drilling might not be as bad as some environmentalists fear, and maybe it doesn’t all come down to ignorance and greed. But ultimately, I think the ends don’t justify the means. All evidence seems to indicate that there isn’t enough oil to help the Alaskan or national economy in the long run. Even if the wildlife refuge isn’t destroyed and our oil reserves are increased, it will just stave off disaster for a few years until the next oil shortage.

But I guess that’s at least half of why we’re in Afghanistan and eying Iraq.