I felt it necessary to respond to Richard H. Bansley III’s letter to the editor of Feb. 14 regarding drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. If Bansley honestly believes the Teamsters union is concerned with anything more than the millions of dollars the construction projects and drilling operations will bring to their coffers, he’s delusional. It seems ridiculous, with the available technologies and conservation measures, that the United States can’t be energy independent.

Conservation, however, won’t make the Texas oil millionaires oil billionaires. Nor will it make the Wyoming coal millionaires coal billionaires. Belief that certain individuals, probably readily identifiable people – now years before any drilling would begin – won’t make billions of dollars is itself delusional.

Conservation and utilization of new as well as existing technologies would serve us better than the “clear-cut and pave” mindset that benefits the few.

Kevin Weatherbee

Dedham