U.S. House, District 8: Where they stand on the environment

We're asking Darcy Burner and Dave Reichert for their positions on various issues. Their responses will appear occasionally in The Seattle Times. Answers are edited for length.

Should the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge be open to oil exploration?

Burner: The Arctic refuge must be protected from oil exploration. I do not believe we should open federally protected public lands like the Arctic refuge to private development. Plus, drilling in the refuge does not address America's real energy problem: our addiction to oil. Rather than opening precious public lands, we should invest in technologies that will reduce our dependence on oil.

Reichert: No. I believe that before we look at drilling in areas like this, we need to exhaust the resources already available to us in places such as the North Slope. Reducing our dependence on foreign oil is crucial for our energy future and homeland security; however, there are smarter ways to expand our domestic supply than to drill in a pristine wildlife area.

Is global warming real, and if so, what role do humans play in climate change?

Burner: Global warming is a real and present threat. We must take immediate actions to reduce the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. That begins with honestly dealing with our addiction to oil and creating incentives to adopt more energy-efficient technologies.

Reichert: I am pursuing an environmental agenda that assumes it is real and is smart policy even outside of the global-warming debate. I am working to reduce auto emissions by supporting clean fuels and to reduce our reliance on foreign oil by encouraging research on alternative and renewable fuels.

Should automobile fuel-efficiency standards be raised?

Burner: Yes, fuel-economy standards for automobiles should be raised. This is the single most effective energy-saving policy the federal government could adopt. I support increasing fuel-efficiency standards to an average of 40 mpg for cars and light trucks by 2016.

Reichert: Yes. I supported an increase in CAFE standards from the current level of 24.6 miles per gallon to 33 mpg by 2016. I also co-sponsored a bill to require higher fuel-efficiency standards to reduce the amount of oil used for automobile fuel in the U.S. by 10 percent beginning in 2016.