Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Should Be Protected From Oil Drilling

Environmentalists are one the biggest critics against the notion of increasing domestic oil drilling. By increasing the amount of drilling we do in the United States, we increase the risk of disasters like the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Disasters are hardly the only source of economic damage either, to find oil reserves under the ocean, seismic waves are generated into the ground. These waves bounce off the ground back up to the ship, where computers and scientist can use the results to make educated guesses on whether or not oil is located under the surface. These seismic waves can wreak havoc with marine animals like whales; where in one case over 100 whales beached themselves to get away from the painful experience (Nixon). Using seismic waves does not even guarantee that oil might be located underneath the surface, the only way to tell is to actually drill into the potential finds causing even more destruction for what might be for no gain. Once oil is found and drilling has begun, the amount of damage done to the environment can become unimaginable. The recent example is that of the Deepwater

Many think that the land will be destroyed if the drilling becomes a reality, but the truth is that it is only going to be a small piece of ANWR that will be drilled on. Roads will not be made of gravel, but water from the rivers to be frozen over in the winter. That way the roads will disappear when they melt in the spring (Debate Over Oil 2). There is not going to be any sign of roads anywhere which will help keep the land beautiful. Oil companies have also come a long way in what is done before, during, and after drilling. High-tech exploration methods, new oil drilling technology, and better waste disposal techniques are all ways in which oil companies have improved. They are all very important in the sense that the United States will profit in the end.

Offshore drilling has become an essential part of today’s oil production and demand for energy. With the growth of population comes the increasing demand for oil. The oil industry today, is one of the most used providers of energy. Today in the 20th century the majority of the population in America has a car and cars needs gas to run. The oil reserves in the earth that are easily accessible via land are starting to run dry and are becoming harder to find. This is why we have begun to see more and more offshore oil drills. Although there are benefits of offshore drilling such as profit, lower gas prices, and becoming less dependent on foreign oil. There are also many drawbacks in which if something were to go wrong, the mistake would be catastrophic impacting the environment, the nature, and have trickling effects all around the world.

The question is should we drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve. While there are downfalls to drilling the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, the benefits to the country and to Alaska far outweigh them. These benefits include lower gas prices, more jobs, energy independence.

     The Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) is a beautiful 19.6 million acre coastal plain, and is located in the Northeastern part of Alaska. ANWR is home to numerous species of wildlife and one of the largest untapped oil preserves in the United States. There is an immense debate between the opposing environmentalists and the politicians who want to drill for oil on a section of ANWR, which is only 1.8% of the refuge. Environmentalists who oppose drilling for oil in Alaska say the wildlife and the native populations are threatened by drilling for oil in ANWR, even though most of the natives are strongly in favor of drilling. ANWR could save the US from having to import $800 billion worth

Also would be hurting wildlife. Drilling in Alaska would allow many people to start their new career of working on the pipeline. I see it as being similar to the gold rush in the mid 1800’s. In the mid 1800’s many people fled out west to California on the hunt for gold. Gold was extremely rare but if one person found gold they would have money to go back home and support their families. This situation would be similar except it would oil. Drilling in Alaska would drastically change the unemployment rate. We can harness so much energy the United States has to offer and the first step is to get the oil that we already own. The unemployment rate has been declining and increasing constantly. Harvesting oil on the United States grounds would create jobs for thousands.

Is developing the Arctic for oil and natural gas worth the powerful negative impact on the environment and native communities? The article published on September 20th, 2013 by Jennifer Weeks titled, “Future of the Arctic” examines the Arctic and the controversies within it. In the pro/con section of her article, Weeks asks the question, “Should the United States suspend Arctic offshore drilling?” Senator Mark Begich argues that the resources in the Arctic are too great of an opportunity to miss out on. Although Arctic drilling is a controversial topic, many people believe it should continue because of the financial and ethical circumstances; however, evidence to support this is lacking, which leads to the other side of the debate to be in

In addition to concern about changes, was if drilling were to happen the negatives it would create to the tundra. Drilling on any form of earth is harmful in general. But because of how beloved the terrain is to the native, it only creates more conflicts.

Perhaps the largest biological issue with drilling in area 1002 is the Porcupine caribou Herd. Drilling supporters argue that caribou are affected by the drilling operation. Examples of this are made at the Prunhoe Bay drill site where caribou actually use gravel pads and roads to avoid insect attacks and are unaffected by human presence.

The ANWR is a 19 million acre piece of land in Alaska that is home to many animals. This land is closed to hunting as well so the animals are not used to human interaction. Drilling extremely close to these animals would take out populations due to the heavy machinery and harmful waste. Drilling in the preserved ANWR would also deface the landscape. The beautiful and preserved landscape would be flooded by mounds of sewage sludge, scattered scrap metal, and over 60 contaminated waste sites. This would result in not only defaced landscape, but many animals dying due to waste sites and therefore lack of food. Drilling in the preserved land in Alaska would damage the natural environment including protected animals and

Drilling for oil in Alaska will make animals in danger. The United States shouldn’t drill in Alaska because of wilderness, environment, and economics. Americans weren’t concerned about protecting natural resources because they thought they had a lot of natural resources. In 1980 the United States was importing more than a third of its oil. Also in 1980 America found themselves in a major oil crisis.

One might say the bill to open the refuge to drilling studies is bound to go nowhere, but many also know how insistent people can be when they want something as badly as the Republicans want to open the refuge. In the past oil drilling has caused many problems some might even argue it’s a cause for climate change.

What are some benefits of drilling in ANWR? Unemployment is currently at an all-time high. With the establishment of oil rigs and drills around the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, there would be a total of 700,000 new jobs for Americans. True, these jobs will disappear in a few decades when the drilling in completed, but maybe by then there will be new opportunities for the workers. By drilling in ANWR, we would reduce the amount of imported oil by 5 percent which is equivalent to one year’s total imports. It would also keep the price of gas lower here then in other countries around the world. In response to the argument that this is undisturbed country, the Inupiat people have lived there for centuries, using hunting and gathering techniques. Even the Inupiat Mayor has publicly endorsed the idea of drilling in ANWR. He

America Should Reject the Oil Businesses Plan and Permanently Protect The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

In 2004, Questar sent a proposal to BLM to invest in directional drilling that would minimise the land occupied by wells, required roadways and distribution pipes. The innovation would reduce any harmful effect on the wildlife. However, the drilling method is costly but can be justified by continuous drilling all through winter.