Arctic Ocean Ice

I recently read an article in Scientific American (May 2001) titled “the arctic oil & wildlife refuge.” The article addresses the issue of whether or not science has the ability to clarify the potential economic benefits and the ecological risks of drilling into the nation’s last great coastal wilderness preserve. What I began to wonder after reading the article is, if we humans should continue our scientific and technological petroleum endeavors even though we are causing irreversible harm to our earth. My feeling is that we should not drill in Alaska’s Arctic.

Humans have been interacting with the Arctic tundra for centuries now. They have used the land to explore and race, for example, the infamous race between Admunsen and Scott to the South pole. However, the human civilisation on the Arctic tundra have had their implications, both severe and light. Humans have slaughtered whales and seals since very early days, for food as well as commercial and self-profiting purposes. The most recent and paramount problem is global warming and pollution, which is harming the Arctic Tundra far more than the sealing and whaling ever did.

First things first how is Canada going to lay claim to the fact that any oil they find is rightfully ours if the Arctic is so vast and no real boundaries are drawn. Also don’t think for

When the Arctic National Wildlife sanctuary is thought about majority of people think about the miles of ice caps one would see, the polar bears relaxing on or playing with one another and then we hear the noises of a seals barking after they have just finish eating fresh fish for dinner. Now, that this thought is so clear, imagine several massive oil drills, enormous well pumps and all types of heavy hauling equipment popping up all around this area that is so overwhelming peaceful. The argument for such action has been in the works for the last

The polar ice caps are melting at a pace few nations can afford to ignore, which is yielding potentially profitable sources of energy, minerals, and shipping. But debate is building over whether the Arctic can be developed peaceably. In the 21st century, many experts believe that climate change, technological advances, and ever increasing global demand for resources unlock the economic potential of the Polar North. The melting of Arctic sea ice to record lows in recent years has motivated many nations, mainly those with Arctic Ocean coastlines, such as the United States, Canada, Russia, Norway, and Greenland to reassess their engagements and interests in the icy polar reaches. Canada’s

The Arctic Council formed in 1996 is comprised of the eight Arctic states, permanent participants and observers and is the only major intergovernmental initiative for the Arctic involving all eight states (Bloom, 1999). The Arctic Ocean is a semi-enclosed sea surrounded by five coastal states: Canada, Greenland (Denmark), Norway, Russia and US. The other three states: Sweden, Finland and Iceland have land within the Arctic Circle. The Council has two objectives: addressing both environmental protection and sustainable development challenges (Koivrova and VanderZwaag, 2007). Ownership of the Arctic is determined by ownership of land in the region, by scientific data, by the international law of the sea (UNCLOS) and by the domestic law of the Arctic states (Byers, 2010). The US is the only state that has not ratified the UNCLOS. Under UNCLOS all states exercise an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) 370km from their coastline, giving them rights over the water and seabed resources up to that point (UNCLOS, 1982). Potential offshore oil and gas developments are within this limit. Land borders are not disputed, however adjacent states may disagree over their maritime borders. Canada and the US disagree over their maritime border in the potentially hydrocarbon-rich Beaufort Sea (Lloyd’s, 2012). Fig.18. shows the various under treaty agreed upon boundaries as well as each state’s

On average, each individual American consumes 1.89 gallons of oil a day.( http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=33&t=6) Oil has become such an integral part of our modern society. In fact, Americans rank as the biggest oil consuming country.() This dependence on oil has become such a powerful driving force for our economy, and the demand for more oil has driven our domestic oil resources very thin. Americans have become more reliant on imported oil than ever before. () However, there is a place in America that is considered a goldmine for oil and it is a place that has been seemingly untouched for centuries. This area could potentially hold enough oil to solve America’s economic woes. This place is called the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or “ANWR.” ANWR exists on the North Slope of Alaska and encompasses about 19 million acres. It is an extremely remote place and contains only one town with a population of 300 people in the entire refuge.

Drilling in The Arctic Ocean is the ecosystem changing. The home to many animals is melting. The drilling has caused problems to the water. The ecosystem is sensitive and the rapid melting is changing the home to many. This affects animals and can cause them to be in danger. The ecosystem is gaining more people to go see and people want use their resources. There is a reserve for many animals on the land and the ocean. There is a federation trying to help these animals and provide them they’re natural habitat.

Covering 9,984,670 km 2 or 3,855,100 sq mi (land: 9,093,507 km 2 or 3,511,023 sq mi;

Climate change has caused parts of the Arctic to melt, exposing a treasure trove of natural resources. It is estimated that about “22 percent of the world’s undiscovered conventional oil and natural gas resources” is located in the North. There is a large market for fossil fuels due to a “mounting worldwide energy demand” (Gall & Marsa para 1). The way our world is currently run, fossil fuels are an important energy provider and and will continue to be a valuable resource in the near future– perhaps even for a while after that. Being able to drill and collect these resources bring in revenue that will stimulate economic growth. Moreover, because the Northwest Passage is open, “tankers and container ships move freely through shipping lanes” transporting these resources all over the world. In addition, it has created many jobs centred around “Wild West-style boom towns in the Arctic Circle” and those areas have “undergone rapid economic and population growth” (Gall & Marsa para 2). The natural resources in the Arctic may be the key that gets Canada ahead of the game when it comes to supporting a modern lifestyle in the

The Arctic has the world’s largest unused source of oil and it is getting international attention because of its extremely value resources (Crawford, Hanson & Runnalls, 2008). According to Digman (2011) the Arctic’s commercial interest mostly rely on drilling, mining and transportation development. However, Arctic’s development not only will lead to economical profits but also will bring international conflicts. Due to this, a Sovereignty by the five Arctic’s coastal countries such as Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and United States is essential. Moreover, Arctic’s climate change is happening right now due to human induced factors (Isted, 2009) and Arctic’s development will lead to environmental damage (Johnston, 2012). The effects of this combination will have significant global consequences and could end in an environmental catastrophe (Crawford et al., 2008).

In an attempt to retain control over the area, the eight member nations of the Arctic Council are trying to find a fair way to distribute resources. But this dispute over territories is pitting friend against foe and against friend. Already, the United States of America and Canada are in a diplomatic dispute over who will claim the Northwest Passage. In the meantime, Canada has allied with Russia for more research opportunities. The second largest superpower, China, angered over their disinvolvement in the Arctic Council, is attempting to bribe their way in; but, the European Union vice president Antonio Tajani has offered hundreds of millions of dollars to Greenland to ensure China’s exclusion from the Arctic Council. Russia has deployed two Special Forces units as well as bomber flights over the Pole. In response, Canada, Denmark, and Norway have begun to rebuild their militaries in the area. Canada has beefed up its military presence in the region, announcing plans to build a new army training centre and a deep-water port in contested Arctic waters. Norway is wrapped in up one of the largest Arctic maneuvers ever with 16,300 troops from 14

Did you know that because of global warming, “vast riches” may be within reach now in the Arctic? The nations are racing to get as many valuables they can. This may lead to war. The Arctic’s opportunity has been giving resources, a war has already begun, and it is affecting the indigenous people.

Most of the world’s population has little knowledge on how important the Arctic truly is. The ice in the Arctic is melting at one of the fastest rates in human history. During the summer season a certain amount of ice is estimated to melt, this wouldn’t have been a problem a few decades ago, the winter storms and cold would replenish the ice lost over the summer, keeping the total amount of ice in the arctic relatively stable. But now, the total amount of ice in the Arctic decreases all year long. The Arctic regulates the Earth’s temperature, acting like an air conditioner. The acceleration of the Arctic melting has played a role in the extreme weather events over the past few years, such as; unpredicted heat waves and droughts in the U.S.

First, I’m going to start off by saying I have mixed emotions about this topic. I do believe that there are pros and cons to this situation both of which should be taken into consideration. However for the purpose of this topic I will be arguing against drilling for oil in the Arctic.