Impact Of The Hydrocarbon Development Industry On The Ecology Of Greenland And Traditional Inuit Way Of Life

Culture-Nature dualism often refers to the compromise of a particular culture or tradition in order to preserve the environment. This is predominantly illustrated when analyzing Indigenous culture in Canada and how it is rapidly being altered and challenged by certain influences, including the oil and gas sector, climate change, and environmental protection groups and legislations. Questions are often raised about whether or not we have a responsibility to protect First Nations culture.

In the Native American culture, tribes have always used natural resources. One of these tribes is the Inuit. The Inuit are found in numerous places. They are found in two countries in North America: Alaska, United States and Canada. The natural resources found there would be snow, ivory, wood, blubber, and furs.

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Seasons of Life and Land, A Photographic Journey is an editorial that argues in favor of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and how it must be protected from the dangers of human industrialization and oil exploration that would surely destroy the land. The author of the passage dwelves into great detail about the vast, untouched beauty of the Arctic Refuge and how its majesty is among the greatest things he has witnessed. Banerjee, however, fails to support his argument using substantial facts that might otherwise sway skeptics. For instance, Banerjee states: “I was saddened to think of the tragedy that might occur if this great wilderness was consumed by a web of roads and pipelines, drilling rigs and industrial facilities”. The author here uses an ethos and pathos standpoint, coming from the perspective of personal experience and opinion of how distraught he should feel if the land were

Ever since the dawn of industrialization, humans have caused serious, irreversible damage to the biosphere. And as the world progresses and Canadians looks on, they realized the impact of their environmental damage. Sometimes new ecofriendly technology enters the market and replaces the old environment damaging one. But that is not enough, human society as a whole must completely rethink and change themselves individually to so that their actions causes minimal environmental backlash.

According to Deborah McGregor, the term “environment” encompasses many different aspects of nature. From a contemporary perspective, the environment means the components of the earth such as: land, all layers of the atmosphere, all organic and inorganic material, and interacting natural systems. However, for indigenous populations, “environment” is more than the surrounding physical attributes of nature. The term “world view” emerges from the intense bond between indigenous populations and the environment. As a result environment also encompasses how one views and experiences the world (McGregor, 2015). Unfortunately, McGregor (2004) finds that traditional ecological knowledge surrounding environmental

“So long as the human consciousness remains within the hills, canyons, cliffs, and the planets, clouds, and sky, the term landscape, as it has entered the English language, is misleading. ‘A portion of territory the eye can comprehend in a single view’ does not correctly describe the relationship between the human being and his or her

In a chilling recollection of mankind’s current misdeeds towards the environment in “The End of Nature,” McKibben’s call for action is one paramount to the survival of the human race. In essence, McKibben argues that the futures of both nature and ourselves are delicately yet undeniably interconnected. Furthermore, he urges that “we” (ALL humans) are the deciding chip in said bond. By doing so, McKibben implies that action must be situated if we are to expect any change in such bleak a situation. This argument can clearly be found when McKibben speaks out on a myriad of environmental issues in the past, present, and future. McKibben begins to accustom readers to a pattern in which human ignorance juts out from past environmental experiences.

Extending from the Atlantic in the east, to the Pacific in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean, Canada is one of the most prosperous nations on Earth. This prosperity is represented by the voice that every citizen possesses thanks to the forefathers of Canada and the guaranteed rights and opportunities that the people of Canada rely on. As a nation, the pride, opportunity and freedom is not all Canada has to offer. Further, the natural beauty of Canada’s vast and beautiful lands come from various environments such as the Rocky Mountains, the tundra in the Arctic, and the farmland in the prairie's. In the great white North, having access to a universal healthcare system, celebrating cultural diversity of the people and the

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.

Dr. Lorne Taylor (2012, p. 3), the chair of the Alberta Water Research Institute, states, “Organizations like Greenpeace and the Sierra Club are convincing Canadians and the world that Alberta’s oil sands are a scourge on the environment”. Environmental groups and the media are unfortunately shedding a poor light on the development of the oil sands in northern Alberta. Bob Weinhold (2011, pg. 119), a veteran environmental journalist, states “the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) panel found no evidence that people are currently being harmed by oil sands activity”. Both the environmentalist side and the oil sands producer’s side must be evaluated with an objective mind as each contains truths as well as embellishments. Taylor (2009, pg. 2) argues that a major misconception is “the province, people and industry of Alberta

Significant changes occurred in the North American landscape as a result of European settlers. Many of these changes were due to the fundamental differences in which the land was viewed, and thereby treated, by the Native Americans versus the incoming European settlers. Although both groups made significant impacts on their surroundings, the novel Changes in the Land argues that the actions of those inhabiting the English colonies caused much more dramatic and long-lasting alterations. The author of Changes in the Land, William Cronon, attempted to dispel the myth of the first English settlers stumbling upon “virgin land.”

     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

Like many eager non native environmentalists, waiting to be engulfed by the green revolution, I saw the Indigenous culture as a link that could bring me closer to the earth. I believed that the generation of biodiversity could only

Most believe that Native American live deep within temperate forests, but one tribe lives within a much colder and frigid climate. This tribe is known as the Inuits. Inuit means “The Real People” (Santella 5). A group of Inuits traveled to the Americas from Asia, and they went towards the north pole. They eventually settled in the Arctic regions and began to thrive (7). They are widely dispersed throughout the Siberian, Alaskan, Canadian, and Greenland regions (6). The Inuits have an interesting history, lifestyle, and religion.

Environmental worldviews are how people think the world works, where they fit, and how they think ethically and morally. These views can be human centred, earth-centered or a combination of the two(Tucker and Grim, 1994).