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DRILLING FOR OIL IN ALASKA.
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Discusses pros & cons of limited oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Discusses pros & cons of limited oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). History of attempts to protect ANWR and attempts to open up the refuge for oil drilling & gas exploration. Impact on environment. Economic factors (fuel prices, creation of additional jobs). Other forms of energy. Quality of life issue.
Paper Introduction:
Introduction
Although it was first discovered in 1799, Alaska was not officially admitted into the union as a state until 1959. Up until that time, Alaska’s history had been littered with settlers from all over the world who found opportunity in the harsh climate of the land, during the gold rush, when oil was first discovered, and even now in its thriving fishing industry. Alaska’s shores were also the sight of a sustained attack by Japanese forces during World War II that took two years to beat back (ExploreNorth 2001). Now, Alaska is also known for its wildlife, massive spaces, the pioneering and independent attitudes of its residents, as well as the brutality of its seasons. Indeed, Alaska has been called the last frontier of the United States.
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The Bush energy plan wins in a House vote. Consequently, for proponents of oil drilling in theANWR, this significant addition to our nation's energy resources, combinedwith the jobs that would be created in a recession economy, the low impactthat exploration would have on the environment, and the strong support ofresidents in the area are all compelling reasons for drilling to take placein the 1 2 Area.Why Limited Drilling Should Not Be Allowed There are, of course, those who are opposed to oil and gasexploration in the ANWR. 15, August 13, 2 1.Sununu, John E. Now, Alaska is also known for its wildlife, massivespaces, the pioneering and independent attitudes of its residents, as wellas the brutality of its seasons. 131(6) p. Engineering News Record. .There is noreason why common ground cannot be sought when it comes to job creation andprotecting the environment" (17). v. As Langenkamp points out, "these arethe people who know the state, can assess the risks and view the matterrealistically" (B15). Oil and gas exploration and drilling should not takeplace in the ANWR. Seaton, during theEisenhower Administration (Issue in Detail 2 1). Alaska's shores were also the sight of a sustained attack byJapanese forces during World War II that took two years to beat back(ExploreNorth 2 1). Available online at: http://www.defenders.org/wildlife/arctic/overview.htmlGoldberg, Jonah. Yamani asserts that investing in theinfrastructure and the restructuring of the electricity transmission gridwould be a better investment of time and money (36). Introduction Although it was first discovered in 1799, Alaska was not officiallyadmitted into the union as a state until 1959. From that point to this, periodically the subjectof opening up the refuge for oil drilling has been brought up. September 1 , 2 1.Cold Facts on Alaska Oil. Drilling Could Upset Delicate Balance. In some cases, newor alternate technology, such as using ice roads, as opposed toconstructing traditional roads, will help alleviate any strain that wouldnormally be put upon the environment (Sununu A1 1). Lovins and Lovinspoint out that since the pipeline is 24 years old and has been bombedtwice, once again, a safer, more economical course of action to take wouldbe importing oil in tankers from a highly diversified world market (72).Lovins and Lovins (2 1), Defenders of Wildlife (2 1), and others pointout that conservation has contributed the most to energy use in the UnitedStates, "one-mile-per-gallon improvement in the efficiency of ourautomobiles would save half a million barrels of oil a day" (Issue inDetail 2 1). . Further, Yamanipoints out that since 1983, demand for energy in U.S. 72-85, July/August 2 1.Powers, Mary Buckner. 68(8), p. Oil drilling would not only disrupt theannual migration of the caribou but it could kill a human lifestyle thathas been around for several millennium (A13). Dobie. Ugh, wilderness! The ANWR has often been called the "American Serengeti" becauseno where else in the United States comes close to the spectacular wildlifeof the African plain (Issue in Detail 2 1). 36, August, 2 1.Yukon & Alaska History. It is not only uneconomical, but it is also shortsighted and morally wrong when all the points of contention are reviewed. Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani, former Saudi Arabian oil minister andcurrent chairman of the UK-based Centre for Global Energy studies, notedthat even if domestic production of the oil off the ANWR were to take placeimmediately, it would still take about 1 years before new oil actuallyreaches consumers, and then it will continue to leave the country in shortsupply (US: Lean years predicted 36). Frank H. A22, September 7, 2 1.Don't Allow Big Oil to Drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. p. At an estimated $1 billion cost to put this plan into action,this seems like a rather uneconomical course to take (72). Indeed, some sources point out thatthe oil would only satisfy about six months of our national demand (Issuein Detail 2 1) or less than one percent of projected oil needs (Lovins andLovins 72). Although the original land set aside in 1957 was approximately 8.9million acres, since then the ANWR has been expanded to a total of 19.6million acres, or about the size of South Carolina (Goldberg 28; SununuA1 1; Lavelle 38; Langenkamp B15). Oil and Gas Journal. Life Among the Rigs; Oklahomans know that drilling for oil is not hard on the environment. The Los Angeles Times. 38, August 13, 2 1.Lovins, Amory B. This could displace the importsof oil from Saudi Arabia for up to 2 years and reduce reliance on theOrganization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) by about 1 millionbarrels a day and thus drive down the price of fuel for the next 3 years(Langenkamp B15). News & World Report. Goldberg goes further anddiscusses what he calls the "M*A*S*H units of oil exploration," as theentire operation on the North Slope is on wheels and business is conductedin such a way that even garbage is saved to be flown back to civilization(3 ). v. B15, August 9, 2 1.Lavelle, Marianne. The Washington Post. Hunter Lovins. Jerry Hood, a Teamstersleader in Alaska, claims, "We know it can be done safely. With that in mind, thispaper will discuss both the reasons supporting drilling for oil in the ANWRas well as those opposed to oil and gas exploration in the ANWR.Why Limited Drilling Should Be Allowed Proponents for drilling in the ANWR assert that current technologycreates less impact on the environment, an astounding number of jobs willbe created in a lagging economy, and the amount of oil recovered could helpoffset what is currently imported from overseas and ease fuel prices. Boston Globe. 53(15) p. Works CitedBrown, DeNeen L. With anapproval of 24 to 189 in the House, and a debate, threatening to be afilibuster, going on in the Senate, it is closer now than it ever has beento becoming a reality (Lavelle 38; Powers 15). Instead, they helped provide relatively cheap energy forgenerations of Americans" (Keating A19). U.S. Defenders of Wildlife: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 2 1. A1 1, August 18, 2 1.The Teamsters and ANWR. (Goldberg 28; Sununu A1 1). Petroleum Economist. Many consumers see this, as well as research into alternate energies,as a better investment as well, as oil only generates about 5% ofelectrical power in the United States (Issue in Detail 2 1). Some organizations aroundthe world see this as not only a conservation issue, but a human rightsissue under international law (Lovins and Lovins 72) and Canada, which hasan agreement to help protect the caribou with U.S., is also opposed to thedrilling (72).Conclusion There is more at stake than extra oil for the United States, indeed,there are people's lives and the quality of life for several species ofanimals at stake. Fool's Gold in Alaska. At the same time, Seatonset aside 2 million acres of the North Slope of Alaska for commercial oiland gas leasing (2 1). Leading proponents of the drilling includeSen. v. Boston Globe. National Review. The Right Balance on Alaska Refuge. 17, August 13, 2 1.US: Lean years predicted. V. The state's unique profit-sharing system that allows all Alaskans tofinancially benefit from the oil drilling explains the overwhelming supportthat this measure has in the state. Up until that time,Alaska's history had been littered with settlers from all over the worldwho found opportunity in the harsh climate of the land, during the goldrush, when oil was first discovered, and even now in its thriving fishingindustry. 247(7) p. Lovins and Lovins assert that most Alaskans want to keep their "defacto negative income tax" and so approve the drilling while Defender ofWildlife discuss the possibility that Alaska's congressional delgates are"strongly pushing to resume selling Alaskan oil to China, Korea, Japan andother foreign countries (Don't Allow Big Oil 2 1). These critics contend that the promised jobs area mere fraction of the given estimate, and are temporary at that, the oilthat would be recovered would be an insignificant amount, and that therewould indeed be a huge impact on the delicate balance of the environment inthat area. Foreign Affairs. According to the Department ofEnergy, investments in renewable energy research have the possibility ofcreating a $3 billion export market by 2 1 -- that's approximately 1 , jobs. Besides cost effectiveness of using renewable energy resources,versus drilling for more fossil fuel in a pristine wildlife area, there isthe concern of the impact that drilling would have on the environment inthe ANWR. Indeed, Alaska has been called the lastfrontier of the United States. Currently, however, Alaska finds itself in the middle of a hotlydebated issue over whether or not to drill for oil in the Arctic NationalWildlife Refuge (ANWR). Not only will this project create morejobs, but the amount of oil and gas sought is significant, up to 1 .3billion barrels of oil could be recovered. SUVs score, Arctic loses. Not only wildlife inhabit that area, but there are theGwitchin people as well, whose oral history places them in the ANWR for thelast 2 , years (Brown A13). v. Not onlyREP, but according to recent public opinion polls, two-thirds of Americansbelieve the refuge should be protected from oil drilling (Issue in Detail2 1). In fact, Gov.Tony Knowles of Alaska, a Democrat who supports drilling in the ArcticRefuge, is a native Oklahoman who grew up around oil wells" (Keating A19).Keating discusses studies that demonstrate that most leaks that do occurare related to "transportation of refined petroleum products by truck orpipeline, rather than from drilling" (A19). The ANWR, at first 8.9 million acres of federallyprotected mountains and coastal plain in northeastern Alaska, was first setaside in 1957 by Secretary of the Interior, Fred B. Available online at: http://www.defenders.org/wildlife/arctic/arissue.htmlKeating, Frank. 2 1. Of this land that is set aside, oilexploration is to take place only in the "1 2 Area," which is 1.5 millionacres -- "less than 8% of the ANWR and .4% of Alaska" (Langenkamp B15).Many claim, however, that the actual "footprint" left by oil explorationand drilling would only be about 2 acres, or the same size as DullesAirport, in Washington D.C. 'The Caribou and Our People Are One'; In Yukon, Hears U.S. House Approves Energy Bill But Senate Will Make Changes. Tony Knowles (D-Alaska), bothhouses of the Alaskan legislature, as well as the state's sole congressman. and L. Wildlife includes over 16 species of birds, muskoxen, polar bears, wolves, wolverines, snow geese,and one of the largest wandering herds of Porcupine Caribou (Issue inDetail 2 1). The Washington Post. In fact, a studyordered by the secretary of the Interior in 1987 on the possible oil andgas reserves in the area, and the impact drilling would have on this area,concluded that any effect on the coastal plains environment would beminimal while the gains in oil and gas production would be significant(Langenkamp B15). has grown at anaverage rate of 2% per year, whereas production has only grown by about .7%per year over the same period (36). Besides the minimal effect on the environment and the overwhelmingapproval that the residents of the state have for this action, proponentsclaim that oil and gas exploration in this small area could create as muchas 735, jobs (The Teamsters and ANWR 17). Indeed, the company mantra seems to be "Whatcomes on the slope, comes off the slope" (Goldberg 3 ). Governor Knowles is not the only Alaskan who is for the proposeddrilling. Defenders of Wildlife: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 2 1. 99(33), p. p. Keating continues: "Oklahomansknow that drilling for oil is not hard on the environment. p. According to the Boston Globe, the study the Teamsters used in theirestimate of created labor was commissioned by the American PetroleumInstitute in 199 and included jobs created by the "ripple effect" (A22).The actual estimate, according to the Energy Information Agency, would becloser to 46,3 new jobs, including jobs created by the multiplier effectused by the American Petroleum Institute. At the endof July 2 1, the Republicans for Environmental Protection (REP) America,sent a letter to President Bush, stating that they urged Congress to workon an energy policy that emphasizes efficiency, conservation, and development of clean energy sources...A truly conservative energy policy can secure a bright and prosperous future for America and protect our environment and national treasures, such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Teamsters and ANWR 17).Martha Marks, President of REP further states that fossil fuels are limitedresources and "yesterdays technology. Murkowski (R-Alaska), Gov. A19, August 8, 2 1.Langenkamp, R. Not only are these jobs fewer innumber but these jobs would be temporary, most production expecting to lastless than 1 years, with a dramatic tapering off afterwards (A22).Moreover, jobs created in clean energy technologies produce multipliereffects throughout the economy as well. "Polls show that 75% of the Alaskan people favor drilling in the1 2 area" (Langenkamp B15). 27-31, August 6, 2 1.Issue in Detail: Saving America's Serengeti. We can do better" (17). In comparing Alaska to Oklahoma, Frank Keating, Governor of Oklahoma(R-Oklahoma), discusses the long history of oil production in the state ofOklahoma, whose oil wells "never blew up, leaked or polluted the soil,water or air. ExploreNorth: Your Gateway to the Circumpolar. v. p. Goldberg talks about how "everyone brags about how they run a 'zerodischarge' facility" (3 ). Commentary; Wildlife and Drilling Can Coexist: The knee-jerk objections to seeking oil in a small part of the Arctic refuge don't hold up to close inspection. 8 (4), p. Available online at: http://www.explorenorth.com/library/yafeatures/bl-dates.htm
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