Preview

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Case Study

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
310 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Case Study
The Energy Information Administration projects that domestic oil and gas consumption will grow significantly over the next two decades. In order to improve the balance of trade and make us less dependent on foreign countries for our oil, new domestic supplies of oil and gas are needed to be explored and produced. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, located in the northeast corner of Alaska is considered for oil and gas development since it potentially holds billions of barrels of recoverable oil and trillions of cubic feet of recoverable gas. Oil companies and supporters are eager to develop this particular site where is one the last major U.S. oil supply.
However, conservationists believe that oil exploration and development would damage the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Dwight R Lee Analysis

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In his piece, Dwight R. Lee explains that with oil drilling the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, there would be many benefits as compared to the cost. He doesn’t deny that there would be risks associated with the drilling. However, he feels that they do not begin to compare to the benefits. He explains that the main reason that this has become such a hot topic is because of the high prices of gasoline and oil. One company that he looks at is the National Audubon Society. They are against opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling because they feel that it will “destroy the integrity.” This is the same company that owns the 26,000 acre Rainey Wildlife Sanctuary and opens it to drilling. By allowing this drilling, the Audubon Society has received more than $25 million. This has allowed them to own other wildlife and wilderness land.…

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Alberta Oil Sands Reserve is one of the world’s largest hydrocarbon deposits ever discovered, second only to Saudi Arabia. Due to the impact on the environment, the mining of this unconventional oil resource has been mired in controversy. With the onset of the 2008 global fiscal crisis and plummeting world oil prices, many economists and environmentalists alike began predicting a moratorium of further Oil Sands development. This paper explores firstly, the economic and political underpinnings that secure Oil Sands’ continued development and secondly, a comparative case study of oil wealth management with another oil economy, Norway.…

    • 11498 Words
    • 46 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    The United States had great choice to make this past month in the Presidential Elections. The decision was to continue on our current path or start on a new one. A major point on the two candidates was on the domestic economic policies. Issues on the domestic economic policies were very different for both tickets in this year’s election. Differences were very clear on each party’s stances on drilling on Federal Land. Romney was very adamant on increasing drilling on Federal Land and also creating the much controversial Keystone XL Pipeline. During Obama’s first term, production of natural gas on the United States Federal Land has decreased from 35% to 21%. Though, his dismay of drilling has come after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in which millions of barrels of oil polluted vast areas in the Gulf of Mexico. This trend will be continuing, unless progress is made to ensure the safety of the environment while drilling. This is a main concern for the government, especially on domestic Federal Land.…

    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    This article is adapted from former US President Jimmy Carter, Foreword to Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Carter uses anecdotes, evidence from reliable sources, and a call to action with pathos to persuade his audience that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should not be developed for industry. The use of an anecdote in Carter's argument gives the reader an up close and personal look into the Arctic Nation Wildlife Refuge. It strengthens Carter's argument by stressing how beautiful and untouched this part of the world is and how it not only carries a great deal of importance to the animals that inhabit it but also to the indigenous people that have lived there.…

    • 573 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Alaskan National Wilderness Refuge has been the topic of political debate for decades. A large, beautiful piece of the world, ANWR as it is often referred to, is not a only a refuge for hundreds of species of birds, fish and mammals, but also a political battleground that is used to ignite the debate on America’s dependence on foreign fuel sources. The possibility of drilling for oil in ANWR brings with it the promise of jobs, dependency from unstable countries for our fuel needs and a boost to our declining economy. However, drilling in this land also brings the possibility of destroying the habitat of birds that migrate to this area yearly, caribou that use this haven as a calving ground, fish that fill the rivers and lakes, as well as grizzly bears, wolves, elk and hundreds of other species that depend on this habitat for food, shelter and safety. There is no debate that there are passionate debates, important facts and amazing possibilities that concern both sides of this argument. And even if it were possible to remove political agenda from the table, it would still be a very difficult debate to win for either side. My hopes are to come to a conclusion that would benefit both parties involved. I strongly feel that any drilling in this area would be detrimental to the surrounding area, as well as bring possible harm to the countless animals, birds and fish that use this safe haven yearly for migration, calving and egg laying and feeding. The decision to either drill or not to drill may not have a direct impact on us now, but in the years to come, good or bad, we will all see the changes that this decision will have resulted in.…

    • 2026 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    ANWR

    • 941 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is located in the northeastern corner of Alaska. It consists of about 19 million acres of rolling hills, arctic tundra, and braided rivers along with a variety of migratory birds, caribou and sheep, and bears and wolves. On the west border of ANWR, there is oil development and on the east side of ANWR, the Canadians are drilling too. So, geologists believe that there is a major deposit of oil right in the northern part of ANWR. The question is whether to drill or not to drill in there.…

    • 941 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In my opinion drilling shouldn't be Allow in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge because it is more of an environmental issue. Due to the fact that oil and gas exploration and development in the (ANWR) would have a major effect on the water resource. It is most concerning because it’s a factor that contributes, negatively towards a wide variety of species that are inhabitant of that particular area that are being affected by limited resource of water that they need for their survival. The reason drilling is an issue because it can alter the character of an ecosystem. For example Arctic ecosystem is characterized by many complex interactions, and changes to one component may have secondary but significant effects on other ecosystem components. Which means oil exploration and development have substantially changed environments where they have occurred in Alaska’s central Arctic. Another reason drill is an issue because of factor that comes into play when drilling occurs such as oil spills, contaminated waste, and other sources of pollution have had measurable impacts on an environment. Like the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska and the more recent Deep-water Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico. These disasters have displayed that there is no safe way to drill for oil and gas in the Arctic refuge, no way to guarantee wildlife will not be harmed by resource extraction in the refuge and no way to ensure the Arctic refuge will be protected for future generations and if Congress allows oil and gas exploration on the coastal plain there are costly consequences that wildlife have to endure. Oil drilling presents a potential risk of oil spills; in the Arctic the impacts of such spills could be catastrophic. Spills are more dangerous here because the combination of a colder climate, slower plant growth rates and longer animal life spans hinder recovery efforts. Additionally, no technology currently…

    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Off Shore Drilling Outline

    • 1810 Words
    • 8 Pages

    CNS News (2011). New Study Shows That Offshore Drilling Could Make Alaska the Eighth Largest Oil Producer in the World – Ahead of Libya and Nigeria…

    • 1810 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Energy Crisis in Alaska

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages

    * Oil is a highly sought-after commodity. Despite advancements in "green," sustainable technology, oil continues to be used around the world for powering cars, trucks, planes, machinery and equipment, as well as for heating homes and buildings. As former House of Representatives member Bob Barr noted in 2008, lessening or lifting federal oil-drilling barriers on Alaskan lands would "provide Americans with a more secure source of energy over the short term" and help drive down high oil costs for consumers. In addition, the development of new oil-drilling sites would generate new employment opportunities for people in the area.…

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, or ANWR, is a refuge geared toward preserving national wildlife in northeastern Alaska. ANWR is about 19 million acres, in space, and contains a potential drilling spot for oil and petroleum. The potential drilling spot is a small area known as the 10-02 Area. It is only 1.5 million acres, or 8%, of ANWR, would even be considered for development (What is ANWR). The controversy surrounding ANWR is whether to drill or not to drill into the 10-02 area. Some people want to preserve the wilderness and to find more fuel-efficient technologies. Others want to lower gas prices and to create more job opportunities. If the government decides to drill for oil, it could possibly lead to about 17 billion barrels of oil, to last the United States for the next 20 years.…

    • 957 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the time we live in today we still struggle with the issue of wildlife conservation. Wildlife conservation is important, as animals can not speak for the selves and need us to create a voice for them. Former United States President Jimmy Carter has a strong opinion towards wildlife conservation shown in a foreword to Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Seasons of Life and Land. In the foreword by Jimmy Carter, he uses effective rhetorical devices in his argument to persuade his audience that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should not be developed for industry.…

    • 788 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Arctic Wildlife Refuge

    • 429 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Arctic Wildlife Refuge, in Jimmy Carter's opion " is one of America's last truly great wilderness". The former President uses his personal experiances to show why the Arctic Wildlife Refuge should be left be. Also he enacted legislation to help protect the wilderness from further development, with bipartisen support. Jimmy Carter want this area to be protected from industry destroying the natural beuaty, along with keeping around for future gernations to enjoy.…

    • 429 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Domestic Oil Drilling

    • 1695 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Senator Everett Dirksen once noted “The oilcan is mightier than the sword”. In today’s world, it is easy to see why oil can be considered the most important resource to hold. Without oil, many of the common day occurrences we take for granted would be impossible. Oil is used for almost everything; from the fuel used to drive our vehicles, to the plastics used in every facet of life, and providing the heat needed to live through the winter. In fact, the United States depends so much on oil that as a nation it uses over 20 million barrels a day. Importing oil increases the total costs because of the need to transport it from around the world. It is estimated that the United States has 31 billion barrels of oil of known reserves and up to 120 billion barrels of undiscovered oil (Oil Reserves). Many of these oil reserves are located on protected federal lands and offshore areas. The United States currently imports about 58% of the total oil it needs every year (FAQ, EIA). With rising oil costs, looming import numbers, and billions in potential profits; why shouldn’t the United States increase domestic drilling in protected and undeveloped areas?…

    • 1695 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Native American Pipeline

    • 876 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Native Americans were confined to bleak reservations in vast stretches of the country, that no one thought was good for much of anything else. But those areas, ironically enough, turn out to be essential for the production and transportation of the last great stocks of hydrocarbons (Mckibben). Repeating history, our government and huge corporations are diving through hoops and trampling over morals, wreaking havoc on what little land indigenous people have left. A 1,172- mile, sweet crude oil pipeline, reaching from North Dakota to Patoka, Illinois, is set to be built through Indian reservations, accelerating the pulverizing destruction of our earth (Mckibben).…

    • 876 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Offshore Oil Drilling

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages

    On April 20th, 2010, an oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. As a result, approximately 4.9 billion barrels of oil poured into the gulf over the course of 87 days. This tragedy resulted in lives lost, both human and animal alike, and really brought the issue of off-shore oil drilling to attention. While some may believe that offshore oil drilling may seem like a harmless source of revenue for the United States, it is imperative that citizens realize that drilling does more harm than good. America needs to consider the negative effects of offshore oil drilling on the environment, the economy, and the future.…

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays