DRILLING IN ANWR - 1374 Words

Alaskan men have a long history of struggling to survive in the wilderness. Today, some, like the Gwich in, a native Alaskan tribe, still choose to live off nature. Recently, though a new argument has come to Alaska, one that could destroy the traditions of the Gwich’in forever. Politicians, environmentalists, economists and neighbors now fight over the prospect of oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Many of the arguments for drilling are worth consideration; however, in comparison to the evidence against it, they are neither convincing nor compelling. In order to fully understand why drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is such a big deal; we need to understand the history of the refuge. ANWR was created†¦show more content†¦Indeed, according to Rep. Cole (US Fed News Service) Twenty first century technology has made it easier than ever to harvest the vast resources available with minimal impact on the environment. Environmentalists however, are still unconvinced. According to Bryant Urstadt of Technology Review, the technology to make drilling less intrusive does, indeed, exist. But, he says, oil companies are unlikely to use it. In the past, oil companies have abandoned cleaner drilling methods, because they have become too expensive. In addition, environmentalists point to pictures of other drilling sites, like that at Prudhoe Bay, which emits black smoke and darkens the face of what was once pristine land. According to Urstadt, the previous Bush administration had a very bad track record when it came to the environment. He says, â€Å"based on the administration s record of legislation and enforcement, however, it is unlikely that industry will be compelled to use [cleaner technology].† (Urstad 77) Drilling supporters still argue that there are benefits to drilling that may outweigh environmental harms. In addition to helping America gain energy independence, drilling has economic be nefits. For Alaskans, tax money is important. Other Americans worry that gas prices are too high. According to Senator George Allen, these high prices come from a reliance on OPEC (US Fed News ServiceShow MoreRelatedDrilling in ANWR is Americas best hope Essay2012 Words   |  9 Pagesdictates sales rules involving the export of oil to non-member countries. In order to lessen our dependence on OPEC oil, the United States should begin drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska. The oil reserves in ANWR are estimated to contain more than twice as much oil as the state of Texas. (Energy) Drilling for these resources will help the United States by decreasing our dependence on OPEC oil, creating jobs, and increasing tax revenue. All of these goalsRead More The Argument Against Drilling In Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)1357 Words   |  6 PagesAlaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), the crowned jewel of the nat ion’s 544 refuges is in danger of destruction (Lamar and Markey 12). ANWR has been in existence since 1960 and has slowly become one of the most controversial topics to hit Congress. ANWR is composed of 19 million acres on the northeast coast of Alaska. Although the government has been provided with this immense land they are fighting to gain more land. Why? ANWR is the second biggest oil field that is owned by the U.S.Read More We Should Allow Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)2541 Words   |  11 Pagesoffered to reduce our nations dependence on foreign countries for oil has been opening up drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Proponents say that drilling in ANWR would make the United States more self-sufficient in the area of energy, while at the same time not doing excessive damage to the environment of the area. Opponents of drilling in ANWR cite the environmental problems of off-shore drilling and maintain that this land should be left alone and allowed to stand as an environmentalRead More America MUST Drill for Oil in The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)855 Words   |  4 PagesThe Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For a drug addict to quit a drug, the best solutions for the addict would be to slowly wean them self off the drug periodically. America can be viewed in a parallel way on its dependency for oil. America needs another source of oil to slowly lessen its overwhelming dependency on foreign oil and to help the process of finding another mass energy source. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge better known as the ANWR is a rich treasure of oil and gas thatRead MoreDrilling For Oil : Good For The Economy1203 Words   |  5 PagesEric Hatfield ENGL 2010 Prof. Johansen 11/8/15 Drilling for Oil in Alaska: Good for the Economy. Bad for the Environment On average, each individual American consumes 1.89 gallons of oil a day.( http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=33t=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 domesticRead MoreArctic National Wildlife Refuge Dispute965 Words   |  4 PagesArctic 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 wantRead MoreEssay on North Shore Oil Explorat ion and Drilling1098 Words   |  5 PagesNorth Shore Oil Exploration and Drilling There is some evidence that oil exists under the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This has led to a huge debate as to whether or not companies should be allowed to drill for this oil. A law was passed by congress in 1980 that states â€Å"production of oil and gas from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is prohibited and no leasing or other development leading to production of oil and gas from the [Refuge] shall be undertaken until authorized by an act ofRead MorePro Con Alaska Oil Drilling Essay1295 Words   |  6 Pagesenvironment there. Should the Alaska tundra be opened for oil drilling? II. Should the Alaska tundra be opened for oil drilling? III. I will analyze this controversy in terms of the following stock issues. A. Ill: Is there a problem with the American energy supply? B. Blame: Is the present (non-ANWR) policy inadequate to deal with the problem? C. Cure: Would opening the ANWR help solve the problem? D. Cost: Would the benefits of opening ANWR be worth the cost? IV. I’m going to tell you some backgroundRead More Should the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge be opened to Oil Drilling?1544 Words   |  7 PagesDrilling oil in Alaskas Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a serious issue for environmentalists and for the future of the United States. Should the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge be opened to oil drilling? This paper will debate whether or not we should allow Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to be opened to oil drilling. This will also show the impact it has on the environment, and I will show a critical analysis of the current issue of whether or not to drill. History Arctic NationalRead MoreAnwr: Should We Drill892 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish 1302 October 30, 2012 ANWR: Should we drill? George F. Will article, â€Å"Being green at Ben and Jerry’s† is in a conversational manner and throughout stays that way and uses witty metaphors and sarcastic remarks throughout while poking fun at how he feels about environmentalists and are just plain mistaken when against drilling. He also finds area to state what he believes and reasons why we are not drilling and the reasons why we should be drilling. He breaks sentences down in a descriptive