...Why are fragile environments such as the Arctic and ANWR coming under increasing pressure for fossil fuel exploration? Recently, with oil prices on the rise and oil reserves on decline, fragile environments such as the Arctic and ANWR are coming under increasing pressure to develop their unexploited resources. It is said that Arctic region holds 25% of the world’s unexploited oil and gas reserves this accounts to around the same amount as Saudi Arabia’s gas and oil richness. They are under increasing pressure due to the high demand for fossil fuels, especially in MEDC’s and NIC’s who are not focusing on renewable sources, but instead continuing to rely on oil and gas, in order to focus on development. In fact they should be thinking about alternative energy supplies for the future when oil and gas reserves do eventually dry out. The USA is all for developing the Arctic because the want to have autonomy over their own supply and it will also reduce reliance on foreign exports thereby lowering the amount they spend on oil. Also Russia is in agreement that the Arctic should be exploited for oil and gas because they believe they have rights to that land, and feel the oil would help companies like Gazprom to thrive. One of the reasons the Arctic is coming under increasing pressure to exploit its reserves is because of the shrinking ice caps. As the map below shows ice capacity is rapidly declining meaning that oil reserves are easier to access making it cheaper to locate and extract...
Words: 671 - Pages: 3
...Drilling For Oil In ANWR, Is It Worth It? Alexander Payne - Engineering Student, University of West Florida Abstract - This report will take an objective look at the possibilities of drilling for oil in Alaska. We will take a look at all of the possible benefits and good that could come out of this, as well as all of the drawbacks and negative effects that can come from drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This report will also take a look at some possible alternatives to drilling for oil in ANWR that could possibly reap the same benefits, if not more. Index Terms – Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Porcupine Caribou, Mineral Rights, Surface Rights, Aleuts, Eskimos, Tlingits, Crude Oil, Fossil Fuels, Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Cellulosic Ethanol, oil rig, oil spill. Introduction: Oil and its uses 1 What is Oil? There many things referred to as “oil”, but in our case, oil is a liquid substance derived from petroleum that is used as a fuel source in hundreds of different applications, and it is also used as a lubricant. Oil is considered to be one of three main fossil fuels, the other two being coal and natural gas. As you probably know, fossil fuels are nonrenewable because it takes far too many years for nature to reproduce what we are taking away from it. 2 Uses Of Oil Just about anything you can think of that runs off of an engine more than likely uses oil. Just to name off some other uses, oil can...
Words: 3899 - Pages: 16
...Beaman To Drill or Not to Drill Alaska drilling in the ANWR refuge is a controversial debate because of the issues which are associated with destroying the wilderness. The ANWR is located in the “North Slope area of Alaska and eight million acres of this selected segment of the landscape is in the National Wilderness Preservation System, which is intended to protect pristine and untouched land areas” (Burley, 2010, p.1). Drilling for oil in the ANWR will destroy the environment; endanger the caribou herds, birds, and other wildlife. However, the opposing viewpoints contend that it would provide jobs, help with our oil supply, and not destroy the land. Examining other alternatives for energy shortages in the United States would prevent the destruction of the ANWR and other protected habitats. Renewable sources of energy like solar energy, and wind power would not affect the environment or cause pollution. The dependence on oil and other fossil fuels needs to be curtailed, so, the Alaska Refuge is not destroyed. Additionally, “each year oil operations on Alaska’s North Slope emit more than 70,000 tons of nitrogen oxides, which contribute to smog and acid rain” (National Resource Defense Council, 2010, p.1). Toxic oil spills kill the plants and vegetation, air pollution caused from drilling and emissions affects the air quality, and hazardous waste contaminates the water supplies. The drilling on the ANWR is causing damage to the plant life, air, and water supply which...
Words: 806 - Pages: 4
...ANWR Position Paper Jennifer Piper Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a 19 million acre area that lies in the northeast corner of Alaska. The Coastal Plain area, comprising 1.5 million acres on the northern edge of ANWR, is bordered on the north by the Beaufort Sea, on the east by the U.S. Canadian border, and on the west by the Canning River. The Coastal Plain of ANWR is being considered for oil and gas development since it potentially holds billions of barrels of recoverable oil and trillions of cubic feet of recoverable gas. Of the 1.5 million acres of the Coastal Plain, less than 2000 acres would be affected by development. However, because it is an important wildlife habitat, some are concerned that development would hurt the land, endanger wildlife, and not recover enough oil to make the effort worthwhile. ANWR is about the size of South Carolina, and the proposed development area in the Coastal Plain is about one-fifth the size of Washington, DC’s Dulles International Airport. Although ANWR could produce greater than a million barrels of oil per day, more than enough to replace U.S. imports from Iraq, we have to look at the potential social, economic and ecological benefits and consequences to exploring/drilling in ANWR. Environmentalists want to protect ANWR from any drilling because of its environmental and ecological value. They believe that there is too great a danger to the refuge, which is home too many species of birds and fish as well as both land and...
Words: 1790 - Pages: 8
...Geological Survey. The Northern slope of the ANWR is estimated to contain 10.4 barrels of oil. This would be more than what the United States imports from Mexico, India, Indonesia and many more countries. Drilling at its peak the ANWR could produce 1.45 million barrels per day; this is more than the United States imports from Sudan (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 2013). In the Chart below the prediction for the United States future oil by 2030 is up due to drilling in the ANWR. Drilling in the ANWR would lessen reliance on importing from foreign countries. The US is very dependent on foreign oil in 2012 the US imported 10.6 millions of barrels per day. On the graph below it shows how much the US needs foreign oil; drilling in the ANWR could decrease these numbers and give more jobs to Americans. 2012: Top sources of imported petroleum to the United States million barrels per day and percent share of gross and net imports Import source Gross imports Exports to import source Net...
Words: 1022 - Pages: 5
...is the ANWR? The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in north-eastern Alaska, States. It consists of 19,286,722 acres. It is the largest National Wildlife Refuge in the country. It was established in 1960. What is a wild life refuge? A wild life refuge is a place which gives animals the space and freedom they need to feed themselves and raise their young. Because the land is protected they can do these things without clashing with people. Where is the ANWR and why is it being preserved? The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in north-eastern Alaska, States. The reason why it is being preserved is because Robert Marshall in 1938 was able to understand how we would change the habitats of animals and destroys them to get the things we need like oil. So he proposed a ‘permeant American Frontier’ that would preserve a big chunk of Arctic Alaska wilderness. In the 1950’2, people who were worried about habitat loss and pollution proposed to Congress for that same frontier. In 1960, Congress created the refuge. When did they discover oil in Alaska and how much is estimated to be there? They discovered the oil i9n Alaska in 19870 at Prudhoe Bay it supplied two million barrels of oil a day. However as time has gone on the amount of oil that is in the Bay has decreased and is getting lower and lower each year, this has then lead to the U.S government having to find new oil supplies and one of these is in the ANWR. Geologists...
Words: 653 - Pages: 3
...I would like to answer this ethical question in the beginning of this case of study. Oil drilling in the National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) should be allowed, for the benefits of residents have should take the place of the avails of animals or the protection of natural uninhabited and the natural home or environment of an animal. The benefits and advantages of human beings should supersede the interests of other creatures and the the action of preserving of natural wildernesses. In the matter of fact, the U.S. Congress needs to leave politics aside, if that is possible, and allow searching and drilling for oil on all U.S. territories, including the National Wildlife Refuge. The United States bring a majority of the oil into the country from abroad...
Words: 710 - Pages: 3
...In Document B, “ Top Ten Responses to Support ANWR Development, Courtesy of Arctic Power, Anchorage, Alaska, 2005.” The list says, “ If oil is discovered, less than 2000 acres of the 1.5 million acres of the Coastal Plain would be affected.” This statement clarifies that there is no guarantee that oil will be found in ANWR, although if it is, only a limited amount of land from the Coastal Plain would be affected. It is also said that more jobs will be created in Alaska due to the development of the Coastal Plain, nonetheless, this will require roads and pipelines to be built all around Alaska, running over and displacing wildlife and their environment. Although drilling in ANWR would be beneficial in some ways, such as lowering the cost of oil, bringing in more job opportunities, and enhancing federal revenues, however the decision would destroy the land due to busy work sites. Overall, the drilling in Alaska would not be completely beneficial because even if it did take place, a very small amount of the Coastal Plain would be...
Words: 1075 - Pages: 5
...Should the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Be Opened to Oil Drilling? SCI207 Dependence of Man on the environment July 11, 2010 Abstract The rising cost of gas has been a great debate for consumers and congress. Currently the price of gas is between $2.71 to 3.39 depending on what state you live in. Consumers are finding it more and more disturbing that gas is increasing what is it going to take to make the prices decrease? Is oil drilling here in the United Stated the best thing to do? Oil Drilling has been a topic for our government for years. It seems that the debate is that oil should be drilled hear in our United States. Some have stated that oil drilling would be costly. But it would also reduce the amount we consumers spend on gas. If drilling was to take place there is an area in Alaska where the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is. I hope to show the positive side of oil drilling in Alaska and the negative affects it will have on oil drilling. Currently, I understand both sides of drilling oil but it is not fair to kill off wildlife if oil drilling could be possibly found in areas where there aren’t any wildlife would be good or if the government could provide proof that if oil drilling was to take place that the wildlife would not be hurt. As we look at both sides of why to drill and why not we can explore just what seems to be the big problem we and what the decision should...
Words: 1872 - Pages: 8
...animals. All these animals have lived on those lands before the creation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in 1960. It is a place where people can come and see all these creatures that are not seen very many other places. Although we all love this refuge, there are still some people that want to destroy it by putting drills in it and even after losing 50 times they keep trying over and over again. Unfortunately, these animals are losing their homes to a huge drill for oil. There is a lot of controversy over whether drilling should be allowed in this national refuge. Proponents...
Words: 1059 - Pages: 5
...sources of energy? Is the exploitation indefinite? What is the environmental impact in the ecosystem? Which one of the sources is the best based on ethical and economical issues? The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a fossil fuel and natural gas energy source located in Alaska, USA. The fossil fuels reserve is very abundant. According to the US geological survey, on a 1980 research, ANWR has 17 billions of barrels of oils and 34 trillions of Natural Gas. The environmental impact, if it exists, is minimum; only 8% of the refuge will be used, and the maximum footprint development allowed by Congress is about 2000 acres. The new technology implemented at Prudhoe Bay has made the area more environmental friendly for wildlife. In order to protect the tundra, drill sites are constructed on 4' thick gravel pads. Even if a 1" drop of crude oil drips onto the pad, workers are required to shovel it up for proper disposal. (Prudhoe Bay, 2001). Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will be a huge impact to the United States economy. Revenues generated will help offset the United States deficit. Billions of dollars from bonus bids, lease rentals, royalties and taxes would enhance federal revenues. Estimates on bonus bids for ANWR by the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Interior for the first 5 years...
Words: 1193 - Pages: 5
...congress enacted the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to resolve all Native aboriginal land claims against the US. It provided monetary payments and also created Village Corps. In 1980, Congress enacted the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act which include several sections about ANWR. The Artic Range was renamed the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Section 1002 of ANILCA directed a study of the coastal plain, which is now known as the 10-02 area, which I will talk about later. The main objective is to protect and maintaining its naturally maintaining area of arctic and sub-arctic ecosystems. This refuge is home to a wide variety of plants and animals. There are many different species of big game that roam this area, there are 36 fish species, 36 kinds of land mammals, over 160 bird species and 9 marine animals, which include: caribou, polar bears, grizzly bears, wolves, migratory birds from each of the four main flyways and many other species. According to a Geological Survey, there is a small chance that taken together that the fields on this land could hold as much recoverable oil as the Prudhoe Bay which is the state-owned portion of the coastal plain located west of ANWR in Alaska. This has started an argument for a long time now, a constant battle over oil drilling...
Words: 1048 - Pages: 5
...believe the U.S. should not drill for oil in Alaska, because firstly, a letter in document D states... “The Inupiat Eskimo people are the Indigenous people of the Arctic Environment. Nevertheless, they still rely on the land and resources of the North Coastal Plain for food, shelter, culture, and economic well-being.” Secondly, in document D it states “The ANWR is determined to prevent development in even the smallest corner of the Arctic Coastal Plain. The only way we would want drilling to be done on only the private lands and island outside of the ANWR.” So consequently, this could potentially destroy the Alaskan Coastal Plain. The U.S. should not drill for oil in Alaska. Why? Firstly, charts have shown that the U.S. uses way too much oil than we need. So, oil consumption rates could be lowered without damaging Alaska’s environment by...
Words: 509 - Pages: 3
...temperatures. For 8 months of the year it is sub-zero, with the months of January and February recording temperatures as low as minus 30. The ANWR, a wilderness area, is located to the north east of Alaska and covers nearly 80,000 square kilometers, it is however a possible drilling zone for oil. The ANWR was named in 1980 by the US fisheries service because it was managed and protected by the US government. There are two significant settlements occupied by indigenous peoples, one being within the ANWR, inhabited by the Inuit Inupiaq tribe and the Indian Gwichin tribe. The Inuit tribe area found in the North of the area and the Indian tribe to the South. These tribes both rely heavily on the marine ecosystem and also the Caribou for economic and cultural purposes. The changing environment in the ANWR has increased the population of predators such as Arctic Foxes, Ravens and Gulls which prey on nesting birds in the surrounding areas. Fish populations have been damaged by gravel extraction from river beds. The ANWR provides a refuge for a variety of species including 45 different species of mammals such as Wolves, Wolverines, Polar Bears and Musk Ox. The exploitation of oil begun in Alaska in March of 1968 in Prudhoe Bay and ANWR where 'Humble Oil' discovered the vast quantities of oil underneath the surface of the earth. Prudhoe Bay and ANWR are situated to the North East of Alaska on the border with Canada and are quite barren and isolated areas. This meant that drilling for...
Words: 1739 - Pages: 7
...qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwer...
Words: 2893 - Pages: 12
