...Arctic oil drilling is a hazardous, menacing, business that is creating a negative impact on this delicate environment. This certain type of business has been damaging the marine animals and ice caps have vanished causing their habitat to be under threat. In addition, as the ice disappears companies and governments drill for oil in the melting waters which have an even greater effect on the Arctic itself as much as it affects the marines ecosystem. These oil companies do this activity of drilling to increase economic growth and to decrease the price of gasoline. Furthermore, by performing this activity, oil companies say this can create jobs. Oil is also a dependable natural source that is highly relied on for many purposes and it can not...
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...ENG102-16798 15 October, 2014 Peer Review Arctic Wildlife Refuge: Controversy Drilling in Alaska has been debated for more than a decade and this topic is still unsettled. Oil companies are urging the United States and the Alaskan government to let them start drilling for the good of the United States economy; the essence of this complicated conflict splits in two main arguments that the Arctic contains a significant oil discovery and will bring more opportunities for Americans, on the opposing view the Arctic contains the last true “Wilderness” in the country. Both viewpoints are debatable and hold good points while drilling could save the United States millions, environmentalist argue that it will do little good for the United...
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...an oil crisis. America was importing more than a third of its oil, therefore questioning how America would keep its economy running? There were two...
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...of former Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska, who lobbied for drilling in the North Country. Governor Palin faced tremendous opposition my environmentalists and humanitarian organizations, as well as financial analysts who disputed the positive impact on the economy. The main arguments were the concern for environmental impact - both locally in Alaska and globally - and cost. The Royal Dutch Shell oil company has invested billions of dollars in lobbying for drilling rights, with the sole purpose of dominating the market. Although there are thousands of jobs generated by the oil companies willing to invest in drilling in such harsh conditions, safety, environmental impact on the wildlife, and the impact on local inhabitants is a continuing concern. “The stakes are huge--for Shell, for the environment, for the oil industry, and for the oil-addicted U.S. economy. The fact is, oil demand is soaring. Worldwide oil consumption is now running at 89 million barrels a day, according to the International Energy Agency. Not only is that up 6% from the lows of the recession--a big increase given tight supplies--but it's also above the pre-recession peak of 87 million barrels notched in 2008.” (Birger, 2012) There is also major concern about oil spills, especially since the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and one of the worst oil spill disasters of all times – the Exxon Valdez oil tanker spill in 1989. My concern is for the safely of the...
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...Oil, the staple that provides energy for just about everyone on earth today, is a current hot topic of discussion among politicians, engineers, scientists, environmentalists, and everyday citizens. Oil has been around since ancient times but oils potential was never realized until the nineteenth century. Is oil starting to be overrun by environmentalists? How long will current oil reserves last? Is oil currently the best and most efficient means of energy production? Should we worry about expanding oil production around the world? These questions and many more are dominating the conversations of energy producers and politicians worldwide. The oil we use today is a byproduct of ancient fossilized organic material. Most oil deposits are found where ancient oceans, seas and lake beds existed. As material such as: zooplankton, algae and other organic materials fell to the floor it was trapped under mud and sand. The speed at which the organic material covered the floor did not allow for its proper decomposition before it was covered with layers of sand or mud. Over time, the areas were buried under sedimentary rock, which caused extreme pressures and heat. This heat and pressure exerted as time passed developed the crude oils we see today. The quality and composition of the crude oil varies based upon the hydrocarbon makeup of the petroleum. Petroleum was first used to provide kerosene for lighting in the mid nineteenth century. Demand for the less expensive...
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...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...
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...February 2012 BP Oil Spill Oil rigs provide the world with the fuel that is needed to keep it running. However, it is common knowledge that they may potentially cause harm to not only living creatures but also the environment they rely on to survive. This was proven in the spring of 2010 when an oil rig off the Gulf of Mexico exploded and resulted in an oil spill. This catastrophic event opened millions of eyes to the errors that can be found in the way oil rigs are set up. It also caused people to take a closer look at whose responsibility it is to make sure all the safety codes and procedures are being followed before a drilling plan in approved. The BP disaster not only drew people’s attention to the process of oil drilling, it also had a serious impact on the economy and an even more tragic impact on the environment and wildlife around it. It also provided a perfect example of the dangers oil drilling can pose if it is done in an area not prepared to handle the consequences. On April 20, 2010 an offshore oil rig owned by BP (British Petroleum) blew up, taking the lives of 11 people before beginning to dump dangerous amounts of crude oil into the ocean and coastlines of the Gulf of Mexico. The oil rig, known as Deepwater Horizon, is believed to have dumped more than 200 million gallons of the oil before it was capped off three months later. This number however, is only an estimate due to the refusal of BP to allow accurate measures of the spilt oil to be obtained by...
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...Drilling in the ANWR by I. Intro a. Last summer as I was standing at the gas pump I watched as the dollar amount slowly grew, I had a new truck and the only thing ruining it was the price of gas. I found myself recalling stories that my dad would tell me about when he was a kid and a gallon of gas only cost 15 cents, I thought to myself how great it would be if gas prices were that way now. The click of the gas pump shutting off snapped me out of my day dream as I looked to see that $115 of my pay check was now gone. b. Today I will first discuss the positives of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge I then will compare them to the negatives. I hope by the end of this speech that you will have a better understanding about drilling in the ANWR. II. About ANWR c. (Wikipedia) USGS says ANWR is the nation’s single largest oil reserve. d. ANWR comprises of nearly 20 million acres of the north Alaskan coast. The land is situated between the Beaufort Sea to the north, Brooks Range to the south, and Prudhoe Bay to the west. e. (Kriz, Margaret. "Tapping pristine territories" ) ANWR is a coastal plain, the only part of the refuge where oil is suspected to exist, is a flat and featureless wasteland that experiences some of the harshest weather conditions in the world. Temperatures drop to nearly -70 F. There are no forests or trees at all. III. Positives for drilling f. (Wallace, Scott. "ANWR: The Great Divide.") The monetary...
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...Oil Drilling Jasmine A. Richardson Freshman Seminar Friday 10:20-11:20 Throughout the years the government has spent millions of dollars on oil drilling. But what is the actual purpose of oil drilling? Is it necessary? Are we spending too much money on this one project or is it useful in the end? These questions have been debated so much over and over again. But the question is am I for or against oil drilling? Oil drilling takes up too much time and money for one simple purpose. It takes time and a workload to even begin this process. In order to perform a normal oil drilling process you have to find a land that has to be cleared and leveled, water must be nearby, if there is no water the crews have to dig water well, and lastly the crews have to reserve a pit. All of this is very expensive and damaging to the land. In an article in Bloomberg Business week it was recorded that marathon oil spent 10 million on oil drilling and that was just for one time. If oil drilling is really purposeful for the country why make it so expensive? There aren’t any other resources to finding oil? And the main objective is if we’re spending so much money on oil drilling then why are we even fighting in the war anymore? The damages to the land are excruciating and the government always ends up paying for the damages so that’s double to money they’re spending. One expensive tool they use to capture the oil is the oil rig. They use it to drill into the ground so that they can confiscate...
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...drill for oil in Alaska’s environment? I 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...
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...will review three cases, The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, The Yucca Mountain, and The Three Gorges Dam. The summary will recognize each kind of energy source, its comparative abundance, environmental impact, and the ethical and economic concerns of each of these cases selected. This summary will pinpoint prominent stakeholder’s, value the disadvantages and advantages of each of these energy sources according to the stakeholder’s vision, and possible tactics for resolving limited-resource issues raised in these selected cases while adding the role of conservation into these tactics. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge The debate about opening the refuge for oil drilling has been going on since 1980. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is closer one of the world’s largest pipeline systems, which is the Trans-Alaska Pipeline that starts in Prudhoe Bay and goes to the south of Valdez. Fourteen barrels of crude oil have been produced by Prudhoe Bay, making it the first time in the United States history to import more than half the oil it uses since the early 1900s. Such interest to open the oil drilling began after it decreased for five years after the Alaskan oil spill. The Department of the Interior admitted the opening the oil drilling will damage the area’s ecology and consequently the House of Representatives and the House settled to allow it. The ethical and economic problems pertaining developing this oil drilling site with domestic oil can help by balancing the trade...
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...surrounding the future of renewable energy. Oil production is at the center of the debate as we are seeing a large increase in oil prices due to our need of foreign oil. There are some supporters of looking in our American natural landscape for resources such as oil to reduce our dependence on foreign supply and boost the American economy. Those opposed to this solution point question why destroy the American wildlife for a natural resource that will take too long to produce, cost the American people a large amount of money, and will not give any final solution to the need because those resources will also eventually also be depleted. They would like to see the American government continue to look into renewable energy source which could substantially reduce our need of natural resources saving the American landscape and wildlife. The supporters of us tapping into the natural landscape to search for natural resources on American land feel that this will not only reduce our dependence on foreign resources, but also boost our economy by creating jobs and reduce our national debt. They feel that solely seeking renewable energy will stall our economy. They argue that looking into the American natural resources will interrupt such a small part of the American landscape and the wildlife will be preserved so why would we not continue to see out these resources. It is claimed that the oil found in Alaska could sustain the U.S. demand for oil for 25 years or longer. Those against the...
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...Global Warming Today, the global warming is an undeniable fact, which proves that our planet and its climate are in a big trouble. Global warming affects all areas of our life including; politics, economics and a social sphere. The study of global warming includes many sciences in order to examine what causes global warming and try to find possible solutions to reduce the impact of our civilization on the planet. An interdisciplinary research in this field is important, because global warming is caused by many factors and has an impact on different spheres of our life. For example, climate science is aimed to investigate the changes caused by global warming. Geology examines the impact of human activities on climate. Economic science helps to understand economic benefits and material losses caused by severe weather conditions taking into account results obtained by climate science and Geology. Economic science inquiries into and develops measures to reduce negative impact of economic activity on climate and global warming. Taking into account the information mentioned above, it is evident that an interdisciplinary research is crucial, because one scientist is unable to solve the problem of global warming without any sort of collaborative effort with other disciplines. Natural disasters such: hurricanes and tornados are the result of global warming. In Recent years, hurricanes have become a great problem for many coastal villages and towns around the world. Scientists say that...
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...cases, The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Yucca Mountain, and The Three Gorges Dam. It will identify each type of energy source, its relative abundance and environmental impact along with evaluating the economic and ethical issues of each energy source highlighted by these three cases. The summary will identify the interests of prominent stakeholders, and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each energy source according to each stakeholder’s point of view and present possible strategies for solving the limited-resource issues raised in these case studies with explaining the role of conservation in these strategies. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Since 1980 there has been an on and off debate regarding opening the refuge to oil drilling. The refuge is close to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, one of the world’s largest pipeline systems that begins at Prudhoe Bay and continues south to Valdez. Prudhoe Bay has produced 14 billion barrels of crude oil. In the early 1990’s, it was the first time in history that the United States would import more than half the oil it used. The interest of opening the refuge to oil drilling started again after it subsided for five years following the Alaskan oil spill. The Department of the Interior admitted that the oil drilling will harm the area’s ecosystem and therefore both the Senate and House of Representatives agreed to allow it. The economic and ethical issues pertaining to developing this site to oil drilling such as domestic...
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...with his words. He creates a mosaic of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that seemingly makes the park comparable to a wildlife paradise. The problem is that he relies too much on this picturesque scene. Instead of presenting facts as to why oil drilling in the refuge would be a bad idea, he spends the majority of his essay describing his visit to the refuge, which had occurred years before he wrote this forward. Carter relies too much on pathos and fails to present reliable logos arguments, thus making his forward on the refuge ineffective. Carter writes this forward to address proposals to open the refuge to oil drilling. Part of the problem is that he doesn’t confront the proposals until paragraph six. He spends the first four paragraphs discussing a trip that he and his wife took at least 10 years prior to the creation of the...
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