Oil Drilling in the Alaskan Wildlife Refuges Essay

One of the last of the world’s true wilderness, the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge is “one of the largest sanctuaries for Arctic animals, (where)… it is a vital birthing ground for polar bears, grizzlies, Arctic wolves, caribou, and the endangered shaggy ox” (Document E). By drilling for oil on this land, we would potentially endanger the wildlife and the

The question is should we drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve. While there are downfalls to drilling the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, the benefits to the country and to Alaska far outweigh them. These benefits include lower gas prices, more jobs, energy independence.

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is located in the Northeastern part of Alaska and is the largest wildlife in the country. The ANWR covers more than 19 million acres of forests, mountains, wetlands, tundra, and rivers, and it is the habitat to distinctive and

Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), the crowned jewel of the nation’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. Now the government wants more land to construct oil reserves. The refuge is home to many endangered species such as migratory birds, polar bears, and wolves (Lynne and Roberts 1). Most of ANWR’s designated oil area is owned by indigenous Alaskan

U.S. Senate Democrats on Thursday failed to pass a measure to block oil and gas drilling in part of the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, losing to Republicans who believe production there would provide jobs and wealth. This bill was suppose to eliminate provisions that would allow oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Our Michigan Senators voted together on this and voted for yes. I’m not sure if my opinion is valid or not because this particular issues doesn’t really affect me, but I would vote no because it does offer up jobs for more people when jobs are so hard to find nowadays.

Drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, commonly referred to as ANWR has been the source of media and political controversy for the last twenty years and has only increased in recent years. President Eisenhower reserved this land in 1960 to preserve and protect the native and diverse plants and wildlife. When oil was discovered in the Prudhoe Bay a determined group consisting of large oil corporations, politicians and locals insisted that exploration in the wildlife refuge would lessen the United States dependence to foreign oil, there would be numerous economic benefits and could be achieved with an inconsequential effect on the environment. Opponents of drilling reject this argument citing grave environmental concerns. These adversaries that include many environmental groups argue that the various economic benefits associated with drilling in ANWR are not significant enough to warrant the destruction of one of the last remaining pristine wildernesses. The costs associated with drilling evident in oil spills, changes in habitat and the possible extinction of Polar bears and wolves demonstrate that the benefits of drilling for oil does not outweigh the negative consequences. In 2015, President Barack Obama pushed policy to ban oil exploration by designating more than 22 million acres in Alaska of which 12 million are part of the ANWR (Bourne).

These areas of concern to environmentalist include: (1) The protection of the Porcupine caribou herd, polar bears, musk oxen, grizzly bears and many other forms of diverse wildlife that could be adversely affected by the oil exploration. (2) Preservation of the land itself and the local communities culture that has supported a thousand generations of native Alaskans. (3) That there is only enough oil in this region to supply America’s needs for six months. The environmentalist and the proponents for oil drilling continue to pursue their arguments, each one deciding that their argument is more popular to the American people.

There has been one thing quite a few people tend to skip over in the local newspapers and on the news. It is known as drilling, but that is not much of a concern. Why would anyone care? It means nothing to them anyway. To the animals and ecosystems, it does. Pretty soon dozens of wildlife will be endangered. What they call home will be long gone. That will be placed in the past and drilling will take the ecosystem's place in Alaska's Coastal Plain. Something needs to be done now before the creatures lose their only home.

A research scientist stands on a sheet of ice. He looks right, then left, more ice. Off in the distance are mountains of ice. There are open patches of water in the middle of this great land of ice reflecting the vibrant and glowing sun. Waiting with patience around one patch is a polar bear, white and skinny. Skinny, as the polar bear has not eaten in days. It stands watch with hopeful eyes that a big, juicy seal will pop its head out just enough to get a bite and haul the seal on shore to feed itself and the bear’s two cubs. This area is known as the arctic, and it is home to many animals, such as the polar bear, but they are in danger of losing their home due to the melting ice caps. At the beginning of the article “The geopolitics of Arctic melt”, Charles K. Ebinger, the director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at Brookings Institution, as well as Evie Zambetakis, a Senior Research Assistant at Brookings Institute in 2009, asserts their credence of how the thawing Arctic, due to Global warming, increased the interest of the area worldwide.

"Climate change is a change in the statistical properties of the climate system that persists for several decades or longer" (Montgomery, 2015). Climate change (or global warming) can be caused by a natural progress such as sun 's radiations and volcanoes, or it can be caused by human 's actions such as land use, deforestation, and pollution. (Hardy, 2003).This phenomenon not only affects the environment, but it also affects human lives. Alaska is the largest state in the United States. It includes lands on both sides of the Arctic Circle. Sixteen national wildlife refuges are home to a great variety of flora and fauna. In the past 60 years. The Alaska 's environment changed drastically; the climate is warming up as twice as much in comparison to all the other states. This essay will discuss firstly the climate change in the Alaskan environment. Then it will highlight the changes in the ocean and costs, the effects that global warming is having on Alaska 's natives and the melting permafrost. It will then finally address who is responsible for this effects and some measures that can be taken.

First of all, Alaska is a place that has beauty under the ice… A vast land, with its majority of carnivorous creatures from the size of a spec of dirt, to the largest creatures such as the Orca Whale, which is also known as the ‘Killer Whale’. Wildlife is one of Alaska’s many gifts. There are many other factors to this majestic, and icy

This biome is much like a frozen desert, due to its extremely low temperature and lack of precipitation. The average temperature in the tundra is -28 degrees Celsius, and the average precipitation is around 10 inches per year. The tundra is located up at the North Pole, and covers 20% of the surface of the Earth. The tundra is covered in small plants such as lichen, mosses and grass, however, lacks foliage such as trees. Trees cannot grow due to the lack of water, extremely cold temperatures and super short growing seasons. A common trait of nearly all animals that inhibit the tundra is that they have white fur. Common animals that call the tundra their home are the arctic fox, arctic hare, caribou, and of course, the polar bear. Seals reside in the freezing waters that surround the tundra, and are a major food source for the polar bears. Plants in the tundra include mosses, lichen, and grasses. Trees do not grow here because they freeze much too easily and require more water than the small plants mentioned above to

This case study concerns possible oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) on the north slope of Alaska’s Brooks Range adjacent to the Gwich’in reservation. This could put the Porcupine Caribou Herd at risk and possibly jeopardize the food source and traditional culture of the Gwich’in people (Pg. 129). However, as fossil fuel sources begin to run out, Americans seem to feel entitled to drill for oil anywhere there is a reserve, even when that means sacrificing the greater good of a community or nature. One of the questions asked is if America deserves the oil at the risk of the Gwich’in people, when we have such an excess of energy consumption and the failure of North Americans to restrict this energy consumption?

I am writing to you in regard to the Bridger -Teton National Forest. I write to you as someone who believes in preservation. I believe that the forest should be preserved and not conserved. The Bridger -Teton National Forest is a landmark and should be kept that way. “It is a place where locals find solitude in huge tracts of forest backcountry when nearby wilderness areas and national parks are crowded with out-of-state visitors. It’s also a place that supports traditional, sustainable activities such as outfitting, guiding, ranching, and recreation” (“Wyoming Outdoor Council” 2009-2013). All of these values are being threatened because the forest is being considered for oil and gas development. While oil and gas may be useful to us, I do not think that the forest should suffer the consequences. The natural resources should be left alone for everyone to enjoy in its natural state. To upset this would be environmentally incorrect.

Alaskan Wildlife Conservation - The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is a sanctuary dedicated to preserving Alaska’s wildlife. Visitors may see brown bears cooling off in the water, a bull moose strutting, wood bison roaming on pastures and more.