The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a protected area in northeastern Alaska that is home to a diverse array of plant and animal life, including caribou, polar bears, and migratory birds. The refuge has long been the subject of controversy due to its potential for oil and gas development. Proponents of ANWR drilling argue that it could provide a significant source of domestic energy and contribute to the U.S. economy, while opponents argue that the environmental risks are too great.
One of the main arguments in favor of ANWR drilling is that it could help reduce the U.S.'s reliance on foreign sources of energy. The U.S. currently imports a significant amount of oil from countries such as Canada, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia, and ANWR drilling could help reduce this dependence. In addition, domestic energy production could help reduce the overall cost of energy for consumers and businesses.
Another argument in favor of ANWR drilling is that it could provide a significant boost to the U.S. economy. The oil and gas industry is a major contributor to the U.S. economy, and ANWR drilling could create new jobs and generate revenue for the federal government through royalties and taxes. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that ANWR could hold between 4.3 and 11.8 billion barrels of oil, which could have a significant impact on the U.S. energy market.
However, there are also valid concerns about the environmental impacts of ANWR drilling. The refuge is home to a number of sensitive species, and drilling could potentially harm these species or their habitats. In addition, the process of drilling for oil and gas can have negative impacts on the environment, including air and water pollution. There is also the risk of oil spills, which could have devastating consequences for the surrounding ecosystem.
Overall, the debate over ANWR drilling is complex and multifaceted, and there are valid arguments on both sides. While drilling for oil and gas in the refuge could provide economic benefits and reduce the U.S.'s reliance on foreign energy sources, it also carries significant environmental risks. Ultimately, any decision about ANWR drilling should be based on a careful consideration of all the potential costs and benefits.
Why Drilling the Arctic Refuge Will Release a Double Dose of Carbon
This is because any type of human disturbance could discourage the musk oxen from using their preferred habitats. Sadly, it is too late to alleviate all the effects of climate change on polar bears. The Arctic Refuge is now facing a pivotal moment. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2013a as post WWII construction and resource development raised concerns about environmental losses U. Huge ice sheets can impact seafloor pipelines. Consequently, ANWR oil production is not projected to have any significant impact on world oil prices. Here, we can fix a problem before it even begins: an opportunity that, if passed up, would leave even more irreparable effects on this vulnerable species.
ANWR Oil Drilling Pros and Cons List
Arctic, 59 1 , 31-36. Caribou bones are still used as tools Patterson 1996, para. This would be devastating for the population of the porcupine caribou herd. This carbon deposit is made up of dead organic matter — from roots, plant leaves, and animals — which exists frozen in suspended animation. Although it could offer more energy to the U. Local wildlife impacts could have global consequences.
Drilling In The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Department of the Interior. Alternative Energy Resource The drilling for oil in ANWR can help develop alternative energy resource in the future. Between 2018 and 2030, cumulative additional oil production is projected to be 2. Boelman suspects waterfowl and caribou are most likely to be affected. When ANILCA was signed in 1980, Section 1002 of the act set aside 600,000 ha of the 1,000,000 ha coastal plain of ANWR for evaluating potential oil and gas resources.
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Oil Drilling Pros and Cons
These explosions or the release of seismic pulses can scare animals, and lay them off from their natural migratory patterns. There have been situations when the lack of oil supply had hit the economy and prices of commodities have escalated, making it hard for average-income earners. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is the largest and most pristine patch of publicly owned wilderness in the U. If that were the case in Area 1002, decomposition of the 300 to 600 megatons of carbon held within the 3-meter-thick layer across the entire Area 1002 could release 1. Over the years, ANWR has been at the crux of intense debate where politicians, industrialists and corporate lobbyists have teamed up at one end and environmentalists with support from various nongovernment organizations have raised the concerns of drilling and exploring oil wells in the region. If we have access to more crude oil, then it becomes possible to create more refined products from this resource.
Pros and Cons of Drilling in ANWR
Current assessments show that this summer grazing provides nourishment that is critical to sustain the health and long-term persistence of the Porcupine caribou herd. Even though caribou are mostly used as a food source, caribou skin is used for the winter boots, slippers, purses, bags, and other items of Native dress. Loss of arctic sea ice makes seal hunting a near impossible task, a phenomenon that continues to threaten polar bears, including the declining Beaufort Sea population. When supplies are scarce, the price of oil goes up and so do the prices of other commodities that are based on oil. This means hundreds of millions of barrels are brought in from countries like Venezuela, or Russia, or Saudi Arabia.
17 ANWR Oil Drilling Pros and Cons
Scott Wallace The Porcupine River caribou herd has become the unlikely focus of one of the most intractable and divisive environmental debates in our nation's history: whether the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, or ANWR, should be opened up for oil exploration. Even if production levels go at full speed to access this resource, it will provide continued employment opportunities that make a significant impact to local communities. Still, their support for drilling there is tempered by concern that it could lead to oil exploration offshore, which could threaten whaling. The two major predators of caribou grizzly bears and wolves are usually more abundant in the foothills and mountains where the caribou would be displaced to. Geological Survey to have between 4. There is a safety risk to the workers to consider as well.
5 Reasons to drill in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge instead of draining petroleum reserve
Fuller, Morton, and Sarkar 2008 conclude that shortfall from wildlife conservation targets in the 1002 Area is up to 35 times greater if the area is developed for oil drilling as opposed to being left intact, and state that their findings should provide Congress with critical insight for permanently proscribing oil development and designating it a protected wilderness area p. If oil is there, it could still take several years for the drilling to release a significantly relevant amount of oil. The primary purpose of ANWR since its conception in 1960 was to conserve the natural diversity of wildlife and fish populations within their natural habitats. In the low and high ANWR oil resource cases, additional oil production resulting from the opening of ANWR peaks in 2028 at 510,000 and 1. The tracks that their vehicles leave behind can be seen for decades after the event. Here are the pros and cons to consider when thinking about drilling for oil in this protected area. This can also increase the risks of these animals to human contacts, which is dangerous to both parties.
