Arctic National Wildlife Refuge essays

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge essays The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1960 in northeastern Alaska to protect and maintain its naturally functioning community of arctic and sub-arctic ecosystems. A variety of wildlife, including 36 fish species, 36 kinds of land mammals, over 160 bird species, and 9 marine animals, reside in this protected area. However, beneath this beautiful land, is a black gold mine. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that below the permafrost of the 1.5 million-acre coastal plain, lies 11-31 billion barrels of oil. This has lead to a constant fight over oil drilling vs. wildlife preservation and conservation. Oil industry representatives argue that the demand for energy, and high prices of gasoline and heating oil, justify exploiting the refuges oil resources. Oil drilling in ANWR will have a variety of negative effects on its delicate ecosystem including disruption of wildlife patterns, noise, pollution, and alteration of the land. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was created to protect and maintain the lands relatively undisturbed condition, and thus oil drilling should not be allowed in this protected area. The oil industry believes that the amount of oil located in the Arctic Refuges 1002 area is a substantial amount, and is a resource that should be exploited. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated in 2000 that there is a 95% chance of finding 1.9 billion barrels of economically recoverable oil in the 1002 area. At the current price of $24 a barrel, there is a 50% chance of finding a nine months supply of oil (Potential, 5). Rather than deplete the oil resources in Alaska as well as endanger habitat and wildlife for nine months of domestic oil consumption, the United States should look into other sources of fuel. Natural gas, solar power, and hydroelctric power, are forms of energy that can be taken advantage of. The United States could also look into lowering consum...