Should the United States Drill for Oil in Alaskas Wilderness?

Should the United Sates Drill for Oil in Alaska’s Wilderness?

In the 1980 the Unites States Congress established the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) in northern Alaska. The purpose of the reserve was to create a safe place for animals and plants where they would be undisturbed by human beings. During the years that followed a growing energy crisis put pressure on ANWR. Drilling for oil in Alaska is bad because there would be no real effect on our economy, it would ruin Inupiat Eskimo peoples environment, and drilling with harm the environment.

The first reason why drilling is a bad idea is because there would be no real effect on our economy. According to Document C, the oil from the Alaskan Wilderness “would only reduce US oil imports 4%, having no real effect on prices or supply”. It would barely put a dent in our economy. Also, there is not an unlimited supply of oil in Alaska according to document C, “the ANWR contains no more than a 6 month supply of oil at our current consumption rates.” Even if we drill in Alaska we will still be dependent on foreign oil (other countries for our oil supply). The United States consumes more oil than anyone else in the world, using 25% to 30%. Because of this, we will never be able to be self-sufficient for energy. Drilling in Alaska will be a waste of energy and resources that could be used elsewhere.

Secondly, the Alaskan Wilderness that we wish to drill belongs to the Inupiat Eskimo people. By drilling on their land, we would ruin their traditional way of life. For example, in Document D it says, “we rely on the land and resources of the North Slope for our physical, our cultural and our economic well-being”. The Eskimo people live on the land and although the drilling may not have harmed them yet, slowly, over time, the land will degrade from the pollutants and drilling. In Document D, it says, “We have watched the oil and gas development at Prudhoe Bay… and have seen first-hand how development can co-exist with our natural resources and our way of life”. I believe the Inupiat people will soon realize and see that the drilling will ruin the resources, their land, and the beauty that their culture and tradition