Should the Arctic National Wild Life Refuge Be Opened to Oil Drilling?

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Introduction

Arctic National Wild Life seems to be the latest victim of the imbalanced tradeoffs between human activities and environmental resource linkages. Confronted with the two options; to drill or not to drill, one party must never compromise the value of the wilderness (park). The proposed Oil drilling project should not be adapted since it will cause the US more harm than good. Considering the pros and cons of the project presented in this assay, ANWR drilling may help the country develop more domestic energy sources. However, as the following essay unfolds, the impacts of ANWR drilling on both the human and natural environment may easily hold back the entire initiative. The following essay presents the advantages and disadvantages of ANWR drilling under different subtopics. In every section, the merits and demerits debated compare the costs of ANWR drilling and the benefits involved.

Baloney Detection Kit

The Baloney Detection Kit used in the series of discussions provides the guidelines for the arguments presented. Whether for or against the debate, the kit gives the criteria for establishing the truth of the matter based on fundamental facts obtained from scientific evidence. Besides, the kit provides the criteria for assessing different views and differentiating mere opinions from facts. This way, it eliminates many pitfalls that would easily mislead the discussions. Wherever there is a need to justify an argument advanced for the debate or against the drilling, the kit helps in determining the appropriate methods of presenting the quantified information.

Trends in Environmental Science

In the last couple of decades, trends in environmental science have mainly focused on the 3R’s of waste management. Since all human activities revolve around the production, processing, and ultimate consumption of goods with inevitable waste generation. The concerns mainly originated from the point of view that accumulation of waste beyond a certain level leads to degeneration of the area that harbors such wastes as they turn toxic. This way they form major pollutants in the environment hence hindering the growth of other natural suitable phenomenon.

The third dimension of pollution control sought to advocate for reducing wastes disposal in the environment. In the view of preservationists, this measure targeted processing and manufacturing plants that contribute great proportions of the total waste discharges and emissions in the biophysical environment. “Going green” is however a recent slogan of environmentalists who have established that uncontrolled waste production associated with improper disposal poses incalculable effects of pollution in the US and its environs (Cunningham & Cunningham 2009, p. 134).

This measure advocates for the planting of vegetation in unsettled land areas where other activities have minimal effects on the prolific growth of natural vegetation. It also accounts for the manifold ecological effects of waste disposal in the natural environment. For example, opening ANWR for drilling poses a serious threat of environmental pollution as the companies involved could likely find it overwhelming to deal with solid wastes and liquid waste discharges. In this view, considering other forms of energy such as wind and solar harnessed from the same location would form a suitable alternative (Wenz, 1988, p. 105).

Human Population

Over the last century, the human population has grown exponentially, taking the j-shape as plotted in a curve. This follows an abundance of resources and the development of new technology in every age that allows humanity to obtain their material needs from the environment in the most desirable way possible. This same population marks a sharp divergence between available resources and the size of the population. The high population at present has presented renewed demand for necessities in terms of food and energy needs. The United States needs a sufficient supply of raw materials to meet its population needs and this includes energy from all sustainable sources (Easton, 2009, p. 74).

On the other hand, those environmentalists who advocate for the conservation of the environment do not wish to see people dead due to a lack or insufficient supply of essential goods and services. The dilemma that now engulfs the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the ANWR drilling project may then depend on the production of energy requirements for the economy with the capacity to meet future needs. Considering the demographic characteristics of the US in general, the j-shaped curve indicates possible high resources demand in the future since the projections predict slow growth with double the current effect (McKee, 2005, p. 177).

Biomes and Biodiversity

Extinction is not a trivial thing that can be taken for granted (Reijinders & Boersema, 2009, pp. 4-13). However, the current rate of commercialization that is inherent in large-scale entrepreneurship predicts possible pitfalls in the development of similar establishments in unfamiliar territories. The case of drilling oil in ANWR presents an important example of the risks posed to wildlife and wasteland against plans to expand energy supplies for the US growing economy. Preservation of endangered species and in the ANWR region in preparation for the project should form the preliminary step in determining the viability of implementing the proposal. If the project would have long-term negative impacts on the environment, then the cost of putting possible interventions to the project versus that of establishing the project should prove the worth of having the plan implemented. In my observation, this project would inevitably lead to disturbance of wildlife in the ANWR that now provide the country with income from Tourism in the spectacular features that it displays (Easton, 2009, p. 70).

As of now, ANWR is valued highly because of the sum of its natural resource endowment that includes oil prospects and wildlife in the beautiful scenery. Sinking manholes in the wilderness that boasts one of the US natural wildlife of endemic species because of prospects to meet fuel demands as of now may simply amount to oversight. Considering the fate of the caribou and a variety of other Alaskan wildlife, the proposed drilling project in ANWR has a higher likelihood of creating more harm than good, especially to real people. The environment naturally mitigates against risks of toxic pollutants because the snow and the coniferous plants buffer regional emissions against harmful effects. Similarly, the flourishing wildlife in ANWR comprising of bear and various birds species have resulted in the necessary economic befits for importing petroleum (Cunningham & Cunningham 2009, p. 134).

Food and Agriculture

New technologies adopted in agriculture have enabled farmers to produce enough food supplies for the population of the USA. However, researchers from various fields across the country have raised concerns over the manipulation of natural species’ genes to create artificial food varieties. These issues draw from the extensive use of various chemicals in the processing of Genetically Modified (GM) Species of plants and animals plants to the industrial emissions from the concerned industries to the environment. It is commendable enough to complement the work of many scientists who toil to ensure that the resulting foodstuffs from farmers across the country are safe. This is done through the use of technologies to produce abundant food supply and present safe food materials.

However, hoping that scientific techniques would succeed in modeling the ANWR environment is just but a fallacy. The contraindications of scientific evidence observed in stem cell technology and the use of fertilizers have advanced consequences to nonhuman organisms which suffer due to human ignorance of chemical use. ANWR drilling is aimed at improving the amounts of petroleum in US reserves, intensive agriculture has the potential of yielding bio-fuel using its current development methods. In the recent past, humans have used stem cell technology to improve animal and plant varieties thereby increasing the yields accruing to rearing the new species, however, utilitarian concepts have criticized this idea as unethical calling it anthropocentric.

Indeed this method of increasing food supply has resulted in more harm to people by acting as a direct cause of obesity and cancer. The fact that GM foodstuffs are blamed for medical cases of patients with the growth of cancerous cells, in my opinion, may strongly imply that foodstuffs with unclear sources be subject to mandatory screening to ensure their safety. Otherwise, it would prove tricky to take some fast food from any food store (Cunningham & Cunningham 2009, p. 130).

Climate and Air Pollutions

Currently, the US is amongst the largest producers of pollutants with significant climatic impacts across the continent and even on the planet. This, in my view, means that drilling ANWR for oil before the imported petroleum is insufficient to complement US energy demands is likely to lead to more waste emissions in the atmosphere. While the country remains relatively cold and adamant about the Vienna convention which led to the consensus of Montréal protocol, establishing petroleum extraction machinery in the ANWR would lead to more air pollution as wastes generated from the plant rises to the stratosphere. Besides carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons that would be generated to combine with other atmospheric pollutants, the ANWR project would cause major changes in the microclimate of the park and its environs before ultimately altering the climate of the ice land. On the other hand, efforts to improve air quality are worth the cost of abandoning the project, at least for a while because the cost would be borne by humans. Considering this view in the light of global warming, then it is worth having no drilling in the park.

Water

Out of the 0.02% of freshwater available for human use, a significant proportion is trapped in rocks crevices while the rest is crystallized in snow and ice. The consumption of fresh water in both domestic and commercial activities with its associated demand means that sinking oil wells in the ANWR would have a likely impact on limiting the amount of freshwater available for both domestic and commercial use. The project would result in the draining of several impurities in the flowing water from the ice land and pose harmful effects to people downstream. Similarly, it would cost more in the purification and treatment of the same water.

Energy

Nuclear energy has many benefits to the economy and even society as a whole. It provides energy that drives heavy manufacturing industries. For example, in the production of steel and making of gold materials nuclear energy provides suitable and reliable energy sources that keep the furnaces in high temperatures for longer periods. Nuclear energy also provides reliable sources of power for driving the engines of large machines such as large ships and space wagons. In recent studies, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), US Department of Energy, and the US Environmental Protection Agency have admitted the adverse effects of nuclear energy as used in the state of the art equipment of US space technology; nuclear energy exposes a person to harmful effects of long-range gamma rays radiation with the possible risks of cells destruction. The particles used in the generation of nuclear power also expose people to fatal death and skin infections amongst other diseases. The proposed ANWR drilling puts all these problems on higher scales, thereby making it difficult to endorse it. Therefore, the use of nuclear energy requires adherence to high safety standards to reduce incidences of ill health occurring from its handling (Wenz, 1988, p. 156).

Solid and Hazardous Waste

The 3R’s of waste control discussed in week one reflected the means of waste management through Reuse, Recycling of waste, and reducing the waste production. Reusing waste implied reconditioning or improvising a new use of an item once used so that it can serve another purpose or the same purpose again. Reused waste however must have some characteristics such as durability and strength. Reused waste remains useful until it is worn out or can no longer serve the intended purpose. Recycling waste refers to the collection of waste, sorting them, and then heating them to provide raw materials for making new items. Reducing wastes involves the concept of using items to their simplest form possible before disposing of them. Unlike the multitude of challenges surrounding the ANWR drilling debate, solid waste control and pollution from hazardous wastes is controllable with concepts of sustainability.

Environmental Policy and Sustainability

Finding solutions to environmental problems proves tricky because of the nature of the environment. The environment is complex in its natural composition and biological functioning. For example, air pollution control and solid waste management have physical and biological consequences. In a nutshell, the environment-population-development nexus underlies the complexity in arriving at solutions to environmental problems. The linkage between the three realms exerts pressure on the environment to provide for livelihoods beyond its natural replenishment. The state of ecological imbalance in the face of development that is aimed at improving people’s living standards and growing population means that a lot of waste is disposed to the environment beyond the levels that policies and the existing frameworks can manage. To this end, only conservationists’ theories interventions can support the overwhelming problems for future sustenance including the surmounting challenges of ANWR drilling (Reijinders & Boersema, 2009, pp. 4-13).

Conclusion

Drilling oil wells in ANWR may provide a suitable opportunity for energy supplies in the country. However, as our discussions have indicated, conducting the project is undue and risky. In the face of global warming that acts as a precursor to climate change and several unratified treaties on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and Green House Gases (GHGs), the foretold impacts of ANWR drilling may cause more harm than good. Considering both sides of the arguments presented, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should not be opened up for drilling.

Reference List

Cunningham, W.P. & Cunningham, M.A. (2009). Principles of environmental science: Inquiry and applications (Custom 5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Easton, T. (2009). Taking sides: Clashing views on controversial environmental issues. (Custom 13th ed.).New York: McGraw-Hill.
McKee, J. K. 2005). Sparing nature: the conflict between human population growth and earth’s biodiversity. Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press. pp. 177- 86.
Reijinders, L. & Boersema, J. J (eds.). (2009). Principles of environmental sciences. Aldershot, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. pp. 3-18
Wenz, P. S. (1988). Environmental justice. Albany, NY: States University of New York Press. pp. 155-64.

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