Drilling for Oil in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge

The United States should not drill for oil in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge because it would harm the environment, disrupt the animals, and destroy plants. The United States Congress created the Artic National Wildlife Refuge in 1980 (To drill or not to drill?: 6). The Artic National Wildlife Refuge is also known as ANWR (To drill or not to drill?: 6). The Artic National Wildlife Refuge is 19.6 million acres of wilderness (Scalzo, Jim Lo.: 37). Of the 19.6 million acres in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge 17.5 million acres are permanently closed to development. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is often called the American Serengeti (Defenders of Wildlife). The Artic National Wildlife Refuge lies in the northeast corner of†¦show more content†¦Pipelines and oil-drilling platforms will harm caribou, polar bears, and millions of migrating birds (Come on in.: 38). Whenever some country drills for oil it is more likely than not for that country to have an oil spill. Oil spills are deadly to animals, hard to clean up, and it takes the land thousands of years to recover. The United States has already had one major oil spill off the coast of Alaska in Prince William Sound. If another large oil spill occurred on the water it would have a substantial effect on whales and other marine wildlife (Experts say Alaska Oil Drilling Hurts Wildlife: 43). There are over 130 bird species that find breeding, nesting, or resting places on the coastal plain (Defenders of Wildlife). All of the oil will be pumped down the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline no matter what. Then it is loaded onto tankers and shipped out of Prince William Sound, but the tankers that the oil is being shipped in are at an enormous risk for having an oil spill. This is because most of the ships that pick up the oil are not doubled hulled. The vast majority of oil shipped from Alaska is carried in aging tankers with higher risk of leaking. Only 3 of 26 have double-hulls and those are more than 20 years old. There are three main oil companies who carry oil out of Alaska; Phillip, BP, and Exxon. The first of Phillip s four new Millennium Class double-hulled tankers to be built was christenedShow MoreRelated Oil Drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge Essay2014 Words   |  9 PagesOil Drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge The main issue presented in my research involves the debate between environmentalists and the United States government on whether to open and develop a portion of the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in the northern coastal plain of Alaska for the purpose of drilling for oil. Environmentalists argue that opening up this region of ANWR to future oil drilling would destroy the current ecosystems, disrupt animal habitats and adversely changeRead MoreThe Threat Of Global Warming1779 Words   |  8 Pageshuman health, and wildlife. (Consequences of Global Warming). 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