Why oil drilling in Alaska is bad?

Oil development would bring roads, airstrips, heavy machinery, noise and pollution. This would damage the refuge’s fragile tundra ecosystem and disrupt age-old migration and denning patterns for caribou, polar bears and other animals.

What are the cons of drilling for oil in Alaska?

Oil drilling in Alaska can have disadvantages for plant life. Seismic vibrations can disrupt plants’ growth patterns. In addition, the infrastructure from oil drilling can cause drainage issues for plants.

Should we drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?

The Arctic is no place for oil and gas drilling, and this site is not far from one of America’s last wild places—the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

How does oil drilling affect wildlife in Alaska?

Expansion of oil and gas drilling in their habitat could be extremely damaging. Direct contact with spilled oil would kill polar bears but an invisible threat could persist for years, as toxic substances lingering in ice or water may impact the entire food web of the Arctic ecosystem for years to come.

Why is it wrong to drill for oil in the ANWR?

Drilling will not reduce fuel prices, and will not make us more energy independent. The only way to achieve these goals is to reduce our dependence on oil – foreign or domestic – through fuel economy, and a cap on carbon emissions. A carbon cap will spur innovation and shift us into a green energy economy.

Why we should not drill for oil in the ocean?

Offshore drilling puts our workers, waters, and wildlife at risk of blowouts, explosions, and disastrous spills. The burning of oil and gas contributes to the carbon pollution that is driving climate change, warming our oceans, raising sea levels, and threatening our communities and coasts.

Who owns Prudhoe Bay?

BP
Prudhoe Bay is operated by BP in Alaska. The working interest owners include: BP, 26 percent; ConocoPhillips, 36 percent; ExxonMobil, 36 percent; Chevron, 1 percent.

What is ANWR and why is it important?

ANWR is one of the least disturbed ecosystems on Earth, giving it global significance for scientific research and as part of Earth’s natural heritage. ANWR is also thought to hold considerable reserves of oil and gas.

Why is the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge a protected area?

The National Wildlife Refuge System was founded by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903, to protect immense areas of wildlife and wetlands in the United States. This refuge system created the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 which conserves the wildlife of Alaska.

How does oil drilling affect animals?

Oil destroys the insulating ability of fur-bearing mammals, such as sea otters, and the water repellency of a bird’s feathers, thus exposing these creatures to the harsh elements. Many birds and animals also ingest oil when they try to clean themselves, which can poison them.

How drilling would negatively affect the biodiversity in Alaska?

But many more species would suffer under the combination of rising temperatures and new drilling; some birds could die off. These effects combined with development-related impacts across the ranges of many bird species may result in extinction during the 85-year scope of this analysis,” the EIS said.

How much has oil production dropped in Alaska?

Oil production in Alaska has dropped approximately 75 percent since hitting a peak of more than two million barrels per day (bpd) in 1988. North Slope production averaged 496,906 bpd in FY 2019. North Slope production is expected to decline to 486,400 bpd in FY 2020 and edge up to 486,500 bpd in FY 2021.

Should the United States drill for oil in Alaska?

Oil drilling in Alaska wouldn’t completely cut of American foreign dependence, but it could lessen the amount of money spent on imports dramatically. 3. It would create more jobs. Oil drilling jobs typically pay in the upper Middle Class salary categories.

What would Alaska’s economy look like without oil?

The oil industry accounts for one-quarter of Alaska jobs and about one-half of the overall economy when the spending of state revenues from oil production is considered. In other words, without oil, Alaska’s economy would be half its size.

How much conventional oil is left in Alaska’s Arctic?

With an estimated 40 to 50 billion barrels of conventional oil remaining to be developed on the North Slope and offshore areas of the Alaska Arctic, it’s not for a lack of resource that production has declined.

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