Critique: A worldwide journal of politics Preserving Wilderness vs. Stimulating Economic Growth and Ensuring the Security of U.S. Oil Supplies: A Study of the Arguments for and Against Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
has featured in an intense debate over natural resources. Its pristine terrain is home to a variety of wildlife species – and much more, according to certain geological assessments. Several surveys by the federal government over the years claim that an abundance of oil is situated underneath the ref...
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.627.529 http://lilt.ilstu.edu/critique/spring2005docs/Brown2005.pdf |
| Summary: | has featured in an intense debate over natural resources. Its pristine terrain is home to a variety of wildlife species – and much more, according to certain geological assessments. Several surveys by the federal government over the years claim that an abundance of oil is situated underneath the refuge’s surface. Environmentalists and conservationists favor preserving ANWR in its “natural ” state and are extremely skeptical of the argument that it sits atop an abundance of easily-accessible oil reserves. Drilling proponents, on the other hand, see exploration of the Coastal Plain area as an opportunity to generate economic growth, create jobs, and ensure the security of U.S. oil supplies. In the legislative arena, efforts on Capitol Hill calling for the permanent prohibition or immediate initiation of development have both been thwarted since the refuge was first established. But, with President Bush’s steadfast pro-development support and the current Republican congressional majorities, the likelihood of resolving the debate over ANWR is perhaps greater than ever. An endless trail of superlatives and hyperboles has been used to describe it. Many who have ventured to the boundaries of the “Serengeti of the Arctic ” and beyond claim to have experienced the most moving and humbling spiritual encounter of their lives. Indeed, even the slightest glance at photographs of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska is usually sufficient to convince someone of its astonishing and perhaps unsurpassable beauty. However, the attention the refuge garners is not only attributable to its breathtaking panoramas and vistas. Even before Alaska’s formal entrance into the Union in 1959, talk of exploiting the potentially abundant deposits of oil nestled underneath the terrain was piquing the interest of developers and the opposition of conservationists worldwide. The foundation was laid for an intense, politically-charged debate between the |
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