Just this week, Obama’s administration has permitted Shell, a large oil and gas company, to begin drilling for oil in the arctic, near Alaska, in an area called the Chukchi Sea. For a long time, no one was allowed to drill in this area, and there were good reasons why. However, drilling in this area would be beneficial to our country in some ways, too. Now, after the government’s decision, people are debating the pros and cons of this choice.
First, people who support this decision argue that this arctic drilling could help our country by bringing us much more oil. Since this area has not been utilized much at all in history for drilling, it is estimated that there could be “more than 20 billion barrels of oil and 90 trillion cubic feet of natural gas” under the Chukchi Sea. (CNN) This is significant because this all could be used in the U.S. as a large energy source.
On the other hand, while this may seem good, many things could go wrong with this oil drilling operation. First of all, the area of the Chukchi Sea is very far from any Coast Guard stations that could help during an oil spill. With this in mind, if an oil spill did happen, no one would be able to come and help quickly. Along with this, according to Tim Donaghy, a researcher at Greenpeace, an oil spill would have “terrible consequences for both the ecosystems and the people living up there who rely on those ecosystems” (ABCnews). Many animals, some even endangered, would be hurt if there was an oil spill, and nothing much could help in such a remote place. Also, just drilling in the area would cause a lot of pollution, which we all know is harmful to the environment. Overall, while some think of this action as a step forward, many find that it could cause environmental catastrophes. Do you think drilling in the arctic is worth the risk?
By: Andy B.
Edited by: Rohit M.
First, people who support this decision argue that this arctic drilling could help our country by bringing us much more oil. Since this area has not been utilized much at all in history for drilling, it is estimated that there could be “more than 20 billion barrels of oil and 90 trillion cubic feet of natural gas” under the Chukchi Sea. (CNN) This is significant because this all could be used in the U.S. as a large energy source.
On the other hand, while this may seem good, many things could go wrong with this oil drilling operation. First of all, the area of the Chukchi Sea is very far from any Coast Guard stations that could help during an oil spill. With this in mind, if an oil spill did happen, no one would be able to come and help quickly. Along with this, according to Tim Donaghy, a researcher at Greenpeace, an oil spill would have “terrible consequences for both the ecosystems and the people living up there who rely on those ecosystems” (ABCnews). Many animals, some even endangered, would be hurt if there was an oil spill, and nothing much could help in such a remote place. Also, just drilling in the area would cause a lot of pollution, which we all know is harmful to the environment. Overall, while some think of this action as a step forward, many find that it could cause environmental catastrophes. Do you think drilling in the arctic is worth the risk?
By: Andy B.
Edited by: Rohit M.