Drilling for Oil, the Environment, and Ethics

For more than a decade, debate over drilling for oil on the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge [ANWR] has continued unabated. The proposal to drill for oil in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is heavily urged by the oil companies and supported by most Alaskan government officials, has drawn full scale opposition from powerful private environmental organizations representing millions of members throughout the United States.

Congress established the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in 1980, over the strenuous objections of oil companies like Exxon and British Petroleum. As a compromise with the oil companies, lawmakers designated the refuge's coastal plain as a “study area,” leaving it in limbo until future lawmakers ruled whether to protect it or not. For the last 20 years, Arctic advocates, including the Gwich’in and religious and conservation groups, have urged Congress to protect the integrity of the refuge by designating the coastal plain as “wilderness.[i]” With several bills languishing, Arctic advocates are now appealing to the President — who can preserve the area by designating the coastal plain a National Monument.

BP Amoco, Exxon-Mobil, Philips Petroleum and Chevron — some of the largest corporations on the planet — are aggressively lobbying Congress to open the refuge to drilling. With high-priced lobbying and public relations firms working for them, these oil companies are impossible to ignore. In 1997 alone, the oil and gas industry spent $51.7 million on lobbyists and purchasing meals, travel and other favors for decision-makers and their staff, according to a study by the Associated Press. Oil companies that want to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge have also worked to wi...

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...e rights of future generations to its resources.

Upon weighing both sides of the issue, and considering the severity of ethical implications we can easily see that environment is a priceless asset to our future generations and us. Natural systems possess a value in them that makes them worth preserving, even at the cost of our needs.

[i] Stepping up efforts to stop oil drilling

http://www.house.gov/capps/isoil.html

[ii] CNN.com - Nature - Offshore oil drilling could flood coastal

http://www.cnn.com/2000/NATURE/09/01/cara.bill/

[iii] ALASKA OIL DRILLING

http://www.american.edu/projects/mandala/TED/alaska.htm

[iv] Stepping up efforts to stop oil drilling

http://www.house.gov/capps/isoil.html

[v] Greenpeace Arctic Action

http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/arctic/

[vi] Greenpeace Arctic Action

http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/arctic/