Alaska Oil Drilling
In Brief
Though the months of exorbitant heating bills have melted away with the snow, there are still signs of energy problems. Frequent blackouts in California and skyrocketing gasoline prices point to an impending energy crisis.
In order to alleviate this emergency, President George W. Bush is advocating an increase in energy supply, rather than a decrease in demand. While it may be too late to stop gas prices from rising for the summer travel season, Bush is advocating tapping the oil supply at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Northeast Alaska. Not surprisingly this is causing some backlash with environmental activists and the few inhabitants of the snow tundra. They argue that the available oil supply in the ANWR is not sufficient enough to justify the potential environmental damage.
To learn more about the region and the drilling debate, check out these resources.
General ANWR Resources
- Arctic Refuge: The Debate
This extensive list of web resources and articles about the ANWR includes commentaries from politicians, congressional speech transcripts, environmentalist dissertations and conclusions from think tanks.
- United States Geological Survey Fact Sheet
This file shows the USGS assessment of oil potential in the ANWR from a 1998 economic analysis.
- War Over Arctic Oil
This insightful article from Time magazine describes the area and the political debate over drilling. The magazine interviews native Alaskans who both oppose and support the drilling. (Payment required)
Oil Drilling Supporters
- ANWR.org
This profile of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is sponsored by Arctic Power, a grassroots organization that supports drilling. Read the group's position on responsible oil development and estimates of available oil. Watch a movie about the region's history and visit the photo gallery of the breathtaking environment.
- Report of the National Energy Policy Development Group
The Bush administration released this energy report in May 2001 to explain the country's current energy shortages and propose some solutions, one of which is drilling in the ANWR.
Opponents of Oil Drilling
- Sierra Club
The international environmentalist club devotes efforts to the preservation of the ANWR.
- Environmental News Network
ENN covers environmental news 24 hours a day. There are frequent articles concerning the ANWR debate as well as a roundup of relevant news from other sources.
- National Resource Defense Council
This conservationist group offers charts and graphs that predict how much, or little, oil the ANWR would provide. The site also helps you write your senator to oppose drilling.
- Save the ANWR
Read a detailed analysis of the main concerns involving Arctic drilling and send a preformatted e-mail or fax to President Bush.
Find Out Where Politicians Stand on Issues
View more articles, issues, questions or lists.
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