ANWR: Drilling Mandatory or Unnecessary

Shannon Bowerman
Hour 7
Laughlin -- February 12, 2008
English Research Paper

Shannon Bowerman
Hour 7
February 12, 2008
English Research Paper – Introduction Since 1987, the issue of whether or not drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) should be allowed has been one of the concerns of political figures, as well as many Americans. This issue has been fought before the Senate at least three times since 1995. Each time it has been debated, the House has ruled in favor to drill, but the President has vetoed the proposal. Clinton was the last President to do so. The land concentrated on in the debate is the northern …show more content…

There is a 95 percent chance that there will be over 11.6 billion barrels of oil produced in ANWR (Marek 37). The highest possible estimate that has been produced is sixteen billion barrels of oil. In order to retrieve all of this oil, the government will have to drill in ANWR. The ANWR region is known for its rolling mountains and gorgeous picturesque landscapes, though the area that the government would be drilling in is the flat, dreary-looking northern plain of ANWR. Joseph Goldberg wrote in a Washington Times article, “Hardly a Pretty Place: Use ANWR for Drilling”. He commented on ANWR and said, “If you wanted a picture to go with the word ‘Godforsaken’ in the dictionary, ANWR would do nicely” (Coon par 5). There are areas of coastline that need protection, but ANWR is not one of them (Lieberman par 5). The coast of ANWR is not one of the most pristine places, but it does house many of different animal species. The animals in ANWR are not endangered in any way, nor are they going to be put in intentional harm to further this drilling process. In Prudhoe Bay, approximately 55 miles west of where the drilling portion of ANWR would be located, the caribou herd has flourished greatly (Borger 25). Their population started at 3,000 and swelled to around 27,000. Those numbers are from the period after the drilling started there (Coon par 8). In Prudhoe Bay, no polar bears have been harmed or killed, and the