Drilling in ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Reserve)

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Drilling in ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Reserve)

Advantages

  • Economic gains: oil is highly sought after by many industries- it is the primary raw material used to power machinery, planes, trucks, equipment, and cars. Primary source of power for heating. Drilling in ANWR can provide America with a safe source of energy in short-term.
  • Positive sociological impact: better schools and improved healthcare for children and adults living around the oil drilling communities.
  • Alternative energy resource: can help develop an alternative energy resource in the future. It could lessen the dependence on foreign oil.
  • Increasing national defence: money spent importing oil from Russia, Venezuela, and the Middle East strengthens terrorists and communists.

Disadvantages

  • Negative sociological impacts: increased rates of diabetes and alcoholism among the people living in and near the oil drilling communities.
  • Pollution: releases high amounts of pollutants through drilling and shipping. Oil spills pose a threat to people living within the communities. Boring through the Earth's surface can lead to the emission of nitrogen oxides, methane, and other particle matter that can cause acid rain or smog.
  • Endangers animal habitat: drilling in ANWR can cause explosions deep in the Earth. This can scare off animals and lay them off their natural migratory patterns. This can lead to increased mortality rates of caribou and polar bears. This increases the risk of contact between humans and animals.

Evaluation

Despite the number of advantages being more numerous overall, the effects of each disadvantage are far greater and can cause a domino-effect of problems in the long run; therefore, it is clear that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.

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