Arctic National Wild Life Refuge Essay Example

been an object for industrialization in the form of oil development. The State of Alaska and the oil industry to be specific have perennially pushed for drilling of the oil in that natural habitat. This pushing and agitation for drilling of the oil is brought about by the expected revenue Alaska would receive from the proceeds generated from the oil that is drilled in their State. Alaska would approximately receive 90 % of the revenues from the sale of the oil that is drilled from the Arctic Refuge.

In my opinion, I oppose the drilling of oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge due to the following reasons. The consequences brought about by the effects of oil drilling in the coastal plains are harsh and irreversible. Oil drilling requires dangerous blasting using explosives that cause a lot of noise thus tampering with peace and tranquility of the wildlife in the refuge. This results in the development of stress in the animals and some react violently causing harm and destruction in the form of human-wildlife conflict (Kaye, P85).The facilities that are built to facilitate the movement of the oil such as the numerous miles of pipelines, gravel mines, airstrips and well pads displace the wildlife in the area squeezing them to other parts of the refuge thus causing a fierce competition for the available natural resources hence disturbing the ecological balance of the ecosystem.

Even after sensitizing on environmental policies the oil drilling exercise remains a disorganized activity occasioned by regular oils spills in water reservoirs which cause pollution and death of aquatic life. Many cases of toxic wastes spillage which are harmful to the aquatic life take

place in Prudhoe Bay and the north slope of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge annually. Air pollution is also inevitable with the advent of oil drilling in the Arctic national wildlife refuge. For instance, one particular case occurred when the fire broke out at an oil processing site emitted a plume of black smoke into the atmosphere, and this was visible from hundreds of miles away.

Fish, birds, and mammals that are prevalent to the effects of oil and other chemicals polluting their environment can die from the severe poisoning of those effects or suffer a slow and painful death from incapacitating caused by the effects of oil in their body system. As a result of water pollution, there is a shortage of fresh drinking water due to the diverting of rice to create roads and other infrastructural facilities. These impacts to the displacement of the wildlife habitats increased death rates and reduced reproduction rates (Kaye, P97).

Regarding the reduced reproduction rates, this is the case in study for polar bears that naturally have low reproduction rates and the shrinking of the ice as a result of human interference in their ecosystem makes their situation even worse. The oil drilling activities and noise generated by such activities for instance vehicle and aircraft noises and even the presence of people close to the polar bear habitats can make them abandon their young cubs leaving them prone to their predators. This limits their population and can even lead to their extinction since they have low reproduction rates (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, P6-7).

Apart from the effects of oil drilling activities causing harm to the wildlife they also cause harm to

human beings in the same environment of the Arctic national wildlife refuge. A specific example is a harm caused by the native people and their culture. Oil drilling activities have a negative effect on the energetic native Gwich’in people who have relied on the habitat for continued efficiency for their survival concerning finances and cultural individuality for many years. They value the coastal plains to be the blessed place where life starts (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, P8). It is very disturbing to see the way of living of human beings being interfered with by other human beings for purposes of their self-enrichment as well as self-gains which are driven by selfish agendas as others suffer to sustain their livelihoods due to the activities of the other.

The oil drilling activities pose a major threat to the impressive migration of the caribou. Historically for the past many numbers of years, the porcupine caribou flock of the arctic national wildlife refuge has migrated for many miles to reach the coastal plain to give birth and to raise their offspring’s. However due to the human interference activities in this ecosystem for instance too much noise pollution, oil spills and displacement of wildlife from their habitats due infrastructural development has made the caribou leave this historical breeding and rearing habitats (Banerjee, P178). This has compelled the caribou to move into the mountains to give birth and raise their offspring’s. This environment is not suitable for them since the threat from predators is high, and availability of food is very limited. Finally, I oppose the drilling of oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge because of the above reasons that are

both harmful to the wildlife and human beings at large.

Work cited

• Banerjee, Subhankar. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Seasons of Life and Land : a
  Photographic Journey. Seattle, WA: Mountaineers Books, 2003. Print.
• Kaye, Roger. Last Great Wilderness: The Campaign to Establish the Arctic National Wildlife
  Refuge. Fairbanks, AK: University of Alaska Press, 2006. Print.
• Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Background and Issues. New York: Nova science publ, 2003.
  Print.