Many environmentalists are quick to shy away from considering the complexity of the situation. The environmentalist claim that drilling in ANWR will destroy the wildlife refuge is simply a sensationalist myth. Although ANWR covers 19 million acres, the coastal plain in which drilling would occur is limited to 1.5 million acres. Less than 100 miles away lies Prudhoe Bay, from which much of the North American oil is extracted. Millions of dollars spent on research there have proved that wildlife and drilling can co-exist peacefully. In fact, the Central Artic Caribou Herd that dwells in Prudhoe Bay has grown from 3,000 animals before drilling began to the current 32,000 animals. This area also has comparable numbers of healthy brown bear, fox and bird populations to non-drilling areas.
Additionally, drilling and production techniques in Alaska have drastically improved our understanding of how best to protect wildlife while undertaking petroleum development. Environmentalists also want to talk a big game about conservation. However, the need for oil is too great, and alternatives are not yet feasible due to expense. We need oil immediately in order to fuel planes, automobiles, tanks, and agricultural equipment and for thousands of petroleum-based products. It is not mutually exclusive for Americans to start drilling now in order to meet immediate demand while still looking toward other energy alternatives for future use.
If drilling in ANWR is considered a wash in terms of environmental concern, one question remains: Why is it so essential to do so? There are two very convincing answers to this seemingly complex question. First, in a growing economy in which globalization forces jobs to be outsourced, it is crucial that we create jobs here, in America, and increase revenue to the state and federal treasury. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the United States must try to ward off foreign dependence on oil as much as possible.
As citizens we ought to demand oil from reasonable sources at stable prices. It is unlikely that the United States will ever become entirely self-sufficient in terms of oil production; however, it is important to look towards other sources such as ANWR. Not only will diversifying oil imports stabilize the market, but the prices for consumers also will be significantly lowered. If drilling in ANWR was made possible, revenue to state and federal treasuries would increase by billions of dollars due to bonus bids, lease rentals, royalties and taxes. Moreover, in a world in which U.S. job protectionism is completely disregarded, drilling in ANWR would help ameliorate that tension by creating 250,000-735,000 jobs that cannot be outsourced. These jobs could run the gamut from actual drilling to managing royalties and taxes. Because of this fact, many of the Alaskans who live near ANWR heavily support the development of the refuge.
In the last 30 years or so, the North Slope oil field development and production contributed more than $50 billion to the nation's economy. However, since the 1980s the production from this source has declined at an average rate of 943,000 barrels per day. Thus it becomes even more crucial to look toward ANWR as an answer to today's financial troubles.
We do not have to look far into our past to recognize the dangers of remaining dependent on the Middle East. The 1973 Arab-Israeli war, the 1979 Iranian revolution and the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait all greatly disrupted the oil supply to the United States. Because many U.S. industries rely heavily on oil from the Middle East, these events had a huge impact on the economy.
Today it is even more vital that we decrease our dependence on the Middle East. As trite as it sounds, we live in a post 9/11 world. The Department of Energy predicts that Middle Eastern nations could nearly triple their oil revenues by 2010, to $250 billion per year. Many of the anti-Western Middle Eastern nations are already tremendously wealthy due to oil exports. By increasing their purchasing power, the United States increases the Middle East's ability to buy weapons of mass destruction and increases their international influence. The terrorists in the Middle East have shown blatant disregard for humanity and international cooperation. By depending upon the oil supply there, instead of looking to drill at home in ANWR, we place America's future stability in their invidious hands.
Maleck can be reached at mcmaleck@amherst.edu