Preview

Dwight R Lee Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
587 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Dwight R Lee Analysis
Issue 8
Should the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge be opened to Oil Drilling?

Taking Sides: Environmental Issues by Thomas A. Easton
Pgs. 134-151

Summary Yes: In his piece, Dwight R. Lee explains that with oil drilling the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, there would be many benefits as compared to the cost. He doesn’t deny that there would be risks associated with the drilling. However, he feels that they do not begin to compare to the benefits. He explains that the main reason that this has become such a hot topic is because of the high prices of gasoline and oil. One company that he looks at is the National Audubon Society. They are against opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling because they feel that it will “destroy the integrity.” This is the same company that owns the 26,000 acre Rainey Wildlife Sanctuary and opens it to drilling. By allowing this drilling, the Audubon Society has received more than $25 million. This has allowed them to own other wildlife and wilderness land.
…show more content…
There are fewer mistakes made and therefore less destruction left behind. He also explains that with the extra gas from ANWR, this will allow us to have safer vehicles. If our vehicles are 100 pounds heavier it would decrease the amount of deaths drastically. However this would in turn cause more gas to be used. Lee states that “Certainly, environmental risks exist, and the society considers them, but if also responsibly weighs the costs of those risks against the benefits as measured by the income derived from drilling. Obviously, the Audubon Society appraises the benefits from driller as greater than the costs, and it acts in accordance with that

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    One recent autumn evening while I stood in line to comment at a public hearing about a proposed natural gas pipeline through Virginia, I befriended an inspirational environmental advocate by the name of Bear Redstar. Bear grew up in a Lakota family as a part of the Dakotas’ seven Sioux tribes. Bear’s initial exposure to the destructive potential of a pipeline occurred while he worked as a welder for ExxonMobil on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, where he witnessed the steel pipe rupture and release crude oil into the environment. Upon his return home, he advocated alongside Native American community members against the Dakota Access Pipeline. A few months ago Mr. Redstar, moved to Roanoke, Virginia, again facing the trouble of a pipeline. He and I were at the public hearing to warn the Appalachian community of the risks associated with a pipeline.…

    • 199 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is branded as a project that is going to increase revenues to 73.5 Billion dollars, employment, tax benefits, and return any farmland or wetland they disturb back to it’s place (Trans Mountain, 2014). Though, Trans Mountain is persuasive as to how the pipeline will protect the environment and indigenous people, and how the pipeline increases revenues. The company fails to mention the environmental damage that will be done when this pipeline is built, and the cost required to rectify the pollution. It fails to mention the how the loss of farmland and wetlands will affect the Canadian environment, the depletion of non-renewable energy sources. Overall, the pipeline will negatively affect all aspects of life…

    • 1443 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Imagine a forest with unnatural beauty: green trees, a wide variety of wildlife, clean water from streams, and the sound of migrating birds flying overhead. Now imagine that same exact forest with tar sands oil running through it: wilting trees, bone-thin wildlife suffocating from the fumes, and streams covered in brown and black oil. Jonathan Waldman, an environmental journalist at the University of Colorado, published an article that argued that the Keystone XL pipeline should be built because it is the safest way to move tar sands oil, does not affect the environment and climate, and creates effective jobs. However, that is not the case. The Keystone XL Pipeline is actually a dangerous way to move oil from Point A to Point B, affects the environment negatively, and does not create effective jobs.…

    • 1319 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    There are many others, like you, that believe that drilling in ANWR is the perfect solution to our current economic situation. The possibilities of new jobs and freedom from purchasing oil from unstable and hostile countries…

    • 2026 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    ANWR pro drilling essay

    • 382 Words
    • 2 Pages

    III. (Topic Sentence Two-Environmental Balance) Drilling in ANWR wouldn’t affect the environment as badly as one thinks it will.…

    • 382 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tim Dechristopher

    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The New York Times recently posted the article by The Associated Press, Utah Activist Disrupts Sale of Leases for Drilling. At the age of 27, Tim Dechristopher, a graduate of economics in the University of Utah, has disturbed an auction by falsely bidding. The auction was held in Salt Lake City, December 19, 2008, when it was disrupted by Dechristopher when he bid on numerous auctions, and won 13 of the 116 total parcels. He rose the prices for many of the leases and won, without any inclination to pay for them. Tim Dechristopher, an environmental activist admits to the act, wanted to stop the sale of drilling leases in favor of preserving national parks and the local environment. Dejected bidders were either outbid, or had to overpay for their…

    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In my opinion drilling shouldn't be Allow in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge because it is more of an environmental issue. Due to the fact that oil and gas exploration and development in the (ANWR) would have a major effect on the water resource. It is most concerning because it’s a factor that contributes, negatively towards a wide variety of species that are inhabitant of that particular area that are being affected by limited resource of water that they need for their survival. The reason drilling is an issue because it can alter the character of an ecosystem. For example Arctic ecosystem is characterized by many complex interactions, and changes to one component may have secondary but significant effects on other ecosystem components. Which means oil exploration and development have substantially changed environments where they have occurred in Alaska’s central Arctic. Another reason drill is an issue because of factor that comes into play when drilling occurs such as oil spills, contaminated waste, and other sources of pollution have had measurable impacts on an environment. Like the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska and the more recent Deep-water Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico. These disasters have displayed that there is no safe way to drill for oil and gas in the Arctic refuge, no way to guarantee wildlife will not be harmed by resource extraction in the refuge and no way to ensure the Arctic refuge will be protected for future generations and if Congress allows oil and gas exploration on the coastal plain there are costly consequences that wildlife have to endure. Oil drilling presents a potential risk of oil spills; in the Arctic the impacts of such spills could be catastrophic. Spills are more dangerous here because the combination of a colder climate, slower plant growth rates and longer animal life spans hinder recovery efforts. Additionally, no technology currently…

    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Keystone XL Pipeline

    • 1058 Words
    • 3 Pages

    As controversy continues to rise, political and moral disputes encompass the decision to construct the extension of a tunnel containing a composition of today’s most beloved resource, and what has been referred to as “black gold” by the Arabs during the 20th century oil boom. The Keystone XL Pipeline would potentially transport thousands of barrels of oil from its source in Alberta, Canada, to refineries throughout the Midwest and Gulf Coast region of the United States. The extension would add to the number of pipelines already established in the U.S. and continue to convey the tar sands, a compound of clay, sand, water, and bitumen that its lead producer manufactures. The debate of whether or not the construction of this conduit should actually take place has been a hot topic for many politicians and environmentalists. Should the United States authorize the Keystone XL Pipeline to import tar sand oil from Canada?…

    • 1058 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    If the Keystone XL pipeline is built, thousands of creatures may relocate or die because of it. The Keystone pipeline is a real pipeline that will transport thousands of gallons of crude tar sands oil a day from Canada to the southern United States. It may leak and cause the environment to be hurt. Many people believe that it will benefit the United States and Canada in many ways, but many people believe the other side of it and think it should not be built because of the risks. It has many benefits, but there is too much of a risk involved in the building of the keystone pipeline. The pipeline should not be built because it is bad for the environment, bad for the economy, and may go through native lands.…

    • 907 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The impact that the war had on the people was that it was an inevitable carnage that affected the people's lives. Robert E. Lee was one of the individuals who did not want war to proceed onward because of what was at stake and the consequences that would follow. Mary Chesnut was a woman who felt that the war was hopeless. Shelby foote informed us that even the soldiers didn’t have a good answer as to why they were fighting. He also communicated that he didn’t think the South ever had a chance because the North was stronger.…

    • 561 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    75% of Alaskans want to drill in the designated ANWR area, 10-02. They feel that it could possibly relieve Americans of their foreign dependency for imported oil and petroleum. The United States currently spends up to $330 billion on foreign oil imports, not including the money used to protect and acquire it. The total area of area10-02 only amounts to 8% of ANWR’s total area, which is 1.5 million acres. Out of the 1.5 million acres considered for development, only 2,000 acres of the Coastal Plain would actually be affected, which is less than half of one percent (Top Ten). Drilling in ANWR would also create anywhere from 250,000 to…

    • 957 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Domestic Oil Drilling

    • 1695 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Senator Everett Dirksen once noted “The oilcan is mightier than the sword”. In today’s world, it is easy to see why oil can be considered the most important resource to hold. Without oil, many of the common day occurrences we take for granted would be impossible. Oil is used for almost everything; from the fuel used to drive our vehicles, to the plastics used in every facet of life, and providing the heat needed to live through the winter. In fact, the United States depends so much on oil that as a nation it uses over 20 million barrels a day. Importing oil increases the total costs because of the need to transport it from around the world. It is estimated that the United States has 31 billion barrels of oil of known reserves and up to 120 billion barrels of undiscovered oil (Oil Reserves). Many of these oil reserves are located on protected federal lands and offshore areas. The United States currently imports about 58% of the total oil it needs every year (FAQ, EIA). With rising oil costs, looming import numbers, and billions in potential profits; why shouldn’t the United States increase domestic drilling in protected and undeveloped areas?…

    • 1695 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oil Drilling in Alaska

    • 602 Words
    • 3 Pages

    George W. Bush was a strong supporter for the drilling in Alaska. His argument for being pro drilling is that it will help our economy. Many new jobs would be created and that America would be less dependent on foreign sources of energy. This will improve America's economy which has took a plunge over the last few years. He also said that with all the studies that ANWR ( Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) has done that scientists have created was of drilling for the oil with having barely any effect on the earth. If this is true that means that most of the people who were opposed to it, because it would destroy wildlife, would be happy. The area that the drilling would be done in makes up only 8 percent of the whole refuge.…

    • 602 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Offshore Oil Drilling

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages

    On April 20th, 2010, an oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. As a result, approximately 4.9 billion barrels of oil poured into the gulf over the course of 87 days. This tragedy resulted in lives lost, both human and animal alike, and really brought the issue of off-shore oil drilling to attention. While some may believe that offshore oil drilling may seem like a harmless source of revenue for the United States, it is imperative that citizens realize that drilling does more harm than good. America needs to consider the negative effects of offshore oil drilling on the environment, the economy, and the future.…

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Pollution Analysis

    • 2873 Words
    • 12 Pages

    Environmental and natural resource economics: a contemporary approach Jonathan M.Harris - Houghton Mifflin – 2006…

    • 2873 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Better Essays

Related Topics