Alaska National Park Drilling Debate

Alaska National Park Drilling Debate

Hundreds of caribou roam the National Park- where will they go?

By Ashley Pun

It's winter. You are soaring above the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in a helicopter. You can see the Coastal marine region, which is next to the ocean. Because it is winter, you can see polar bears dotting the Arctic ocean coastline. Migrating birds fly overhead, and some fish swim through the water. Lagoons, barrier islands, and beaches can be seen from your spot in the sky. Next, you can see a forest of birch, spruce, and aspen trees. Soon, the Northern Lights appear over the Brooks  Mountain Range, leaving a trail of purple, pink, and green lights in the air.

    National parks are meant to be untouched, preserved natural habitats for animals like caribou and fish. Without the refuge, the animals will have no habitat. The ANWR is the largest protected wildlife in the world. Just like other state parks and reserves, it is supposed to be protected. So what makes it okay to ruin a national park like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?

    With 19.3 million acres of land, the ANWR is an ideal spot for migrating birds, polar bears, moose, caribou and wolves. It is split into 5 regions, each being naturally preserved from the world outside. But in the beginning of the 1900s, there were reports of surface oil seeping along the arctic coast. Oil was believed to exist in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

In 1979, Congress stated that: “[The] Production of oil and gas from the Arctic National Wildlife refuge is prohibited and no leasing or other development leading to production of oil and gas from the ANWR shall be undertaken until authorized by an act of congress.”

A debate has been going on from the 1977 about whether or not to drill for oil and gas exploration. Many people disagree, because the animals will lose their habitats. Other people say yes because of the limited resources. Recently, congress has okayed oil drilling and gas exploration.

I interviewed Cherie A. Tan, a retired teacher from Shelley elementary in American Fork, Utah. She said: “It’s sad that money has to come before preservation and conservation of the animals, and oil companies have a lot of money and can use that to influence the government.”

Word count- 385
Media frame used- Contextualize