How important is it to get something that is wanted, even though it is not needed? That is the question that the United States needs to ask itself when it comes to deciding whether or not they should drill for Oil in the Arctic. The United States already produces the most oil in the world, so what makes drilling for oil in the Arctic necessary? It’s because the United States, a fossil fuel dependent country, wants more oil, even though it isn’t needed. The United States needs to face the realization that the Arctic is a horrible place to drill for oil. The freezing climate, the obstacle of ice, and extreme winds of the Arctic would make a spill impossible to clean. The problem becomes further magnified because of the distance from the Arctic
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Freezing waters, less daylight, extreme weather, and ice filled land make drilling in the Arctic a great challenge because a spill would result in more damage than normal. The best way to anticipate the future is by looking at the past and the history of Arctic Drilling isn’t positive. In the 1980’s, United States oil companies were unsuccessful in dealing with the extreme cold, gusting winds, and the Arctic ice. (Pratt 1). During another trip In 1989, an oil spill(known as The Exxon Valdez oil spill) occurred in the Arctic, and spilled “11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound. The oil killed 1,000 sea otters, tens of thousands of birds, and cost over $2 billion to clean up”(History of Arctic Oil Drilling 1). Considering this history, how could the United States possibly feel confident about this expedition? The conditions remain daunting today, and there’s no evidence that a different result would occur. In addition, the Arctic Ocean has numerous hurricane-force storms that can swell to 20 feet, sub-zero temperatures and months of darkness(MacEachern 1). Joseph Pratt, a professor of history and business at the University of Houston, revealed “Early studies concluded that lateral wind, current, and ice forces on a typical four legged, self-contained platform in the Cook Inlet were three to four times as great as wind and wave forces on platforms in the Gulf of Mexico”(1). The heavy wind and multiple storms mean that spilled oil would scatter throughout the Arctic. There would be no way to halt the damage, since there is no way to get all of the oil, and help is so far away. The ice filled landscape of the Arctic provides an additional obstacle. According to Frida Bengtsson, an author for Greenpeace.com, oil behaves differently in ice; it takes longer to spread, and it gets into the ice(“The Dangers of Arctic Oil” 1). As Nancy Kinner, director of the Coastal
Freezing waters, less daylight, extreme weather, and ice filled land make drilling in the Arctic a great challenge because a spill would result in more damage than normal. The best way to anticipate the future is by looking at the past and the history of Arctic Drilling isn’t positive. In the 1980’s, United States oil companies were unsuccessful in dealing with the extreme cold, gusting winds, and the Arctic ice. (Pratt 1). During another trip In 1989, an oil spill(known as The Exxon Valdez oil spill) occurred in the Arctic, and spilled “11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound. The oil killed 1,000 sea otters, tens of thousands of birds, and cost over $2 billion to clean up”(History of Arctic Oil Drilling 1). Considering this history, how could the United States possibly feel confident about this expedition? The conditions remain daunting today, and there’s no evidence that a different result would occur. In addition, the Arctic Ocean has numerous hurricane-force storms that can swell to 20 feet, sub-zero temperatures and months of darkness(MacEachern 1). Joseph Pratt, a professor of history and business at the University of Houston, revealed “Early studies concluded that lateral wind, current, and ice forces on a typical four legged, self-contained platform in the Cook Inlet were three to four times as great as wind and wave forces on platforms in the Gulf of Mexico”(1). The heavy wind and multiple storms mean that spilled oil would scatter throughout the Arctic. There would be no way to halt the damage, since there is no way to get all of the oil, and help is so far away. The ice filled landscape of the Arctic provides an additional obstacle. According to Frida Bengtsson, an author for Greenpeace.com, oil behaves differently in ice; it takes longer to spread, and it gets into the ice(“The Dangers of Arctic Oil” 1). As Nancy Kinner, director of the Coastal