Which One Is Worse Drilling In ANWR Or Drilling In The Arctic Circle?
By gewcew23
@gewcew23 (8007)
United States
July 28, 2008 9:47am CST
USA has it's own oil resources but we cannot use those resource because we will harm the environment. ANWR is one of those protected sits that is just to fragile to drill in. We are told that if we were to drill up there the whole ecosystem would fall apart.
Russia has it's own oil resources, but unlike us they do not care about the environment. If there is oil under the ground they will drill there, no matter what. Russia has decided that the Arctic Circle is apart of Russia. Guess what the Arctic circle has oil under it, what a surprise that the decision that the Arctic circle is apart of Russia and the discovery of oil happen at the same time. Right now Russia is using ice breaker ships to clear a path to the oil.
My question can go a couple of different way.
My first is does Russia have away that they can drill without harming the environment. The reason I ask this because every time the idea of drilling domestic oil is brought up we are told that we cannot because we will be damaging the environment.?
My second is if Russia can drill in the Arctic Circle without damaging the environment maybe we can drill in ANWR without damaging the environment?
My third is why can every other country drill for oil off their coast and on their land, but we cannot?
My last is what if we never bought Alaska from Russia?
2 people like this
9 responses
@redyellowblackdog (10629)
• United States
28 Jul 08
If I remember correctly, Russian oil drilling techniques were learned from American oil companies. That being the case, I doubt if the Russians are more environmentally friendly than American oil companies.
I'm pretty sure ANWAR is above the artic circle, too, so go ahead and drill it, why not?
If we had never bought Alaska, the USA would be in a much worse situation today. The old USSR would have had us surrounded with their missiles. Cuba on one end and Alaska on the other, not to mention the mineral wealth of Alaska not belonging to the USA.
1 person likes this
@redyellowblackdog (10629)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Whew, thank God they only drilled for worthless ice. Maybe a scientific study of the ice samples will reveal Eskimoes to be the primary threat and cause of environmental degradation through excessive spilling and dumping of whale blubber. This could clear the way for the deceptive, deceitful white man to drill for his crude oil.
1 person likes this
@terilee79720 (3621)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Too many environmental groups seem to be more interested in saving one thing or another instead of saving the human race. I guess it's a catch 22.
While ANWR is a protected area, what determines the size of the area, when not 50 feet from the boundary stands a huge oil field that is frequented by all types of animals. The adjacent area doesn't seem to have harmed the wildlife, in fact, the wild life has been seen walking along the pipeline and cuddling up to the warmth of it.
If the environmentalists would do their homework, they would see that the problems caused by drilling hasn't harmed the environment. In fact, it has enhanced it. The problem stems from men either not paying attention to their work or 'accidents' caused - again - by man.
Russia and other countries don't have the environmental restrictions like we do. Neither do they have the amount of 'environmentalists' as we. I kinda think it's a question of 'damned if we do and damned if we don't'.
I also think the oil crisis and other 'issues' are things started a long time ago and allowed to flourish until they have gotten completely out of control, to the point we can't do anything about it except complain. I'm probably wrong though.
1 person likes this
@underdogtoo (9579)
• Philippines
29 Jul 08
It is our obligation to care for the environment. Two wrongs do not make a right. If Russia needs to be stopped then she should be stopped.
@gitfiddleplayer (10362)
• United States
29 Jul 08
You ask a lot of good questions. I think the most important factor is the fact that we can drill, but we don't. The damocrats have convinced everybody that if we drill we'll kill some spotted owl and completly destroy the eco system. But, they also bag on the Repuplicans for profiting from oil. First off, we cannot, will not and don't have the power to destroy an eco system. Most of us know this but silly sheep do what their told, even if its wrong. The USSR doesn't care about the environment because they know that global warming is just a hoax. Also, Russia is not a capitalistic society, they don't care about the money wrought from oil, they just know they can drill for it and lower their cost. This is one time we should listen to them, just this once. The reason every other country can drill for our oil is the power of global warming and the threat to our environment, we are such a touchy feely nation that we think by saving the planet we will save ourselves. We cannot destroy something we didn't create. We can drill but it will take a whole lot of people, american consumers, demanding that oil prices come down. To answer your other questions I'd have to do some research, if you want me to, I'll do it and get back with you. Let me know.
1 person likes this
@lixiaos77 (1030)
• Shijiazhuang, China
30 Jul 08
Goverment prefer to purchease oil abroad because the drill cost is lower, and the country can use her own when in emergency.
Arctic belongs to the world because it is affect the globe environment and on one should declare the sovereignty of it.
If Russia did not sell Alaska out, maybe it was part of Canada now beacuse it is beyond the control ability of Russia.
1 person likes this
@irishidid (8688)
• United States
29 Jul 08
There is no reason for us not to drill. The earth naturally pours out oil on the ocean floor. We can drill ANWR without doing any harm. The pictures they show of ANWR to say why we shouldn't isn't even the area the drilling would take place.
1 person likes this
@ClarusVisum (2163)
• United States
28 Jul 08
They're both effectively useless for us. Five to ten years before we get anything, and then the projected impact is just a few dollars a barrel, which translates to a savings of a few cents a gallon. And to save those few cents, we'd have to decimate the environment there.
On the other hand, if we were to simply regulate the oil futures market, speculators would lose the ability to ARTIFICALLY inflate oil prices, and the price for a barrel of oil would drop INSTANTLY. I'm talking a drop of 25% or more in one day, up to about 60% total (which is the percent of the price that is speculated to be all artificial inflation due to speculation). A much greater benefit (even if it was only a 5% savings), and it wouldn't require harming anything but the pocketbooks of the people exploiting the deregulated state of the market.
So why is the latter not a better choice?
@ClarusVisum (2163)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Offshore drilling won't help gas prices: http://thinkprogress.org/2008/06/25/governments-top-energy-forecaster-offshore-drilling-wont-help-at-the-pump/
Up to 60% of oil prices are caused by speculation: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8878
Proof's right there--no one's fault but yours if you ignore it in favor of childish remarks like that.
1 person likes this
@thegreatdebater (7316)
• United States
3 Aug 08
The problem I have with drilling in ANWR is the fact that no oil company has said that they would drill there. They say that it would cost between 4 and 8 billion to get the oil out of the ground, and build the pipeline. This doesn't make business sense at all, the first problem is it will cost billions to get the oil out, then when you get the oil, the increased supply drives the price down, you end up losing money. Why would you want to drill there when the estimates say that the average daily output would be between 500,000 to 800,000 barrels per day. Did you know that the United States EXPORTS 1.045 million barrels of oil per day, so we could just stop exporting oil, and use it here instead of sending it over seas. I think that we should drill, but we need to make sure that the oil companies will drill, and make sure that the oil stays here.
