Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

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Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

• Alex Wolff
• Stephanie Wege
• Laura Hart
• Bari Greenfeld
• Shannon Cullen

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• History of ANWR
• Pro-drilling view
• Government
• Oil companies
• Local population
• Anti-drilling
• Environmentalists
• Local Population

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History of ANWR

• 1960 - Arctic National Wildlife Range created by
  Secretary of the Interior, Fred Andrew Seaton
• 1980 - Alaska National Interest Lands
  Conservation Act enlarges protected area and
  renames ANWR
• Conserve fish/wildlife populations and habitats
• Fulfill U.S. international fish/wildlife treaty
  obligations
• Provide continued subsistence use by locals
• Ensure water quality/quantity within Refuge

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• 1.5 million acres of coastal plain called 1002
  area
• Mandated studies of natural resources of the area
• Congressional authorization required for oil
  drilling

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• Managed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Habitat for 36 land mammals, 36 fish, 9 marine
  mammals, 160 bird species
• Five ecological regions
• Coastal marine
• Coastal plain
• Alpine tundra
• Forest-tundra transition
• Boreal forest

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Pro-drilling Government view

• anywhere from 6 to 16 billion barrels would
  decrease middle east reliance
• Creation of jobs
• At 100/barrel, would eliminate 1.6 billion in
  imported oil
• Federal revenue would increase 4.2 billion in
  five years
• 152-237 billion over life of project
• Most of proposed oil located in west near already
  established oil fields

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• Fifty miles from mountains
• No trees, deep water lakes
• No sunlight for 56 days a year
• .01 of ANWR land would be drilled
• 20 of our daily consumption
• ice roads would be used, would melt in spring
• Prudhoe Bay oilfields within Central Arctic Herd
  area, where herds have increased from 5,000 in
  1977 when oil drilling began to 31,000 today

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Local Support

• Inupiat of Kaktovik
• Only village within boundaries of ANWR
• More westernized than other locals
• Represents opportunity for economic growth
• Add jobs and increase standard of living
• Concerned that drilling could affect hunting and
  fishing abilities

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Oil Companies

• profit potential
• Surprisingly, however, most big oil companies
  have pulled out of lobbying for ANWR drilling

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Environmentalist Opposition

• would affect animal population migration patterns
• No requirement that 2,000 acres be contiguous
• Companies would have right to drill anywhere
• Roads, etc. would have to be built to get oil out
• Porcupine and Central Arctic herd
• Use area to give birth and raise young
• Polar bears, grizzly bears, and countless bird
  species use area for breeding and feeding

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Green-winged teal
Long-billed dowitcher
Peregrine falcon
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• Oil would take ten years to hit market
• Even at peak production, would only be 3 of US
  oil consumption
• If used as 5 of US daily consumption, would last
  around 12 years
• If used as 100, would last around a year
• Would cause around 1 cent drop of price for a
  gallon of gasoline
• BP, ConocoPhillips, and ChevronTexaco have pulled
  out (oil companies dont even want to drill
  there)
• Takes focus off of real problem, our
  overconsumption issues and lack of sustainability
• THE ANIMALS!

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Local Opposition

• Gwichin, live further south
• Rely heavily on hunting, fishing, and whaling
• Rely mostly on porcupine caribou who rely on
  coastal plain in ANWR
• Have heavily opposed drilling with protests and
  lobbying
• Present evidence that not everyone around the
  area is on board

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Important Notes

• Each side will use numbers that support their
  claims more directly
• If you torture data long enough, theyll admit
  to anything
• Each claim has a counterclaim
• Ie. Gwichin sold their land for oil exploration
  in the 1980s and now they oppose drilling in
  ANWR, where they dont even live
• Fields will affect animals vs. other areas drill
  already and animal populations have grown over
  time

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Current Developments

• 2000, passed by Hour of Representatives
• Rejected by Senate in 2002
• 2005, passed by Senate as part of federal budget
  resolution
• Removed during reconciliation process by
  Democrats in House who signed a letter pledging
  to reject anything including ANWR drilling
• 2005, drilling amendment attached to defense
  spending bill
• Group of Democratic senators successfully
  filibustered bill
• Currently still unable to drill there

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• As of three days ago, President Bush held a press
  conference urging Congress to open ANWR
• Chastised House and Senate, making claims of
  lower gas prices and reduced reliance on middle
  East for energy