Topic: Potential harm to the wildlife/ecosystem present at ANWR
(This is necessary in order to ascertain the some "value" or the environment
cost of drilling in ANWR). ANWR-
the effects
-Irreparable damage will be done to the Arctic Tundra: claims of environmentally
friendly exploration are not supported by the facts.
-According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, far more damage to
the arctic tundra will be done by exploration, than what the public is being
led to believe.
-Implementation of new technology actually causes more harm to wildlife/ecosystem
-Severe impact on polar bears (esp. maternal polar bears and their cubs)
The environmental, economic effects of Alaska drilling
-Environmental effects continue to row despite efforts to minimize them
-Cutting edge technology will reduce or eliminate a number of the effects
cited by The National Academy of Science
-Abandoned equipment and buildings are likely to mar landscape for centuries
-Oil drilling in the North Slope has disturbed some endangered species
and made whaling harder
-Bowhead whales affected (changing their migration patterns)
-Caribou disturbed
-Predators such as arctic foxes, ravens and gulls have thrived on garbage
around the oil fields, but they also prey on rare and endangered birds
U.S.
government study says Alaska drilling is harmful
-Environmental groups say drilling would destroy a scenic place sometimes
called "America's Serengeti" and would fail to yield any sizable amount
of oil for several years
-Government reports says drilling in the refuge could especially hurt
the Porcupine River caribou herd.
-Pregnant caribou "repeatedly shown to be sensitive to disturbance"
-Geese and oxen are also at risk
-Oil exploration may hurt the area's musk oxen if they are forced
to move from drilling area.
-It will take two decades before any crude oil pumped from the refuge
could reduce U.S. oil imports
Wildlife threats
-Refuge is home to millions of migratory birds, caribou, three species
of bears (polar, grizzly, black bears), Dall sheep, musk oxen, wolves,
arctic, and red foxes, wolverines plus may more.
-Arctic refuge contains one of the most fragile and ecologically sensitive
systems in the world. It is especially extremely vulnerable to long lasting
disturbance.
-Animals that are significantly affected
Polar bears
Marine mammals (beluga whale, bearded seal, ringed seal, spotted
seal, and the endangered bowhead whale)
Fish
Wolves
Musk oxen
Caribou
Grizzly bears
The aforementioned animals are affected mainly by one or all of the following:
noise, displacement due to drilling and human encounters
-The possibility of oil spills is a huge cause for concern, oil spills
would seep through the cracked ice and breakdown more slowly than usual
hence having a prolonged harmful effect
-Oil spills would severely affect marine animals especially
General
opinions
The opinions of random people on the topic of ANWR (this may help in
assessing how much the environment is valued)
Summary
There would certainly be negative impacts on the ANWR wildlife/ecosystem,
it will be attempted to ascertain the value (cost) of these effects. A
way must be devised in order to have some ball park figure
which may be used as a tangible cost to the environment. A plausible
start to achieving this would be conducting a survey just to see
how important the environment or the well being thereof is to the general
public.
Below is a suggested questionnaire
Questionnaire: Survey of where on average the environment ranks
in importance.
1) Do you think the natural environment is important?
2) How important do you think the natural environment is (1 being of
no importance, 5 being of utmost importance)? 1
2 3 4 5
3) Do you think protection of natural habitats is necessary?
4) Do you think wildlife is of any importance to us?
5) Do you think drilling should be done in protected habitats if there
is significant oil potential?
6) Do you think that there are enough wildlife and ecosystems around
so destroying one wouldn't hurt?
7) Do you think ecosystems should be protected at all costs?
8) Do you think it is necessary to harm the environment?
9) If you had the choice of either saving a rain forest or going getting
a new car, which would you choose?
10) Do you think a monetary value can be placed on the natural environment?
11) Would you risk destroying a previously protected habitat to procure
oil?
12) (If your answer to #12 is yes) What minimum length of time would
this oil need to serve the US population to be worth drilling for it?
Topic: Given that the major environmental cost (damage) would arise with
the occurence of a significant oil spill analyze would be the cost to clean
up an oil spill in ANWR.
