Forums → WEPR → oil in Alaska

You have to keep in mind that there are billions of people in the world, and we as humans destroy nature, make building, provide pollution, etc. I'm pretty sure the population of polar bears isn't even close to that. And yes, the fish population might be affected, but there are tons of birds and other predators that eat fish, so one predator gone won't affect it too much....and I said it wouldn't affect it TOO much.....

@thepossum, not even close to being on topic. Please refrain from posting like that, thanks!

@TR, We might end up selling some Alaska oil to the rest of the world, but if not, than we might save a little bit. Not much, but our government needs some help, haha.

I say we should just take the oil that we absolutly need, so that the prices go down and we can preserve the forest. Also, I think we should keep most of the oil that we drill; I mean, a lot of counties already think we're the biggest ***holes in the world.

yes and no.. the oil we get from alaska will only make the rich richer and nature worse off.. it might help us to have it, but not enought to offset the damage..

OK.

1) Oil Drills don't really destroy very much environment other than the space they take up.

2) Alaska is mostly permafrost, and there isn't much environment to destroy.

3) It would shorten our dependence on OPEC and lower gas prices.

A polar bear would eat you if it had the chance.

Your right the polar bear would but it won't have the chance soon. Polar bears are dying because they have to swim for long periods of time to find land and food now because of global warming. It's melting all the ice. Now mining in Alaska will cause more polution. So no to oil in Alaska.

What is with you people that makes you think that global warming is such a threat?! Also, what is it that makes you think that polar bears are extremely important to the human lifestyle? I might never understand...

This is just like the oil sands in Alberta. I don't think it's right to get oil out of Alaska if it is in a nature reserve area. And somebody probably already said this, but there are NO polar bears in alaska. Try a little more to the east, like northern Canada

@ Ninjacube

I do not beleive in man-made global warming, but it is still wrong to drill for oil if it will hurt the environment in that area.

And for a creature to be important to us it has to be important to our lifestyle? How important are eagles to your lifestyle? But I'm sure you would be pretty sad if your countries national animal went extinct. Well if we're gonna kill the polar bears lets get rid of other animals we don't need. Pandas are unnecessary, sharks are too, oh wait we need them for soup. =P

As th3pr3tzel suggests, some people choose to take into account the interests of non-human beings. They value animals for their own sake, not because of the instrumental value that they have for humans.

Well, luckily, we weren't talking about eagles or my response would have been different. The same goes for if polar bears were our national animal. My point was that it won't kill any plants, and likely no animals will be harmed that didn't have it coming. I mean, do-dos went extinct for a reason.

What is with you people that makes you think that global warming is such a threat?! Also, what is it that makes you think that polar bears are extremely important to the human lifestyle? I might never understand...

global warming not a threat! wow. Did you know that Average temperatures have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degree Celsius) around the world since 1880, much of this in recent decades, according to NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Also Power plants emit 40% of U.S. carbon dioxide pollution, the primary cause of global warming. And The polar ice cap is now melting at the alarming rate of 9% per decade. Arctic ice thickness has almost halved since the 1960s. But there's more Since 1980, the earth has experienced 19 of its 20 hottest years on record, with 2005 and 1998 tied for the hottest and 2002 and 2003 coming in second and third. Plus Though Americans make up just 4% of the world's population, we produce 25% of the carbon dioxide pollution from fossil-fuel burning -- more than China, India and Japan combined, and by far the largest share of any country. One more, There is perhaps no better example of the potential for devastating global warming impact than the Gulf Coast and Hurricane Katrina. Scientists have unearthed a trend towards larger, more intense storms as oceans around the world warm.

anyway
polar bears are just as equal to the bald eagle. Every life has the same purpose which is to live. Drilling in Alaska will be destroying Alaska and Alaska's plants and wildlife.

I mean, do-dos went extinct for a reason.

????
do-dos they went extinct because they had no common sense
they thought they could fly

just like us right now we think drilling for oil in Alaska will help us and it won't hurt us. But were taking a bigger leap than we think, to extinction. With Global Warming.
But we won't be taking just ourselves down, were taking all life on Earth with us.

it climbed 1 degree over decades and lost 2 degrees last year, go to global warming thread if you wanna discuss that.

We are drilling all over the US forests'n things and preserving the wasteland of Alaska, that makes sense doesn't it? (sarcastic)

everyone will talk about how its just a "wasteland" and whatnot.. it comes down to your own personal preference.. i personally like cold places and alaska.. so unless we absolutely had to i would say no.. if we came up with a safer way to obtain it, then sure.. i would like for us to be able to us the oil but im not die hard gung ho over it..

It would shorten our dependence on OPEC and lower gas prices.

Regardless of the benefits (if there truly are any) of drilling for local sources of oil, sooner or later (I really don't know how long 10 years, 100, 1000 regardless), oil will dissapear.

There is no time like the present to endorse, and expand our renewable resources.

Also, any new cities that are developed should be in the old world or European style with shops in the same neighborhood as homes so people odn't need to drive 20 miles to get to the store or to work, but rather, people could walk. It would save money, save the environment, and burn a few pounds (all I see are pluses).

Finally, I'm an advid outdoors person. I love hiking, camping, kayaking, etc. I love pristen (as close as we have left) wilderness area. Alaska, in areas, is one of the last vestiges of a natural, unspoiled environment in this country. It shouldn't be destroyed because someone wants to win an election.