The Bush Administrations Energy Strategy Report stated:"America
in the year 2001 faces the most serious energy shortage since the
oil embargoes of the 1970's.
Gas prices today (April 05) at $2.50
American imports over half of its oil
Drilling for oil in Alaskas Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is
supposed to be an important part of nations response to this
crisis
3. Questions explored
Is opening up the Arctic Refuge a step in the right direction
for U.S. energy policy, for the State of Alaska, and for the human
and nonhuman communities involved?
What do Alaskans think about drilling and why?
Can there be environmentally-friendly drilling for oil in the
Refuge?
Are there better alternatives?
4. Alaska is by far the largest state
About 1/5 size of entire U.S.
375 million acres
6. Alaskas Wild Beauty
Alaskas size, remoteness, mountains, glaciers, and wildlife
make it our countrys wilderness treasure
7. Denali
9. Portage Glacier
10. Crow Pass and Raven Glacier
11. History of Alaskan land and oil policy
Alaska statehood in 1958
State received right to select 104 million acres
States rights were contingent on settling Natives land
claims
AK Natives claimed virtually all of AKs 375 million acres as
their own
12. Oil Discovery Led to Native Settlement
1968 oil discovered at Prudhoe Bay
State wanted to build an 800 mile pipeline from Prudhoe Bay to
Valdez, bisecting the state
Native Alaskans land claims made it impossible to get the
needed rights of way
13. Pict of AK
14.
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1970
Natives got 44 million acres (12%) of AK
Included in ANCSA was a provision to withdraw 80 million acres
for conservation lands
15. Battle Over AK Pipeline
800 mile pipeline bisecting Americas last great wilderness
wasnt going to get build easily
Three env. groups(FOE, EDF, WS) and 5 Native Alaska villages
sued
In 1973, Congress resolved the suit by passing AK pipeline
authorization act
Senate vote was 49 to 49, Nixons V.P.Spiro Agnew casting the
tie breaking vote
16. Pipeline through AK range
17. Battle Over Alaska Conservation Lands
How much of Alaska would be set aside in conservation
areas?
ANSCA deal was 80 million acres
Mo Udall (Pres. Carters Sec. of Interior) wanted 123 million
acres with 60 million in wilderness
AK Senator Stevens wanted 60 million acres with 12 million
wilderness
Stalemate until Pres. Carter used Antiquities Act to set aside
154 million acres in National Monuments
AK went berserk
18. 1980 Compromise
Passage of the Alaska National Interests Lands Conservation
Act
President Carter signed just as he left office.
104 million acres of new conservation land in AK with 50
million of that wilderness
This was a doubling of the total wilderness acreage in the
U.S.
Carter has said this was the most important conservation
legislation of 20 thcentury
19. 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
11 million gallons
53 rdbiggest spill
11,000 miles of coastline oiled (470 direct miles; SC to
DC)
Devastated Prince William Sounds wildlife and human
communities
Destroyed subsistence way of life of local people?
Huge wildlife losses (75% sea otters killed; loons still not
recovered)
20% of crude oil still was there 12 years later
20. Animals affected by Exxon Valdez Spill
21. 22,000 carcasses of common murres found
22. 13,000 marbled murrelets killed
23. Valdez Terminal
24. Kenai oil tanker in Valdez
25. Columbia glacier icebergs
26. Bligh Reef
27. Pipeline Club
Will it happen again?
28. Tanker tied to tug
29. History of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Pres. Eisenhowerin response to a campaign of Muries and Supreme
Court Justice William O Douglas set aside Refuge in 1960
19.8 million acres in north east AK, bordering Canada (slightly
larger SC)
17.5 permanently off limits to development (wilderness)
1.5 million acre coastal plain (1002 area) Congress can open
for oil/gas development
30. Special Place?
Defenders unique geography makes it a wildlife/wildland
treasure
Brooks Range swings to within 40 miles of coast, range of
arctic ecosystemsin a small area
Interior Sec. Gale Norton has called it aflat white
nothingness
A Godforsaken mosquito-infested swamp shrouded in frozen
darkness year
31. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says
"The Arctic Refuge is among the most complete, pristine, and
undisturbed ecosystems on earth. Here coastal lagoons, barrier
islands, arctic tundra, foothills, mountains, and boreal forests
provide a combination of habitats, climate, and geography unmatched
by any other northern conservation area
32. "This unique compression of habitats concentrates the
occurrence of a wide variety of wildlife and fish species.... In
fact, according to FWS, the Arctic Refuge coastal plaincontains the
greatest wildlife diversity of any protected area above the Arctic
Circle ."
33. Species in Refuge
The area's large mammals also include grizzly bears, polar
bears, Dall sheep, wolves, moose, and a herd of rare muskoxen. 135
species of birds are known to use the 1002 area, including large
flocks of snow geese which feed on the area's nutritious vegetation
in the fall in preparation for their long flight to their wintering
grounds in the Central Valley of California. Other animal species
of the area include shorebirds, loons, songbirds, and raptors, as
well as fish such as the Arctic char and Arctic grayling.
34. Caribou in Denali
35. Arguments against ANWR drilling
95% of Alaskas Arctic Coastal plain is already open to oil
drilling
Prudhoe Bays poor env. record:400 oil spills a year since
1996
Large amounts of air pollution
Only one EPA worker on North Slope
36. How much oil in ANWR?
USGS 1998:3.2 to 6.3 billion barrels (7-13 month U.S.
supply)
Proponents say 10-16 billion barrels (2-3 year supply)
USGS says 5% chance of 16 billion
37. Conservation/Efficiency Alternative
Enhancing energy efficiency in buildings and industry could
easily save us as much oil
38. V.P. Dick Cheney
Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue, but it is not a
sufficient basis for a sound, comprehensive energy policy.
39. Cheney on Conservation (continued)
To think that we could simply conserve or ration our way out of
the energy crisis is 1970's era thinking.
Supports energy efficiency only when it does not reduce living
standards or negatively impact U.S. industry.
Opposes any energy conservation measures based on the idea that
Americans now live too well or that people should do more with
less.
40. FuelEconomyStandards(CAF)
Adopted in 1975, average rose from 14 to 27mpg by mid 80s
No significance increases in CAF since
Because of the popularity of SUVs (only required to average
20.7 mpg vs 27.5 for cars), in 2002 average U.S. fuel economy fell
to its lowest level since 1980
China has proposed more stringent rules
Raising CAF from 27 to 40 mpg would save a billion barrels a
year
41. Can there be Env. Friendly Drilling in ANWR?
New drilling technologies cast doubt on the claim that ANWR
will be as devastated as Prudhoe Bay
Not clear that the Prudhoe Bay oilfields a disaster for
wildlife
42. New Drilling Technology
Small well pads with drills branching out 4-5 miles
underground
2000 acres of total disturbance out of 1.5 million acres?
Drilling mud, contaminated water, spilled oil, and discarded
chemicals formerly put in waste pits can be ground into a slurry
and pumped underground
Gravel roads (mined from river beds) spread all over fragile
tundra can now be built from ice that melts in spring
The maze of oil collecting pipelines can be raised for animals
to duck under and elevated elbows lessen effects of spills
43. Oil Pad
44. Ice Road
45. Caribou under pipeline
46. Bear on Pipeline
47. New Survey Techniques
The success rate raised from 1 producing well for each 10
exploratory wells to 5 in 10.
Dynamite no longer used, but vibrating 10-ton thumper trucks
crisscross tundra in an intensive way leaving scars disrupting
wildlife
2000 acre figure doesnt include this
48. Thumper Truck
49. Damage from Thumper Truck (in Utah)
50. 1984 track from seismic exploration
51. Same track in 1999 (15 years later)
52. Critics Arent Impressed
Once the work shifts from exploration to extraction of oil, the
result is always a sprawl of pipelines, roads, crew quarters, and
fuel depots:In the end, even with all this technology, youve got a
massive industrial complex.
53. Alaskas Oil Addiction
78% of state budget is funded by North Slope oil revenue
Alaskans pay no state income or sales taxes
Each Alaskan receives yearly check from state oil revenues;
Typically it is $1000 to $2,000.
Oil from Prudhoe Bay is running out (From 19 billion barrels to
6.4 now); Pipeline flow down 50%.
No wonder 75% of Alaskans support drilling in the arctic.
54. Natives perspective
Inupiat Eskimos who live in ANWR next to 1002 support it; 78%
in Kaktovik
Own oil/gas rights in ANWR which cant be leased unless ANWR
opened up
Do not live a subsistence lifestyle but are part of the modern
cash economy
One of the USs wealthiest Native groups
Oppose offshore oil development fearing it would harm bowhead
whale hunt important to their cultural identity
55. Inupiat Eskimos of Kaktovic
56. Gwichin Indians oppose
Fear it will harm Porcupine Caribou herd
Dont live in ANWR but hunt caribou that migrate there.
Live (mostly) a subsistence lifestyle; Caribou meat 80% of
tribal diet
Ethic of hunters sharing caribou meat essential to their
culture
1002: Sacred birthing ground of caribou and ultimately of
Gwichin people
57. Gwichin Indians
58. Effects on Porcupine Caribou herd?
150,000 animals migrate to coastal plain in summer for
foraging, protection from predators and insect, and to calve
Canadian estimate: Drilling could cause 40% decline in
birthrate
Central Artic herd near Prudhoe bay:Thriving (oil industry) or
calving near Prudhoe Bay nearly ceased(Canadians)
Porcupine herd has no where to move
59. Caribou and Oil Rig
One study:Wildlife adapted well to oil drilling.
60. Tentative conclusions
Should not risk cultural genocide
Even environmentally-friendly oil development would ruin the
Arctic Refuges pristine character
61. Should not risk cultural genocide
Gwichin spokesperson Faith Gemmil:Dont sacrifice our way of
life for short term economic gain.
Some impact on Porcupine Herd likely; but probably not enough
to undermine the Gwichin subsistence hunt and way of life
But even a tiny chance of causing cultural genocide should
prevent drilling
Especially given our the history of our treatment of Natives
Americans
62. Oil development would ruin the Arctic Refuges pristine
nature
A significant part of the value of this place is that it is
untouched by modern human industrial desire
The pristine, virginal character of places like the Arctic
Refuge are necessarily spoiled even by environmentally careful
petro development
Temporary McDonalds in Louvre?
Sexual assault while sedated?
63. Current politics of ANWR (April 2005)
On March 18, Senate voted 51-49 to include revenue from
drilling in the Refuge in the federal budget
This means that opponents of drilling cannot use a filibuster
to block oil development in the Refuge
A filibuster can only be broken by 60 votes, something drilling
proponents dont have
Last year a federal budget was not passed, and so drilling
opponents have some hope this will occur again
They also hope that the drilling provision will be taken out of
the budget in future votes