Drilling for Oil, the Environment, and Ethics

For more than a decade, discussion about oil drilling in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Sanctuary continues. The oil company strongly urged oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Sanctuary and received support from most Alaska government officials and from the powerful private environmental groups representing millions of members throughout the United States I was totally opposed. In 1980, Congress established the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by a strong opposition from oil companies such as exons and BP.

Oil spill and drilling will affect our environment. It has been estimated that more than 1,700 holes have been drilled in the ocean floor since the first human beings began drilling the earth (Normile & Kerr 2003). Petroleum drilling has the potential to accumulate oil layers under thick salt layers. Drilling depth of about 4,000 meters is accompanied by extreme conditions; the oil itself may be about 200 o C, and the temperature of the ocean floor may be slightly above freezing point. - In 2010, the United States imported 9,163,000 barrels of oil a day. Of these, 4,885,000 barrels were imported from countries belonging to the OPEC oil cartel. (Oil Statistics) The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is an organization of 12 countries that formally agreed to determine prices and provide rules on oil sales to non-member countries.

Offshore petroleum drilling is a controversial topic because oil leaks can cause huge damage to the environment. In countries where oil can be extracted from the ocean, in addition to reducing dependence on external oils, economic benefits can be gained. Offshore drilling is a major benefit for these countries, but there is no conflict, but the environmental impact of the outflow affects the economic well-being of neighboring residents. Petroleum contaminates animals through a process called bioaccumulation

Offshore oil drilling makes an important contribution to access to the US oil, but it is also a major controversy to continue offshore drilling and to stop drilling. Although other resources are most commonly used, it is recommended to drill oil in the ocean in order to reach undeveloped horizontal wells, especially because there is a shortage of oil in the United States. Offshore oil drilling has many advantages such as work, domestic fuel, petroleum and so on.