Environmental Views of Arctic National Wildlife Reserve...

Executive Summary nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) is a beautiful 19.6 million acre coastal plain, and is located in the Northeastern part of Alaska. ANWR is home to numerous species of wildlife and one of the largest untapped oil preserves in the United States. There is an immense debate between the opposing environmentalists and the politicians who want to drill for oil on a section of ANWR, which is only 1.8% of the refuge. Environmentalists who oppose drilling for oil in Alaska say the wildlife and the native populations are threatened by drilling for oil in ANWR, even though most of the natives are strongly in favor of drilling. ANWR could save the US from having to import $800 billion worth†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In 2004, the US imported an average of 58% of its oil and during certain months up to 64%. That equates to over $150 billion in oil imports and over $170 billion including refined petroleum products, which is approximat ely $19.9 million dollars an hour, according to ANWR supporters. Current legislation calls for responsible development on no more than 2000 acres of the 1.5 million acre coastal plain. That is 0.01% of ANWRs total acreage of 19.6 million. The remaining 99.9% would remain off limits to development (anwr.com). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;We will explore Utilitarian, Deontology, and Lockean environmental views and determine whether or not wildlife and petroleum development and production can coexist. The Utilitarian View of ANWR nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The Utilitarian belief asks the question, what would be the best for the greatest amount of people? Or in other words, what would be best for the majority? In our natural history, Utilitarianism has had a huge impact on how the American society operates. All the decisions, as a nation, are decided by the majority. The most popular example of this would be the voting for a new president to lead the county. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Every four years, an election is held by certain to determine which political candidate will be theShow MoreRelatedAlaska Oil Drilling: A Threat to Biodiversity1606 Words   |  6 Pagesbitterly between environmental activists and major petroleum producers, is a parcel of land containing nearly 20 million acres of untouched environmental resources known as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). 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