ALASKA OIL DRILLING

The oil discovery in Alaska  during the 1960’s was one of the major changes in the history of Alaska and also changed the political landscape of the place completely so far from being just a deserted landscape inhabited by Paleolithic people in different settlements along the coastline. The discovery of oil in North Slope’s Prudhoe Bay turned out to be a goldmine for the Americans especially since it was supposed to have the most recoverable oil of any field in the United States.

This turned out to be very significant discovery for the Americans; however the discovery also brought into limelight, and the issue of Native land ownership. It was especially so with the Alaskan Native tribals uniting together in an effort to reclaim title to the lands that were taken over by the Europeans. The Government finally woke up to the situation when the permission for a pipeline to get Alaskan oil to the market was blocked by the Native land claims.

There were a lot of controversies since then with respect to the Alaska Oil Drilling. The Exxon-Valdez oil spill of 1989 raised serious questions about the Alaska Oil Drilling having an effect on the wildlife in that area. The shore of Prince William Sound was covered in oil causing the death of more than 200,000 sea birds and animals. The Alaska Oil Drilling however has found support from an unexpected quarter namely Alaskan residents apart from the business interests and the trade unions. The Alaska Oil Drilling controversy has been dragging on for quite sometime now and is still the bone of contention between preservation and development. It has been the prime agenda on every US president with regards to Alaska Oil Drilling. The topic of Alaska Oil Drilling claims significance especially after the status of the refuge has been a priority in the US congress with both the environmentalists and business interests rallying the Congress towards achieving their goals.

The Alaska Oil Drilling has is still under litigation with permission being thwarted by amendments or vetoes in the US house or the Senate as of 2007. The Alaskans would be the most to benefit of this bill if this passes as this bring along with it State Government bonuses in a place which currently had no income tax. The opening of Alaska Oil drilling in the ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) would actually bring in large amounts of revenue to the federal government and also lessen the dependence of the country on imports with lowering gasoline prices as well. The independent oil refiners of the South however have a different version to portray on the Bill. They regard the opening of the Alaska Oil Drilling to a drop in their prices. They already fear that the Alaskan crude oil has already depressed the oil prices and also would divert many jobs to Alaska. The conservationists are opposed to Alaska Oil Production as they fear a negative impact this would bring in on the environment. The native Alaskans tribes living in the ANWR also fear that Alaska Oil Drilling could destroy their traditional lifestyle and also eliminate the caribou on which they depend for food and tools.