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Arctic National Wildlife Refuge targeted for oil drilling
#1
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was created in the 1960s to protect an area of the arctic ecosystem from exploitation. Because this was done 19 million acres still exist in their original state. Wildlife that is threatened elsewhere has been allowed to flourish in this pristine habitat. 
Sadly it is all threatened. There is oil under the rocks and there are many who want to sacrifice the ANWR for the money the oil could bring.

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017...-plan-spd/

No amount of money could replace what would be lost if this area is drilled. 
It is only short sighted greedy people who would consider such a move.

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Catherine

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#2
There are a lot of fault lines in Alaska, and it appears some in the Refuge area (?) Although there is a higher concentration of faults in the South than in the far north.....If I am reading the map correctly.
Also that region is pretty close to the edge of the North American Craton. That makes me wonder if it might be unstable for deep drilling.

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/arctic/map.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denali_Fau...quakes.jpg

Something a little more detailed:
https://geo.nyu.edu/catalog/stanford-mh719vx4646

It's very sad that the lust for oil intends to damage pristine wilderness and all its inhabitants. There is not a lot of that kind of wilderness about on this over-populated Earth nowadays and they are the most blessed and wonderful places. What do we need all that oil for? To travel even quicker to destroy more of the Earth? Or just to line some guys' pockets with even more money?
So sad. They should send those oil magnates up there on a survival course in the wilderness for two months.
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#3
I never thought about the fault lines. There are a lot and there have been a lot of earthquakes. Most are small, but Alaska has had some big ones. You are right that drilling might not be such a good idea. What happens to a well that is hit by an earthquake. There is a lot of probability that any drill site is going to experience and earthquake at some time. There will be oil spills. Some much of the land will be destroyed by the oil that is spilled. 

Also it is a very remote area. How do they safely get the oil out of the area. And I do mean safely. Most oil transport methods end up in oil spills. Pretty much once you get the oil out of the ground some of it is going to spill somewhere.

It is not worth what we would lose. 

It is time to go solar. Sunshine is everywhere and it is free. All we have to do is learn to use its power. Why are we wasting so much to pursue oil. 

 The stone age didn't end because they ran out of stones.
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Catherine

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#4
(12-05-2017, 01:56 PM)Catherine Wrote:  The stone age didn't end because the ran out of stones.


That quotation is great! Smiley4  "Like" !

Yes to get the oil out I presume they will build oil pipelines. Now we all know what they do....
They run through indigenous peoples' territories, with no regard as to whether they are wanted there or not!
They leak sometimes. And when a leak occurs it is devastating.

But seriously...if the people who want the oil money would agree to the challenge of spending time in that wilderness for an extended period (i.e. not just two days' camping!) and with training, survive off the land, they would learn about that environment, and respect it. They would come away as different people with different values.

(Wow....that would make a great movie. I can almost see a story in that. In fact I CAN see a story in that. Hollywood is welcome to PM me for "option offers". I think it should star Antony Hopkins and possibly Kate Winslet....)
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#5
Good choice of stars. They could be dropped in the wilderness with a minimum of supplies and be left to survive a month. Maybe a week would be more realistic. Most people have poor survival skills.  The happy ending would have them coming to love the wilderness. They could dedicate their lives to saving it.  Maybe one of them could be changed. The obvious choice is Kate Winslet, but the more interesting choice would be Anthony Hopkins. He could completely turn his life around after he encounters nature face to face.  Maybe he could have an interesting encounter with a bear. The bear could walk away without harming him.
That would be dramatic especially if he thought the bear would kill him 

Something needs to be done to stop drilling. There is always an oil spill. The issue is not if, but when and how bad.
Oil is the most damaging thing we have ever come up with. It destroys the land and it contributes to global warming and climate change. Plastics are made from petroleum products  and we know how much damage plastics have done to the ocean.
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Catherine

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#6
There already is an Antony Hopkins Bear movie...."The Edge".  It was an excellent film.
A new angle would be required. Ideas are bubbling in my cauldron of inspiration.....
Something which included the indigenous people.

I really hope this oil drilling in that region doesn't happen for one reason or another. Maybe someone (USGS??) or someone in wildlife conservation? Can come up with something to prevent it?
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#7
There is always hope of a change in government.  That might be the most effective way to stop this. There are mid term elections in the fall of 2018 and the main election in 2020. The protections could be put back. I don't hold out hope that the one who removed the protections will actually put them back.

The remoteness of the area will provide some temporary protection. Even if they wanted to drill, it will take time  to get the equipment up into the arctic. Dare we hope that it will be too difficult.

I haven't seen the Edge. I must look for it.
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Catherine

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