Pros of Offshore Drilling in Alaska
Alaska is home to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's coastal area, the location where further drilling is being proposed. There are groups for and against drilling on the North Slope featuring their own pros and cons to support their side of the argument. While the cons focus on the environmental effects of drilling, the pro side focuses on the social and economic improvements.
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What Is Offshore Oil Drilling?
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Offshore oil drilling is the process of extracting crude oil by drilling through cap rock formations off the coast of land masses in the ocean or sea. Crude oil is a fossil fuel found deep under the Earth's surface and trapped between rock layers. Crude oil becomes the oil used in homes after it is filtered through multiple processes and refined. Fossil fuels are a finite resource, meaning there is only so much of it out there to harvest and use; it does not replenish itself like solar or wind energy.
Social Benefits
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Offshore oil drilling brings in employment opportunities to a region where many jobs are a rarity due to the harsh climate. Without oil drilling many men and women would be unemployed and living off of welfare and unemployment checks. Due to the flow of money provided by offshore drilling, past drilling sites, such as off the coast of Mexico, had better health care, such as more primary care physicians and an increase in schools featuring modern technology and educational tools. Those in favor of offshore drilling believe these same benefits would come to the Alaskan North Shore if drilling were permitted.
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Fiscal Benefits
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Offshore oil drilling lowers fuel prices that greatly affect the economic growth of a nation. The U.S.'s current dependency on Middle East oil drives the cost of fuel up because it is being imported and is a limited resource. If the U.S. increased offshore oil drilling, prices of oil would lower and the U.S. would be able to sell the excess oil for a greater profit. Offshore oil drilling in Alaska would also promote other industries such as transportation.
Energy Benefits
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Offshore oil drilling would generate huge amounts of hydroelectric, geothermal and wind energies for the United States. Crude oil is used in these alternative energy sources by providing the "start up" energy required to get the process going for energy production. Huge amounts of coal would be available for extraction. Coal is currently required for industrial production.
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References
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