ANWR Q & A
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The battle for the future of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one
of the defining creation care issues of our lifetime in North America.
One of your great treasures is in peril—and there is something you can do about it. At this very moment, a battle is raging for one of the last truly pristine wildernesses in the United States—the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. There are those who think this jewel of God’s creation would be better off as an oil field, and, there are others who believe that development of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for commercial exploitation, and destruction is a sin against the Creator. Restoring Eden is hard at work trying to ensure that the beauty and integrity of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge remains for generations to come.
Restoring Eden speaks for those in the Arctic Refuge who cannot speak for themselves.
Restoring Eden has made a commitment to help Christians, “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,” and treat “the least” with the same love and respect Jesus deserves. Very few issues so exactly address both of these biblical mandates as the current push to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Questions & Answers
1. What is at stake in this debate over the future of this wilderness?
2. Who are the voiceless of this arctic wilderness?
3. Who are the “least of these” in this arctic wilderness?
4. What does our response to the plight of the arctic refuge tell us about our steward’s heart?
5. Why is it important that we act to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge now?
6. Will opening up the last pristine arctic wilderness in US territory to oil exploitation reduce our dependency on foreign oil?
7. Will opening the last piece of our protected arctic coastal wilderness to oil exploitation solve the electricity crisis in California and other states?
8. Can exploiting the oil beneath the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge be done without significantly damaging its beauty and value as wildlife habitat?
9. What should we conclude about whether or not the refuge should continue to be protected from commercial exploitation?
10. What can you do to keep this last 5% of the arctic coast pristine?
11. What do you get for taking a stand against the exploitation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
1. What is at stake in this debate over the future of this wilderness?
What is at stake is truly astronomical. It is no overstatement to say that one of the last true wildernesses, an entire culture, and a core value of the Christian Church are all at stake in this debate. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge consists of 19 million acres (20% of the entire US National Wildlife Refuge System), in perhaps the most biologically valuable area of the entire Arctic ecosystem. Often referred to as “America’s Serengeti,” it is a national treasure on par with the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite National Park. Within the refuge’s boundaries also lie the last 5% of Alaska’s unspoiled arctic coast. The entire remaining 95% of the arctic coast (commonly called the North Slope) in US territory is already open to oil and gas exploitation.1
2. Who are the voiceless of this arctic wilderness?
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a place of expanding vistas and stark beauty. It is a place of bounty and abundance. It is a place of such exquisite visual power and intensity that former Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas called it, “The most wondrous place on God’s Earth.” A short list of its inhabitants who have no political voice of their own would include the great Porcupine River Caribou Herd, Grizzly Bears, Polar Bears, Musk Ox, Arctic Wolves, Wolverines, Arctic Foxes, Whistling Swans, Snow Geese, and a host of other birds, mammals, fish, and plant life too varied to describe here. The Porcupine River Caribou Herd itself is one of the true wonders of God’s creation. The great herds which historically have numbered about 130,000 animals each year migrate sometimes hundreds of miles over the wild arctic to feed on the nutritious tundra flatlands and bear their young. For the caribou herds the coastal plain is a sanctuary of respite from their arduous journeys, a safe haven essential to the well being of the entire herd.
Beyond the Caribou, the refuge’s arctic plain is also “the most important on-shore denning area for Polar Bears in the United States.”2 For the sake of the great Porcupine River Caribou Herd and the Polar Bears alone, this land is worth saving as an area dedicated to allowing the creatures of God to continue to exist in the place God created for them. It is clear that these creatures, wrought by God in love, which he proclaimed as “very good,”3 lack a voice of their own. Restoring Eden seeks to ensure that our government and corporations act with prudence, justice, and wisdom towards these wondrous creatures and their God-given homes.
3. Who are the “least of these” in this arctic wilderness?
If these creatures of God are not enough to convince us, there is also the plight of the Gwich’in people. They are tribal, and they are Christian and they cannot survive without Caribou. So, this is not merely an issue of Caribou, but also of the “Caribou People,” which the Gwich’in call themselves. Even the Gwich’in, who have a voice, are rapidly having their words drowned out. They are at risk of their culture being destroyed, and ultimately, their people extinguished if the arctic coastal plain wilderness in the refuge is exploited for gas and oil. The well-founded fears of the Gwich’in, who rely on the caribou for their food and culture, are expressed in the thoughts of one Gwich’in mother, Sandra Newman saying, “We can't feed our children oil when they are hungry."4 The Gwich’in diet is made up of nearly 80% caribou. In fact, the issue is so important that the leadership of the Gwich’in have issued this statement.
4. What does our response to the plight of the arctic refuge tell us about our steward’s heart?
Finally, there is the issue of our steward’s heart. God in wisdom and grace appointed us stewards over the earth from the beginning. We have largely abdicated this responsibility to governments and corporations, who act with motives other than responsibility to God. We must reclaim our steward’s heart by becoming active in this and similar issues. The future of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is tied to the future health of the Church. Either we will take God’s charge to be faithful stewards of the earth seriously, or we will not, the consequences of the direction we choose will be seen and felt not only in creation, but in our hearts as well.
5. Why is it important that we act to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge now?
Political interests, financially benefited by large oil companies, are pushing hard to pass legislation to allow drilling in this last arctic wilderness as soon as possible—even now! President Bush is openly touting the refuge as a good place for drilling. The Secretary of the Interior, Gail Norton, has made opening the arctic refuge for drilling a priority. A reporter from the Anchorage Daily reflected on a recent visit to a Gwich’in village. "Norton said she left the village with a "warm heart" but did not change her mind. She maintains that oil drilling will not harm the caribou."6 Senate voting on the issue will happen in March or April in the senate and legislation has already passed the House, which would allow oil exploitation in the refuge. We must defeat this legislation in the Senate to save this pristine wilderness!
6. Will opening up the last pristine arctic wilderness in US territory to oil exploitation reduce our dependency on foreign oil?
The answer is a resounding and emphatic “No!” Those in favor of opening the Arctic to drilling are fond of saying that it is the best way to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. The words of President Bush in a recent speech are good example, "We must…reduce America's dependence on foreign sources of oil by encouraging safe and clean exploration at home."
But the projected amount of economically recoverable oil in the refuge will only satisfy 1 percent of US oil needs over the approximate life of the oilfield!7 In total, this is about a 6 month supply of oil for the United States. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, "drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge not only would destroy a key part of America's wilderness heritage, but would also provide no long-term relief from America's oil dependence.”
Ironically, these same gigantic multi-national oil companies have repeatedly lobbied to sell oil recovered in Alaska to foreign nations. They have succeeded in this goal. Companies now at work in Alaska are actually selling some of it to China!8 This hypocrisy is simply appalling and must end.
7. Will opening the last piece of our protected arctic coastal wilderness to oil exploitation solve the electricity crisis in California and other states?
Those in favor of opening this last bit of protected arctic coast for oil extraction are also fond of claiming that the oil will lessen the recent electricity crisis in California and other states. Again, the words of President Bush in a recent speech make the point, “We all remember the blackouts and the sky-high energy bills of recent summers. I urge congress to protect consumers from these wild swings in energy prices for the future. …Unless we act to increase our energy independence, our reliance on foreign sources of energy will only increase."
Again, the answer to this question is also a resounding and emphatic “No!” In reality, only 2-3% of all electricity used in the US is generated from oil. Therefore, oil from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will have virtually no discernible effect on this issue despite the words of our President.
8. Can exploiting the oil beneath the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge be done without significantly damaging its beauty and value as wildlife habitat?
Finally, proponents of further exploitation of the arctic for oil are fond of claming that oil extraction in this now protected pristine wilderness can be done without significant damage to the area. Again, the words of President Bush serve as a good example of this thinking. "There's no doubt in my mind…that we can find energy for America's people and at the same time preserve the beauty of Alaska."
This is perhaps the most urgent issue of the debate. Here are some key points to keep in mind. First, exploitation of the land for oil extraction in Alaska has included the single largest environmental oil disaster in the history of the United States. The words “Exxon Valdez” still evoke sad memories of careless multinational industrial extraction practices at their very worst. The Exxon Valdez spill included 11 million gallons of oil over 1,500 miles of shoreline in the Prince William Sound and some forms of wildlife show no signs of recovery from the spill to this day.9 Keep in mind that companies such as Exxon Mobil stand to gain the most from further oil exploitation in the arctic. Haven’t these companies already done enough harm to this country’s natural beauty and its people?
Exxon (now Exxon-Mobil) is not the only one of the major oil companies with a history of abuse in Alaska. According to the Alaska Wilderness League, “British Petroleum has been convicted and fined 22 million dollars for flagrantly dumping hazardous waste at its "model" Endicott oil field. It required whistleblowers to stop the abuse.”10 Do we want to trust the last 5% of the pristine arctic wilderness in US territory to these profit-driven exploiters of our great land?
Even if this legacy is not enough to convince us to throw these companies out of Alaska there is much more to consider. The reality is that extraction always comes at the price of destruction. Extraction of oil, by its very nature, always causes some damage to the area it is extracted from. Even worse, extracting oil from extremely fragile tundra dominated areas can only be done at irresponsible and unnecessary risk to the majesty of this last remaining arctic wilderness.
According to Edward Markey and Joe Lieberman, “Data from Alaska Department of Conservation show that the Trans-Alaska and Prudhoe Bay oil fields have had an annual average of 409 spills since 1996 of everything from crude oil to acid.”11 The Alaska Wilderness League lets us know that 56,000 tons of nitrogen oxides are released into the air from oil operations in the arctic each year (more than twice the amount of Washington, DC), and “76 contaminated sites and hundreds of waste pits have yet to be cleaned up.”12
Consider this, “The current footprint on the arctic coastal plain includes 1500 miles of roads and pipelines, 150 drilling pads, 1400 production wells, and three jet airports.”13 These activities cover an area approximately the size or Rhode Island.14 This is just what Big Oil has already done to the other 95% of the arctic coastal plain currently open to drilling.
What kind of footprint will be required to exploit the last 5% of our pristine arctic wilderness? Again, the Alaskan Wilderness League has gathered valuable data:
When is enough--enough? Can giving these companies the green light really be the choice a good steward of God’s earth would make?
9. What should we conclude about whether or not the refuge should continue to be protected from commercial exploitation?
While Restoring Eden is not against the responsible use of petroleum products: we must hasten to add that we are very much against the exploitative and irresponsible pursuit of natural resources simply for the sake of profit—especially at the direct detriment and possible destruction of one our greatest national treasures and an ancient culture. To do so would be a betrayal of our God-given charge to be faithful stewards of God’s good creation. For this reason, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge MUST NOT BE OPENED to oil exploration, drilling, and commercial exploitation.
10. What can you do to keep this last 5% of the arctic coast pristine?
There is plenty you can do. First, we must recognize that this issue is one of the heart. The heart of the faithful steward will not allow the irresponsible exploitation of God’s good creation. It is God we serve and God who provides. We must ask for God’s help in this struggle. Without acknowledging our dependence on God and asking for help, we cannot hope to fulfill our role as good stewards. So, we must pray.
Second, although at its core this is a spiritual issue of the heart, we must also acknowledge that the future of the refuge—whether it is protected forever or exploited and destroyed tomorrow—will ultimately be decided in the political arena. In other words, to be effective stewards of God’s creation, we must be effective in the political arena. We must bring as much political pressure to bear on our elected officials as possible. We must ask them to NOT OPEN the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploitation. We must also ask them to forever protect the refuge as a federally designated wilderness area. Restoring Eden has put together some tools for you to do this. Please take advantage of the action section of this newsletter to make our voice louder on behalf of the creation.
Third, please consider not buying products from the three major oil companies active in the arctic—British Petroleum, Exxon Mobil, and Arco. It takes money for them to lobby Congress to open up areas from which they can greedily take natural resources and every penny you don’t spend with them is a penny they cannot use. Also, tell your local merchants of these companies’ products why you will not buy their products. For-profit companies understand the message when their profits are hurt because of their activities.
11. What do you get for taking a stand against the exploitation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
More than just knowing that this special place is protected and its beauty will forever proclaim its Maker’s glory, more than knowing that the Polar Bears, Porcupine Caribou, wolves, grizzlies and hundreds of species of birds will continue to be able to call it home—if we are able to protect this last piece of arctic wilderness we will be able to say we fulfilled our heart’s desires as faithful stewards. We will have fulfilled our charge before God and maintained a core value of our faith. We can be confident that we have been good and faithful servants by helping to protect one of the truly great last “Edens” of the planet.
Works Cited
1. Alaska Wilderness League “Protect America’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge” 2001 p.2
2. Ibid. p.6
3. NIV Genesis 1:31
4. Newman, Sandra quoted in Canada Department of Foreign Affairs “The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge” 2001 p1
5. Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments “Resolution 01-14 To Prohibit Development in the Calving and Post-Calving Grounds of the Porcupine Caribou Herd” 3/18/2001 p.1
6. Manning Elizabeth “Norton: Interior Secretary leaves state with conviction to drill in ANWR” Anchorage Daily News 6/21/2001 p.2
7. Natural Resource Defense Council “ANWR – Drilling vs. Energy Efficiency” 2001 p.1
8. Alaska Wilderness League “Protect America’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge” 2001 p.8
9. Ibid.
10. Ibid.
11. Lieberman, Joseph; Edward Markey “Alaska Refuge Oil Isn’t the Answer” Boston Globe 2/26/01 p.15
12. Alaska Wilderness League “Protect America’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge” 2001 p.8
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
One of your great treasures is in peril—and there is something you can do about it. At this very moment, a battle is raging for one of the last truly pristine wildernesses in the United States—the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. There are those who think this jewel of God’s creation would be better off as an oil field, and, there are others who believe that development of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for commercial exploitation, and destruction is a sin against the Creator. Restoring Eden is hard at work trying to ensure that the beauty and integrity of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge remains for generations to come.
Restoring Eden speaks for those in the Arctic Refuge who cannot speak for themselves.
Restoring Eden has made a commitment to help Christians, “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,” and treat “the least” with the same love and respect Jesus deserves. Very few issues so exactly address both of these biblical mandates as the current push to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Questions & Answers
1. What is at stake in this debate over the future of this wilderness?
2. Who are the voiceless of this arctic wilderness?
3. Who are the “least of these” in this arctic wilderness?
4. What does our response to the plight of the arctic refuge tell us about our steward’s heart?
5. Why is it important that we act to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge now?
6. Will opening up the last pristine arctic wilderness in US territory to oil exploitation reduce our dependency on foreign oil?
7. Will opening the last piece of our protected arctic coastal wilderness to oil exploitation solve the electricity crisis in California and other states?
8. Can exploiting the oil beneath the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge be done without significantly damaging its beauty and value as wildlife habitat?
9. What should we conclude about whether or not the refuge should continue to be protected from commercial exploitation?
10. What can you do to keep this last 5% of the arctic coast pristine?
11. What do you get for taking a stand against the exploitation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
1. What is at stake in this debate over the future of this wilderness?
What is at stake is truly astronomical. It is no overstatement to say that one of the last true wildernesses, an entire culture, and a core value of the Christian Church are all at stake in this debate. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge consists of 19 million acres (20% of the entire US National Wildlife Refuge System), in perhaps the most biologically valuable area of the entire Arctic ecosystem. Often referred to as “America’s Serengeti,” it is a national treasure on par with the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite National Park. Within the refuge’s boundaries also lie the last 5% of Alaska’s unspoiled arctic coast. The entire remaining 95% of the arctic coast (commonly called the North Slope) in US territory is already open to oil and gas exploitation.1
2. Who are the voiceless of this arctic wilderness?
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a place of expanding vistas and stark beauty. It is a place of bounty and abundance. It is a place of such exquisite visual power and intensity that former Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas called it, “The most wondrous place on God’s Earth.” A short list of its inhabitants who have no political voice of their own would include the great Porcupine River Caribou Herd, Grizzly Bears, Polar Bears, Musk Ox, Arctic Wolves, Wolverines, Arctic Foxes, Whistling Swans, Snow Geese, and a host of other birds, mammals, fish, and plant life too varied to describe here. The Porcupine River Caribou Herd itself is one of the true wonders of God’s creation. The great herds which historically have numbered about 130,000 animals each year migrate sometimes hundreds of miles over the wild arctic to feed on the nutritious tundra flatlands and bear their young. For the caribou herds the coastal plain is a sanctuary of respite from their arduous journeys, a safe haven essential to the well being of the entire herd.
Beyond the Caribou, the refuge’s arctic plain is also “the most important on-shore denning area for Polar Bears in the United States.”2 For the sake of the great Porcupine River Caribou Herd and the Polar Bears alone, this land is worth saving as an area dedicated to allowing the creatures of God to continue to exist in the place God created for them. It is clear that these creatures, wrought by God in love, which he proclaimed as “very good,”3 lack a voice of their own. Restoring Eden seeks to ensure that our government and corporations act with prudence, justice, and wisdom towards these wondrous creatures and their God-given homes.
3. Who are the “least of these” in this arctic wilderness?
If these creatures of God are not enough to convince us, there is also the plight of the Gwich’in people. They are tribal, and they are Christian and they cannot survive without Caribou. So, this is not merely an issue of Caribou, but also of the “Caribou People,” which the Gwich’in call themselves. Even the Gwich’in, who have a voice, are rapidly having their words drowned out. They are at risk of their culture being destroyed, and ultimately, their people extinguished if the arctic coastal plain wilderness in the refuge is exploited for gas and oil. The well-founded fears of the Gwich’in, who rely on the caribou for their food and culture, are expressed in the thoughts of one Gwich’in mother, Sandra Newman saying, “We can't feed our children oil when they are hungry."4 The Gwich’in diet is made up of nearly 80% caribou. In fact, the issue is so important that the leadership of the Gwich’in have issued this statement.
Proposed oil and gas exploration and development in the calving and post-calving grounds in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Coastal Plain endangers the health and productivity of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, affect their availability to Gwich'in communities, and therefore, poses a direct threat to the survival of our people.5We stand squarely on the side of our Gwich’in brothers and sisters in their struggle to keep their ancient way of life.
4. What does our response to the plight of the arctic refuge tell us about our steward’s heart?
Finally, there is the issue of our steward’s heart. God in wisdom and grace appointed us stewards over the earth from the beginning. We have largely abdicated this responsibility to governments and corporations, who act with motives other than responsibility to God. We must reclaim our steward’s heart by becoming active in this and similar issues. The future of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is tied to the future health of the Church. Either we will take God’s charge to be faithful stewards of the earth seriously, or we will not, the consequences of the direction we choose will be seen and felt not only in creation, but in our hearts as well.
5. Why is it important that we act to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge now?
Political interests, financially benefited by large oil companies, are pushing hard to pass legislation to allow drilling in this last arctic wilderness as soon as possible—even now! President Bush is openly touting the refuge as a good place for drilling. The Secretary of the Interior, Gail Norton, has made opening the arctic refuge for drilling a priority. A reporter from the Anchorage Daily reflected on a recent visit to a Gwich’in village. "Norton said she left the village with a "warm heart" but did not change her mind. She maintains that oil drilling will not harm the caribou."6 Senate voting on the issue will happen in March or April in the senate and legislation has already passed the House, which would allow oil exploitation in the refuge. We must defeat this legislation in the Senate to save this pristine wilderness!
6. Will opening up the last pristine arctic wilderness in US territory to oil exploitation reduce our dependency on foreign oil?
The answer is a resounding and emphatic “No!” Those in favor of opening the Arctic to drilling are fond of saying that it is the best way to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. The words of President Bush in a recent speech are good example, "We must…reduce America's dependence on foreign sources of oil by encouraging safe and clean exploration at home."
But the projected amount of economically recoverable oil in the refuge will only satisfy 1 percent of US oil needs over the approximate life of the oilfield!7 In total, this is about a 6 month supply of oil for the United States. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, "drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge not only would destroy a key part of America's wilderness heritage, but would also provide no long-term relief from America's oil dependence.”
Ironically, these same gigantic multi-national oil companies have repeatedly lobbied to sell oil recovered in Alaska to foreign nations. They have succeeded in this goal. Companies now at work in Alaska are actually selling some of it to China!8 This hypocrisy is simply appalling and must end.
7. Will opening the last piece of our protected arctic coastal wilderness to oil exploitation solve the electricity crisis in California and other states?
Those in favor of opening this last bit of protected arctic coast for oil extraction are also fond of claiming that the oil will lessen the recent electricity crisis in California and other states. Again, the words of President Bush in a recent speech make the point, “We all remember the blackouts and the sky-high energy bills of recent summers. I urge congress to protect consumers from these wild swings in energy prices for the future. …Unless we act to increase our energy independence, our reliance on foreign sources of energy will only increase."
Again, the answer to this question is also a resounding and emphatic “No!” In reality, only 2-3% of all electricity used in the US is generated from oil. Therefore, oil from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will have virtually no discernible effect on this issue despite the words of our President.
8. Can exploiting the oil beneath the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge be done without significantly damaging its beauty and value as wildlife habitat?
Finally, proponents of further exploitation of the arctic for oil are fond of claming that oil extraction in this now protected pristine wilderness can be done without significant damage to the area. Again, the words of President Bush serve as a good example of this thinking. "There's no doubt in my mind…that we can find energy for America's people and at the same time preserve the beauty of Alaska."
This is perhaps the most urgent issue of the debate. Here are some key points to keep in mind. First, exploitation of the land for oil extraction in Alaska has included the single largest environmental oil disaster in the history of the United States. The words “Exxon Valdez” still evoke sad memories of careless multinational industrial extraction practices at their very worst. The Exxon Valdez spill included 11 million gallons of oil over 1,500 miles of shoreline in the Prince William Sound and some forms of wildlife show no signs of recovery from the spill to this day.9 Keep in mind that companies such as Exxon Mobil stand to gain the most from further oil exploitation in the arctic. Haven’t these companies already done enough harm to this country’s natural beauty and its people?
Exxon (now Exxon-Mobil) is not the only one of the major oil companies with a history of abuse in Alaska. According to the Alaska Wilderness League, “British Petroleum has been convicted and fined 22 million dollars for flagrantly dumping hazardous waste at its "model" Endicott oil field. It required whistleblowers to stop the abuse.”10 Do we want to trust the last 5% of the pristine arctic wilderness in US territory to these profit-driven exploiters of our great land?
Even if this legacy is not enough to convince us to throw these companies out of Alaska there is much more to consider. The reality is that extraction always comes at the price of destruction. Extraction of oil, by its very nature, always causes some damage to the area it is extracted from. Even worse, extracting oil from extremely fragile tundra dominated areas can only be done at irresponsible and unnecessary risk to the majesty of this last remaining arctic wilderness.
According to Edward Markey and Joe Lieberman, “Data from Alaska Department of Conservation show that the Trans-Alaska and Prudhoe Bay oil fields have had an annual average of 409 spills since 1996 of everything from crude oil to acid.”11 The Alaska Wilderness League lets us know that 56,000 tons of nitrogen oxides are released into the air from oil operations in the arctic each year (more than twice the amount of Washington, DC), and “76 contaminated sites and hundreds of waste pits have yet to be cleaned up.”12
Consider this, “The current footprint on the arctic coastal plain includes 1500 miles of roads and pipelines, 150 drilling pads, 1400 production wells, and three jet airports.”13 These activities cover an area approximately the size or Rhode Island.14 This is just what Big Oil has already done to the other 95% of the arctic coastal plain currently open to drilling.
What kind of footprint will be required to exploit the last 5% of our pristine arctic wilderness? Again, the Alaskan Wilderness League has gathered valuable data:
“Drilling on the refuge will require 280 miles of roads, hundreds of miles of pipelines, 50 million cubic yards of gravel scoured from lakes, rivers, ponds, and streambeds. Additionally, production facilities, ports, transportation, and housing services for thousands of workers will also be required.”15
When is enough--enough? Can giving these companies the green light really be the choice a good steward of God’s earth would make?
9. What should we conclude about whether or not the refuge should continue to be protected from commercial exploitation?
While Restoring Eden is not against the responsible use of petroleum products: we must hasten to add that we are very much against the exploitative and irresponsible pursuit of natural resources simply for the sake of profit—especially at the direct detriment and possible destruction of one our greatest national treasures and an ancient culture. To do so would be a betrayal of our God-given charge to be faithful stewards of God’s good creation. For this reason, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge MUST NOT BE OPENED to oil exploration, drilling, and commercial exploitation.
10. What can you do to keep this last 5% of the arctic coast pristine?
There is plenty you can do. First, we must recognize that this issue is one of the heart. The heart of the faithful steward will not allow the irresponsible exploitation of God’s good creation. It is God we serve and God who provides. We must ask for God’s help in this struggle. Without acknowledging our dependence on God and asking for help, we cannot hope to fulfill our role as good stewards. So, we must pray.
Second, although at its core this is a spiritual issue of the heart, we must also acknowledge that the future of the refuge—whether it is protected forever or exploited and destroyed tomorrow—will ultimately be decided in the political arena. In other words, to be effective stewards of God’s creation, we must be effective in the political arena. We must bring as much political pressure to bear on our elected officials as possible. We must ask them to NOT OPEN the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploitation. We must also ask them to forever protect the refuge as a federally designated wilderness area. Restoring Eden has put together some tools for you to do this. Please take advantage of the action section of this newsletter to make our voice louder on behalf of the creation.
Third, please consider not buying products from the three major oil companies active in the arctic—British Petroleum, Exxon Mobil, and Arco. It takes money for them to lobby Congress to open up areas from which they can greedily take natural resources and every penny you don’t spend with them is a penny they cannot use. Also, tell your local merchants of these companies’ products why you will not buy their products. For-profit companies understand the message when their profits are hurt because of their activities.
11. What do you get for taking a stand against the exploitation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
More than just knowing that this special place is protected and its beauty will forever proclaim its Maker’s glory, more than knowing that the Polar Bears, Porcupine Caribou, wolves, grizzlies and hundreds of species of birds will continue to be able to call it home—if we are able to protect this last piece of arctic wilderness we will be able to say we fulfilled our heart’s desires as faithful stewards. We will have fulfilled our charge before God and maintained a core value of our faith. We can be confident that we have been good and faithful servants by helping to protect one of the truly great last “Edens” of the planet.
Works Cited
1. Alaska Wilderness League “Protect America’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge” 2001 p.2
2. Ibid. p.6
3. NIV Genesis 1:31
4. Newman, Sandra quoted in Canada Department of Foreign Affairs “The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge” 2001 p1
5. Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments “Resolution 01-14 To Prohibit Development in the Calving and Post-Calving Grounds of the Porcupine Caribou Herd” 3/18/2001 p.1
6. Manning Elizabeth “Norton: Interior Secretary leaves state with conviction to drill in ANWR” Anchorage Daily News 6/21/2001 p.2
7. Natural Resource Defense Council “ANWR – Drilling vs. Energy Efficiency” 2001 p.1
8. Alaska Wilderness League “Protect America’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge” 2001 p.8
9. Ibid.
10. Ibid.
11. Lieberman, Joseph; Edward Markey “Alaska Refuge Oil Isn’t the Answer” Boston Globe 2/26/01 p.15
12. Alaska Wilderness League “Protect America’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge” 2001 p.8
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
Terra Agape Conference: October 3-5