Six

Bobby Schneider Kim Fortun Oil Politics Film Annotation #6 – Oil on Ice

It is a known fact that oil and water do not mix, but what happens when the water is replaced with ice? Sadly, it is the exact same scenario. The debate regarding drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is one of great controversy between the supporting economy-lovers and the opposing environment-lovers. While proponents argue that the oil will help to stop foreign dependency and decrease domestic oil prices, opponents fight back insisting that drilling in such a delicate environment will spell disaster for the wildlife and natives who call the refuge their home. A 2004 documentary directed by Bo Boudart and Dale Djerassi, and narrated by Peter Coyote, called __Oil on Ice__, helps to extend the argument against Alaskan oil drilling in an effort to finally put an end to the question that seems to never have a concrete answer: to drill or not to drill?

Playing such a large role in the American way of life, the oil industry has an incredible quantity of stakeholders and social actors, especially when it comes to drilling in Alaska. Not only do oil companies and gas stations benefit from drilling, but trucking companies and companies that build transportation pipelines are both needed to move the oil from the reserves, to processing and refining plants, and then out onto the market. Since mankind relies on oil to heat homes, warm water, and run cars, the human race is the most important social actor related to the resource. More specifically, the native Alaskan tribes, such as the Gwich’in and Inuit peoples, are important social actors within the ANWR debate because in exchange for giving up their land to drilling, oil companies have promised to pay these natives and offer them jobs to help support their families. This money will allow the tribes to have natural gas heaters and working toilets in their homes, something that up until this point in time they have lived without. All of these examples, as well as many more that have gone without saying, make the message crystal clear that everyone is, either directly or indirectly, indisputably connected to the oil industry to some degree.

This film, though focusing much of its attention on the problems that have arisen within the oil industry, finds a way to demonstrate just how dependent we, as humans, actually are on this black gold. The world as a whole burns through a cubic mile of oil annually and America in particular uses nearly ten thousand gallons per second, half of which is used solely for transportation purposes. Nearly 85% of Alaska’s general revenue comes from royalties made on the oil and gas industries. Even native Alaskans have found a way to benefit from oil through the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which allows the natives to trade their land for job opportunities, as well as to earn dividends from the oil industry. Without a doubt, if the oil supply were ever cut off to the United States, the country would ultimately shut down simply because people will be lost and unable to function without it. Luckily, George W. Bush claims that there are ways to obtain the Alaskan oil necessary to meet America’s energy demand domestically while also still preserving the ANWR environment. After all, the nation’s two largest oil projects, Prudhoe Bay and Alpine, are both currently in Alaska, so what is the big deal about adding one more location to the mix? The big deal is that all it takes is one wrong step to take a nearly pristine environment and reduce is to nothing more than a contaminated and uninhabitable wasteland, as has been proven in the past and could easily be proven once more in the future.

While the benefits of oil are many, the risks and consequences associated with the industry are even greater in number. Supporters of the ANWR drilling beg people not to be “misinformed,” claiming that in reality the targeted drilling area is “flat, unattractive. . . [and] not pristine,” even using a plain white piece of paper to represent what the land looks like for three-fourths of the year. However, it just so happens that others have stories of their numerous adventures to the refuge throughout the year and say that wildlife was found in abundance on any given day. When arguing that the amount of space needed for drilling was like dropping a postage stamp on the Senate chamber floor, a point was made that the land area is equivalent to that of the New Jersey Turnpike, which has done its own damage to the surrounding environment. The most well-known environmental concern with oil is its connection to Global Warming, which is occurring faster at the poles of the Earth, causing the effects, such as permafrost thawing and the thinning of ice, to be seen more severely. Sadly, it is not just the environment that is raising concern, but the wildlife in the region as well. Many fear that oil drilling in the refuge will cause these animals to change their migratory patterns, as they have already done in the past. The Exxon Valdez spill of 1989 left thousands of animals dead and thousands more were forced to flee the area as “the Sound became silent.” Even when Exxon ran a commercial telling the general public that Cordova was as good as new, the locals stated “it was all nonsense. Nothing could be further from the truth.” Prudhoe Bay, which lies within close proximity to ANWR, has had countless “small” spills which caused wildlife to avoid the area. As if the noise and spills was not enough to scare these animals off, the drilling process needs water from the local streams, which can disrupt the habitat of many species of fish and birds. In addition, claims have been made that the chemicals involved with drilling are “environmentally benign compounds,” yet they have been proven to cause reproductive harm in animals. While yes the locals have been offered jobs in exchange for the land, the people say “we can depend on the land. We can’t depend on the job.” The oil industry and the natives’ employment will last only temporarily, but the impact that the industry may have on Mother Nature, as well as the natives’ culture and livelihood, could last forever. If they lose jobs, they can revert back to the land and wildlife to survive, but “what do we [the natives] do if the caribou is gone?” As the previous evidence have helped to demonstrate, oil has overpowered the human race and played games with our lives, politics, environment, economy, and health. The question to ask now is: are the economic benefits of drilling worth the adverse impact that it is likely to cause?

If the oil companies cannot even keep promises in areas where destruction has already occurred, such as in Cordova, Alaska, why let them continue to cause trouble? Being such an isolated natural landscape for the natives and wildlife in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a world without oil would simply be the world in which these people and animals already live. Due to the region’s short growing season and brief warm air, the refuge is an ideal breeding ground, which is why nearly one hundred and eighty bird species “feed and breed” in the refuge each summer. The Porcupine Caribou also breed and build up their energy in ANWR before making their 1600-mile journey from Alaska to Canada every year. The migratory patterns of these animals, as well as wolverines, musk ox, and grizzly bears, are an advantage to the Gwich’in people who have “always lived off the land, the sea, and the air,” and they are more than capable of continuing this lifestyle. These tribes on the North Coast of Alaska rely on hunting these native animals along the coast for food, especially the caribou which provide the clothes, shelter, and tools necessary for family survival during “the long, dark winters.” Many feel that without experiencing “the national treasure” that is ANWR firsthand, it will seem as if it is a wasteland when in fact it is so much more. One woman sees ANWR as a dance routine, believing that through experience a person will become one with nature and learn to move with it. At one point she said, “I know the motion of this. My body has experienced this and it feels good.” To put it plain and simple, a life without oil would be just that: plain and simple.

This documentary, for me, was not only informative, but also compelling for a variety of reasons. I was stunned to learn that Alaskan Natives are actually in support of the drilling in exchange for jobs and dividends. Even though they are being compensated for their troubles, I felt that, because their culture and lifestyle is one with nature, they would be more protective of their territory. While I knew what ANWR was and had a general idea of its appearance, I did not know as much about the wildlife as I had thought. For example, it was new information to me that one hundred and eighty species of birds call the refuge home before migrating nearly all over the world. One of the most compelling facts, though not for a good reason, was that the world uses a cubic mile of oil every year, and I was even more disturbed to hear America uses 10,000 gallons each and every second. In my opinion, those numbers should be proof enough of our oil addiction and it should make people realize how unhealthy our lifestyle is. We are losing the ability to say “enough is enough,” and that is going to continue to cause some serious and fatal problems down the road if we do not turn over a new leaf and move away from oil.

Although I did enjoy the film, some of the arguments being made were unpersuasive and borderline pathetic. One of the most untrue claims made was that ANWR is “flat, unattractive. . . [and] not pristine” land. The man who made this claim used a white piece of paper to show everyone what the region looked like most of the time. In all honesty, there are places far more desolate and “unattractive” than Alaska, such as the North and South poles, Siberia, and the Sahara Desert, and even these regions are crawling with various life forms. In comparison to these locations, ANWR is a sanctuary and deserves to be treated as such. Another claim that I was not compelled by was George W. Bush’s promise that oil could be drilled in a way that will still protect the environment, which is, at this point in time, a promise that cannot be kept. The people of Cordova put their trust in Exxon’s pledge to keep the landscape oil-free and that promise was most definitely not kept. I was also not persuaded by the estimation that there was 3.2 billion barrels of oil to be found in ANWR. In reality, until the drilling actually begins and the oil gets extracted, no one will ever know the truth about how much oil exists beneath the surface; could be billions of barrels, could be nothing. More than likely every estimate we hear is higher than expected because if people get the idea that there is an incredible surplus of energy then they may become more inclined to support the drilling efforts, which is unfair.

As explained in the film, in 1985 the economy was on the rise and oil consumption was declining, which is the mix for a very healthy form of living. Unfortunately, this trend did not continue and as oil use, as well as price, increased rapidly, fuel efficiency and the economy began to decline. Now may be the last chance that mankind has to clean up the global mess that oil has created over these past years, so what corrective action has and can still be taken? Perhaps one of the biggest efforts being made is found within the Kyoto Protocol, which is a world-wide agreement amongst numerous nations, one of which is //not// the United States, to reduce carbon emissions and stop climate change. The countries involved are working on fuel efficiency by developing cars that weigh less, have less drag, and run on cleaner forms of energy including natural gas or electric, such as the Toyota Prius. Another form of action which can be taken is to establish more laws and agreements that specifically protect wildlife and the environment, such as the 1987 Agreement on the Conservation of the Porcupine Caribou Herd that protects the caribou’s migratory path and their overall survival. All in all, the truth is that while people can and should make personal efforts to go green, such as buying hybrid cars, using less energy, and recycling, ultimately it is going to take the support of the American government to make nation-wide energy change possible.

This documentary has left me with many interests and curiosities, including researching the extent of any environmental damage caused by drilling in Prudhoe Bay and looking further into the history and culture of the Gwich’in Natives. In an article from the Natural Resources Defense Council, entitled “Oil Development Damages Air, Water, and Wildlife,” the environmental damage which resulted from oil activity in Prudhoe Bay is discussed in great detail, leaving many to wonder if the same thing will happen to ANWR. He opens with the basic facts: aside from Prudhoe Bay, the tundra region is home to more than 220 production drill platforms, over 500 miles of road, nearly 2,000 miles of transportation pipelines, and 4,800 oil exploration wells (page 1). Connecting this industrial chaos with nature, it was stated that because of the cold weather causing permafrost and the remaining soil lacking necessary nutrients, the plant life on the North Slope grows very slowly. Due to this slow and slim growth season, “any physical disturbance – bulldozer tracks, seismic oil exploration, spills of oil and other toxic substances – can scar the land for decades,” even to the point where “the most disturbed habitat,” including roughly 9,000 acres of land, may never recover (page 1). At Prudhoe Bay there is some form of a toxic spill just about every day and in only eight years nearly “4,530 spills of more than 1.9 million gallons of diesel fuel [toxic to plants], oil, acid, biocide, ethylene glycol, drilling fluid, and other materials” has occurred (page 1). Annually, Northern Alaska oil operations release over “70,000 tons of nitrogen oxides, which contribute to smog and acid rain,” and this gas has dispersed as far as 200 miles away (page 1). Making a nice donation to the Global Warming cause, the area emits “7 million to 40 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and 24,000 to 114,000 metric tons of methane” (page 1, 2). A final problem with drilling in this region is its likelihood to contaminate the wetlands and water supply. Reserve pits that hold the waste products from the drilling process contain numerous unhealthy materials such as “acids, lead, pesticides, diesel fuel, caustics, corrosives, and petroleum hydrocarbons” that can easily leak out and find their way into local streams, thus causing years of damage (page 2).

In a second article from the Arctic Circle, called “The Gwich’in of Alaska and Canada,” the history, culture, and lifestyle of the Gwich’in nation is discussed. Living on the southern side of the Brooks Range Mountains, this tribe of approximately 7,000 individuals is scattered throughout the boreal forests and river valleys of northern Alaska within a handful of small villages (page 1). Given that this population’s economy and culture relies heavily on the native caribou, the name Gwich’in, which literally means “people of the caribou,” suits them perfectly (page 1). Looking back on the history of this nation, one learns that while the Gwich’in had “deep spiritual roots” and “‘peaceful intimacy’ with all animals,” the right to hunt caribou (one of the most esteemed creatures of Alaska) strictly belongs to their group. Furthermore, the Gwich’in people feel that animal hunting must be done as humanely as possible because “‘every caribou has a bit of human heart in him; and every human has a bit of caribou heart’” (page 1). Believing that no part of the sacred caribou should be wasted, the skin is used for items such as bags, clothes, slippers, and boots, the bones are used for tools, and the meat is not only eaten, but also exchanged throughout the community as either gift offerings or in exchange for various other materials and goods (page 2). The International Porcupine Caribou Commission, established by the natives, works to ensure the Alaskan tribes will always have the resources necessary to live in sustenance by taking “‘immediate and continuing action for the long-term conservation of the Porcupine caribou and their habitat’” (page 2). The current agreement between the United States and Canada is also a form of protection for both the Gwich’in and the caribou as it protects the caribou’s migratory pattern across the Northern coastlines. Currently, the Gwich’in people are asking for American and Canadian consideration to turn their land into a “‘bio-cultural reserve’” to further ensure the safety, conservation, and prosperity of the wildlife and landscape on which they rely; they have become “active participants in the political landscape of the North American Arctic” (page 3).

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, being the last protected piece of the Northern Alaskan coast left, is a “pure wilderness, almost completely untouched,” but drilling even just a single oil well will change that fact forever. As one person being interviewed stated, “we owe it to future generations” to begin thinking about alternative energies and work to follow a more green and sustainable path rather than staying on the oily path that we have been traveling down for far too long. “America is in this crux and we can decide to behave intelligently and do things differently,” so let’s make the intelligent choice and move away from oil today.

Works Cited

Boudart, Bo and Djerassi, Dale. __Oil on Ice__. Perf. Peter Coyote, Adeline Peter Raboff, and Amory Lovins. Oil on Ice Partners, 2004.

“Oil Development Damages Air, Water, and Wildlife.” __Natural Resources Defense Council__. Last Modified Mar. 10, 2005. < [] >.

“The Gwich’in of Alaska and Canada.” __Arctic Circle.__ __UCONN.edu__. < [] >.