Conservation Focusing on Animal Extinction - Assignment Example

Conservation focusing on Animal Extinction In the contemporary discussions about nature and conservation, debates concerning conservation issues haveassumed an important part, and such issues include logging in National Forests, livestock grazing on public lands, finding water supplies for growing cities, and drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge etc. There have been several conservation movements in the contemporary world which, according to Samuel P. Hays, have contributed to the political drama of the twentieth century and the events of the movement, cast in the framework of a moral struggle between the virtuous 'people' and the evil 'interests', expresses the crusading quality of the conservation movement. People engaged in the fight for conservation, in a worthy and patriotic cause, most often try to sully their reputation by opposition, and the dramatic fervor of such opposition has constituted a major liability. It is also important to recognize that conservation neither arose from a broad popular outcry nor centered its fire on the private corporations which have often supported conservation policies. "Conservation, above all, was a scientific movement, and its role in history arises from the implications of science and technology in modern society. Conservation leaders sprang from such fields as hydrology, forestry, agrostology, geology, and anthropology It is from the vantage point of view of applied science, rather than of democratic protest, that one must understand the historic role of the conservation movement." (Hays, 1999, p 2). Therefore, conservation issues have historically offered topics of debates and one of the ongoing political controversies in the United States since 1977 has been the debate concerning oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). It was heatedly debated in the political and conservation arena whether the United States Congress should allow drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and the Senate approved drilling in the ANWR in Alaska in 2005, by a 51-49 vote. A reflective analysis of the debate about whether to drill for oil in ANWR offers an effective illustration of the contemporary debates concerning nature and conservation, and this paper summarizes the arguments on both sides of the debate to show the similarity of this issue to the history of conservation outlined by Hays. Debates over conservation issue concerning drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge have a pertinent role in the understanding of Hays's view that one must understand the historic role of the conservation movement from the vantage point of view of applied science, rather than of democratic protest. The debates over this conservation issue have been in place ever since President Jimmy Carter approved a bill in 1980 for the approval of the Congress to allow drilling in ANWR. It has been one of the most-widely used issues as political device, by both the Democrats and the Republicans. The major argument against the drilling in the 1002 area of ANWR is that it would potentially harm the natural wildlife in the area, especially the calving ground of the Porcupine caribou, whereas the supporters of oil exploration in the region highlight the amount of economically recoverable oil, relating to the world oil markets. The major arguments in favor of oil drilling in the 1002 area of ANWR underlie some basic assumptions about 'Nature' and economic growth and the debates concerning the topic illustrate that the wise use of natural resources may be either technical or largely political. According to the supporters of oil drilling in ANWR, it could radically lower the price of oil, which can lead to a major economic boom, and it can be effective measure to lessen the nation's dependence on foreign oil, particularly in the Middle East. As opposed to the arguments of the critics of the procedures, they maintain that drilling could be done without disrupting the sanctuary or damaging the environment. Similarly, it can considerably help the economy and the people of Alaska and create hundreds of thousands of jobs. To the opposing group, "it takes the focus off the real cause of the oil shortage -- our excessive consumption A wildlife refuge could be disturbed by humans, with animal lives possibly changed in the process The drilling may not yield much of anything It could take years or decades before any significant amount of oil is ready for use The reserve can be saved as a last resort decades from now when we've exhausted other supplies." (Messerli, 2008). A reflective analysis of the debates concerning oil drilling in the area of ANWR raise the questions regarding the wise use of resources on the basis technical explanation (i.e., they may have scientifically right and wrong answers), or political strategy. The technical explanation concerning the issue suggests that the oil drilling is scientifically right and should not be used as a political weapon. The United States of America, the industrially and technologically leading nation of the world, still depends greatly on foreign oil for its machinery and auto mechanics, and it essential for the nation to make use of its major oil resources without much environmental issues. "Our strength lies in technological innovation; it always has. Our cars and trucks account for 70 percent of oil consumption. This is auto mechanics, not rocket science. If the scientists of the 1960s could find a way to respond to President Kennedy's Cold War challenge to put a man on the moon, surely our technological geniuses of the 21st century would respond to a presidential challenge to free ourselves of the oil cartel by increasing our automobile fuel economy by 50 percent or more within a decade." (Alexander and Markey, 2005). Thus, an environmental as well as economic perspective of the issue concerning oil well drilling can be greatly advantageous for the nation's development and the debates over conservation issues should not block these economic opportunities. In conclusion, debates concerning nature and conservation, with regard to drilling for oil in ANWR, substantiate Hays's view that one must understand the historic role of the conservation movement from the vantage point of view of applied science, rather than of democratic protest. References Alexander, Lamar and Markey, Ed. (2005). "To drill or not to drill (oil well drilling environmental and economic perspective)." Entrepreneur. Retrieved 24 October, 2009, from http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/133947029.html Hays, Samuel P. (1999). Conservation and the gospel of efficiency: the progressive conservation movement, 1890-1920. University of Pittsburgh Press. p 2. Messerli, Joe. (2008). "Should the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge be Opened to Oil Drilling" Balancedpolitics.org. Retrieved 24 October, 2009, from http://www.balancedpolitics.org/anwr_drilling.htm Read More