Persuasive Speech on Drilling for oil in Alaska's Wildlife Refuge - Essay Example

Earth is a planet suffering from the consequences of human ambition and our desire to dominate the globe. The planet is a single entity that is suffering the devastating consequences of the industrialization movement of humans during the last 100 years in which humans failed to adequately protect the earth’s natural resources and innocent wildlife. A place where the destructive action of humans is clearly evident is in the northern hemisphere. Alaska is a global treasure that must be protected. It is currently being targeted by the petroleum companies as a place for oil drilling exploration. The plan is an action that threatens Alaska’s wildlife refuge and its animals many of them who are species already in danger of extinction.

The levels of pollution an oil operation would release in the ecosystem can cause great damage to the natural habitat of animals in the Alaska wildlife refuge. “Destruction, Degradation, and fragmentation of habitat is a driving force behind today’s decline in species and biodiversity” (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service). The production methods of an oil exploration and manufacturing operation release high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other toxic gases and industrial waste. Pollution and carbon dioxide emissions released into the atmosphere are the most influential factor that is causing global warming on earth. Global warming is increasing the overall temperatures, which in turn is melting the north and south poles regions and other cold areas on the planet. The winter cycle is becoming shorter for the animals in Alaska living in that habitat. Many of these animals migrate between seasons and climate changes are interfering with the normal natural order. An oil exploration operation in the area would generate unwanted toxic waste, pollute the environment and accelerate the atmospheric damage in this geographic coordinate.

At times when the interest of a group of humans interferes with the well-being of other species of animals on our planet humans utilize certain solutions which in their mind solve the problem, they are causing. One common solution is to move the animals to other areas or to zoo facilities. In the Alaska case, this is not a viable solution. The damage an oil operation creates affects the entire animal population in the area. It would be impossible to move all the animals elsewhere especially since there are very few places on earth with particular habitat characteristics in the area. The animals must be protected.

A way to ensure the survival of the animals in this area is for the U.S. government and its pertinent agencies to declare the entire region a natural reserve and prohibit any industrial activity in the area. The world must turn elsewhere and to other alternative energy sources such as electric, wind-powered, solar, and hydrogen energy systems to stop its dependence on petroleum. Even if society wants to continue its destructive path under no circumstance can they interfere with the wildlife in the state of Alaska? Humans have already caused the death and extinction of enough animal species in the past. This solution is an alternative that can be implemented immediately at a relatively low cost. A governmental agency such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would have to place personnel in Alaska to protect the government-proclaimed national reserve region.

The people that think that the U.S. oil reserve in Alaska should be exploited now to lower gas prices and help the economy believe creating a national reserve would stop that economic interest is not visualizing the big picture. The damage that oil exploration in Alaska would cause to the earth’s ecosystem in this region has much larger environmental, social and economic consequences than high gas prices. In this region their plants and animals living in area that is the key for future cures of human diseases. Great findings and inventions of drugs are engineered from natural elements found in remote places.

It is in the best interest of all earthling creatures to declare the Alaskan wildlife refuge region a protected natural reserve.