The Benefits of ANWR & the Case for Offshore Drilling in Alaska

It's been 19 years since the Exxon Valdez tanker ran aground on Prince William Sound and dumped more than 10 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Alaska. Widely considered the largest ecological disaster in US history, it is the benchmark many environmentalists turn to when the potential hazards of oil drilling, production and transportation are discussed.

Since the spill, oil transportation has become a heavily regulated industry, and steps have been taken to ensure that accidents like the Valdez don't have such devastating effects on the environment. Congress, for example, has enacted legislation requiring all tankers to be double-hulled by 2015. It's estimated that had the Exxon Valdez been double-hulled when it ran aground, it likely would have spilled 60 percent less oil.

With recent fuel prices driving the debate over whether domestic oil production should be increased, Alaskans are overwhelmingly on the side of opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas development. They argue that new oil development technologies will allow companies to tap underground and produce reservoirs with a much smaller "footprint" on the surface. Advocates estimate that less than 2,000 acres would be affected.

Last week, Gov. Sarah Palin sent a letter to members of Congress lobbying for permission to open ANWR to gas and oil production, assuring them that any development there would be conducted in an environmentally safe manner.

If anyone can speak about being lobbied about the need for oil production in Alaska, it's Buck Wolf, About.com's Guide to Weird News. Wolf and his new bride recently spent their honeymoon in Alaska. I interviewed him about his trip, and was intrigued by what he learned about the ANWR debate.

“It’s every person you speak to who wants to open it up," Wolf said. "Even the guy at the Sharper Image at the airport mentioned it. It's not just country the clubbers ... although they want it, too.”

Just recently, offshore oil drilling has become a hot topic, and Alaskans are embracing this possibility, as well.