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Why We Should Go Nuclear by A.C.

1/19/2021

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PicturePhoto by Boudewijn Huysmans
In the world of energy production, there are many problems that need to be solved, and there is an energy source that can solve many of these issues. The energy source is called nuclear power, and it can address the many problems with energy production today such as reliability, cleanliness, and climate change. Current nuclear energy technology utilizes nuclear fission, the splitting of atoms, to produce energy. Many people have been led to believe that nuclear energy is highly dangerous because of accidents, waste, and weapons, but is it possible that the dangers of these problems have been significantly overblown, and even more common, familiar forms of energy are actually more dangerous? American voters should push for greater reliance on nuclear energy since it is reliable, clean, and safe, and it can help fight climate change, supplement renewables, and it is an energy source that is continuing to improve. 

To start off, people should push for nuclear energy since it is highly reliable. Nuclear energy is the most reliable form of energy production. No other form of energy production comes close to the reliability of nuclear energy. A good way to measure the reliability of a power plant is by looking at its capacity factor. This is the measure of how often a power plant runs during a period of time. It is given as a percentage and is calculated by dividing the power output over a period of time by the maximum possible output during that period of time. For example, if a power plant produced 500 megawatts of electricity in a year, but could have produced 1000 megawatts if it ran at maximum output that whole year, the capacity factor of the power plant for that year would be 50%. According to a graph made by the Department of Energy, nuclear power plants had a capacity factor of “93.5%” in 2019. For comparison, natural gas plants in 2019, which were the second highest to nuclear, had a capacity factor of “56.8%”. Coal plants had a capacity factor of “47.5%”, and solar plants had a capacity factor of “24.5%” (“Nuclear Power Is the Most Reliable Energy Source and It's Not Even Close.”). As you can see, nuclear power plants were far more reliable than other types of power plants. This is due to the fact that nuclear power plants require less maintenance and can go longer periods of time without needing to be refueled. The reliability of nuclear power plants cannot be beat, so people should push for nuclear energy since it will guarantee a stable supply of electricity. 

People should also push for nuclear energy since it is a clean source of energy. Nuclear power plants do not emit any type of pollutants into the atmosphere. For comparison, fossil fuels release pollutants into the atmosphere, such as nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2), which are responsible for many diseases. Per the Nuclear Energy Institute: “These pollutants contribute to stroke, heart disease, neurological disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases, including asthma. Without nuclear power, NOx and SO2 levels in the U.S. would increase by more than 26 percent” (Air Quality). Nuclear energy helps to reduce the amount of harmful pollutants being released into the atmosphere. Without them, the amount of pollutants in the atmosphere would be much higher, and overall public health would be worse. Many people will ask the question of nuclear waste. Nuclear power plants produce radioactive waste which can be radioactive for tens of thousands of years. The nuclear sector is the only energy producing sector that takes full responsibility for all of the waste that it produces. According to the Department of Energy, “...the U.S. has produced roughly 83,000 metrics tons of used fuel since the 1950s…” (“5 Fast Facts about Spent Nuclear Fuel”). This is actually a relatively small amount of waste.

For comparison, coal plants produce significantly more waste. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “...nearly 130 million tons of coal ash was generated in 2014” (“Coal Ash Basics”). This waste is harmful to both the environment and human health and it is poorly contained. Nuclear waste, on the other hand, is safely stored in its entirety to prevent environmental contamination. This waste also isn’t useless. According to the Department of Energy, “Used nuclear fuel can be recycled to make new fuel and byproducts” (“5 Fast Facts about Spent Nuclear Fuel”). Not only is this waste safely contained, it can also be recycled to be put back into a nuclear reactor. Nuclear energy is very clean, so people should support it since it will help ensure good physical health.        

Another reason voters should consider nuclear energy is that it is very safe. This may seem backwards to many people. They will immediately think of nuclear accidents such as the ones at Chernobyl and Fukushima and say, because of those, nuclear energy is dangerous. Although these events were significant, nuclear energy overall has killed far fewer than other sources of energy production. According to the World Health Organization, “Ambient air pollution accounts for an estimated 4.2 million deaths per year…” (“Air Pollution”). Air pollution kills a significant number of people each year, and a large portion of this air pollution comes from power plants that utilize fossil fuels. Because of this, fossil fuels have killed a significantly larger number of people than nuclear energy over the course of history. According to a graph made by Hannah Ritchie from Our World in Data, nuclear energy has killed “0.07” people per terawatt-hour of energy produced. For comparison, coal has killed “24.62” and oil has killed “18.43” people per terawatt-hour of energy produced (Ritchie). She also states “Nuclear energy, for example, results in 99.8% fewer deaths than brown coal; 99.7% fewer than coal; 99.6% fewer than oil; and 97.5% fewer than gas” (Ritchie). All of this data includes the death tolls from the major nuclear accidents at Chernobyl and Fukushima. Based on these statistics, nuclear energy is a much safer form of energy production than other more common sources such as fossil fuels. Unfortunately, most people don’t know this. Nuclear accidents get all of the attention so people think that nuclear energy is very dangerous, but in reality, it really isn’t, and fossil fuels have silently killed millions more over the course of time. Another issue some people will bring up is nuclear weapons. The concern is a nation will build nuclear power plants then utilize the waste products to build nuclear weapons. Although this is possible, it is not a practical way of building nuclear weapons. According to James A. Lake, Ralph G. Bennett, and John F. Kotek from Scientific American, “When nations acquire nuclear weapons, they usually develop dedicated facilities to produce fissile materials rather than collecting nuclear materials from civilian power plants. Commercial nuclear fuel cycles are generally the most costly and difficult route for production of weapons-grade materials” (“Next Generation Nuclear Power”). Countries that want to develop nuclear weapons will typically build facilities that are specifically made to produce materials for nuclear weapons rather than using civilian power plants to accomplish this task. People need to shy away from fossil fuels and move to nuclear as it will create an environment that is safer for their well-being. 

When looking at how to combat climate change, voters should consider nuclear energy since it can help fight this issue. Climate change, which is caused by humans releasing carbon into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels, could result in failing ecosystems, failing food supply, and more frequent significant weather events. Nuclear energy could help combat this since nuclear power plants do not produce any carbon emissions and their carbon footprint is also very small. According to the World Nuclear Association, “Nuclear power plants produce no greenhouse gas emissions during operation, and over the course of its life-cycle, nuclear produces about the same amount of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions per unit of electricity as wind, and one-third of the emissions per unit of electricity when compared with solar” (“How Can Nuclear Combat Climate Change?”). By increasing our reliance on nuclear energy, carbon emissions could be significantly decreased while still supplying reliable, consistent power production. France is a country that is a good example of this. They state, “France generates over 70% of its electricity from nuclear power – the largest nuclear share of any country globally – and its electricity sector emissions are one-sixth of the European average” (“Climate Change”). France has built up a high reliance on nuclear energy and this has enabled them to have much lower electricity sector carbon emissions than most other European countries. Climate change is a serious threat to us all, and voters should push for nuclear energy since it can help us fight this problem.

Voters need to push for nuclear energy since it can supplement renewable energy sources. Renewables, such as wind and solar, are very inconsistent. It is difficult to integrate such inconsistent power supplies onto a power grid. If the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing, they won’t be producing adequate electricity to keep up with demand. According to the Thunderbird School of Global Management from Arizona State University, “The number one challenge for renewable energy is the fact that, in most cases, it’s not always on. You get power when it’s sunny or windy and when it’s not, you don’t. That kind of intermittent generation wouldn’t be a problem if we had a cost-effective, reliable way to store power – but we don’t, yet” (“5 Challenges for Renewable Energy”). Current battery technology isn’t cheap and good enough to store large amounts of electricity that can be used at a later time when renewables aren’t generating enough power. Until battery technology improves, there needs to be a source of power that provides a consistent load of electricity to ensure there is always enough electricity to meet demand when renewables aren’t performing. Nuclear energy is the perfect choice for this job since it is clean, low carbon, and highly reliable. By pushing for nuclear energy, we can help renewables achieve their goal of a cleaner environment and reduced carbon emissions.

The final reason people should push for nuclear energy is that reactor technology is improving. Many of the reactors currently in use around the world are old and have their problems. There is a new generation of reactors, called the Generation IV reactors, which are being developed by an international coalition of 14 countries, including the United States. According to the Department of Energy, “These innovative systems are expected to be cleaner, safer and more efficient than previous generations” (“3 Advanced Reactor Systems to Watch by 2030”). These reactors, such as the molten salt reactors (MSRs) and the sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs), will be able to solve the current problems with nuclear energy. The Department of Energy says that MSRs “...can be tailored for the efficient burn up of plutonium and minor actinides, which could allow MSRs to consume waste from other reactors” (“Reactor Systems”). The MSRs could be able to use nuclear waste from other reactors as fuel. This would reduce the amount of nuclear waste currently being stored. They also state “...SFRs to use both fissile material and spent fuel from current reactors to produce electricity” (“Reactor Systems”). SFRs could be utilized to consume waste from other reactors as well. MSRs have some other benefits in addition to consuming nuclear waste. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, “They operate at higher temperatures, which lead to increased efficiencies in generating electricity. In addition, low operating pressures can reduce the risk of a large break and loss of coolant as a result of an accident, thereby enhancing the safety of the reactor” (“Molten Salt Reactors”). Despite nuclear reactors already being safe and efficient, MSRs are even more safe and efficient than current nuclear reactors. They also state, “MSRs also generate less high-level waste...” (“Molten Salt Reactors”). MSRs produce less highly radioactive waste as well, which means less waste would have to be stored compared to current reactors. The public needs to push for nuclear energy because with more public and political support, nuclear reactor technology will improve even further. 

In conclusion, American voters should urge and elect officials to build a greater dependence on nuclear energy. Many people who opposed nuclear energy may have believed that nuclear power plants are dangerous, provide materials for nuclear weapons, and produce abundant waste, but as the evidence above has shown, nuclear power plants are much safer for human health than fossil fuels, they usually are not used to make nuclear weapons, and the waste they produce is relatively small and is stored safely, unlike fossil fuels that produce significantly more waste that is pumped into the atmosphere for us to breathe. First, nuclear energy is much more reliable than other forms of energy production. Secondly, nuclear energy is very clean as it does not pollute the environment and the atmosphere. Thirdly, nuclear energy is a safer form of nuclear energy since it kills far fewer people than other forms of energy. Fourthly, nuclear energy does not produce carbon emissions which helps in the fight against climate change. Fifthly, nuclear energy can help supplement renewable forms of energy since they are unreliable.

Finally, nuclear energy is improving with new reactor technologies that can solve the current problems with nuclear power. The many problems in the world of energy production can be solved with nuclear energy, but this can’t happen without public support, so go out and press your government officials to seriously consider nuclear energy, and make informed voting decisions that will benefit nuclear power. 
            

Works Cited List“3 Advanced Reactor Systems to Watch by 2030.” Energy.gov, 7 Mar. 2018, www.energy.gov/ne/articles/3-advanced-reactor-systems-watch-2030.

5 Challenges for Renewable Energy. (2018, September 03). Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://thunderbird.asu.edu/knowledge-network/5-challenges-renewable-energy

“5 Fast Facts about Spent Nuclear Fuel.” Energy.gov, 30 Mar. 2020, www.energy.gov/ne/articles/5-fast-facts-about-spent-nuclear-fuel“

Air Pollution.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, www.who.int/health-topics/air-pollution.

“Air Quality.” Nuclear Energy Institute, www.nei.org/advantages/air-quality. “Coal Ash Basics.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 5 June 2020, www.epa.gov/coalash/coal-ash-basics.

“How Can Nuclear Combat Climate Change?” Nuclear Energy and Climate Change - World Nuclear Association, www.world-nuclear.org/nuclear-essentials/how-can-nuclear-combat-climate-change.aspx.

“The Nuclear Debate.” The Nuclear Debate - World Nuclear Association, Apr. 2018, www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/the-nuclear-de bate.aspx.

“Nuclear Power Is the Most Reliable Energy Source and It's Not Even Close.” Energy.gov, 22 Apr. 2020, www.energy.gov/ne/articles/nuclear-power-most-reliable-energy-source-and-its-not-even-close Lake, James A. “Next Generation Nuclear Power.” Scientific American, Scientific American, 26 Jan. 2009, www.scientificamerican.com/article/next-generation-nuclear/.

Ritchie, Hannah. “What Are the Safest and Cleanest Sources of Energy?” Our World in Data, 10 Feb. 2020, ourworldindata.org/safest-sources-of-energy.
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“The Nuclear Debate.” The Nuclear Debate - World Nuclear Association, Apr. 2018, www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/the-nuclear-de bate.aspx. 
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Ban the Bags! by A.M.

1/18/2021

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PicturePhoto by roberta errani
People tend to take the most convenient path even though it may have bad consequences since the consequences don’t immediately or directly affect the person.  This includes the usage of single-use plastic bags.  Using them has bad consequences, but these consequences don't immediately or directly affect us.  For their bad impact they urgently need to be banned. This means a full ban of their usage and not just a tax. People who are against the ban of plastic bags may be clinging to reasons such as your freedom of choice and plastic bags are not causing the environment harm, but instead it is our misuse of them.  However, are these concerns unwarranted?  Is it feasible that these concerns are void and outweighed by the benefits of a ban on plastic bags?   Anyone around the world who uses plastic bags should believe in and support a ban on plastic bags;  humans are in danger from plastic bags, they cause environmental damage, are non-biodegradable, create great wastes when being made, and it harms and kills animals; for these reasons we must make all types of plastic bags banned worldwide.
    To commence, individuals who use plastic bags should make the switch to reusable bags, for the risk they cause to human safety.  Debatewise, a debating website, looked into both sides of why plastic bags should be banned or not banned.  One reason some people may be refuting the ban is they want freedom of choice, [w]hy should we not be free to chose to take a plastic bag? As with everything else there must be a market price for plastic bags that includes the cost of making them and the cost to the environment in the monetary cost (therefore providing revenue to clear up the leftover plastic bags), at this particular price there will still be some people who are willing to pay the cost for the convenience of just being able to pick one up with the shopping, or if a shopper has forgotten to bring their own bags with them they should be able to buy plastic bags at the shop. There is no need for an outright ban on plastic bags.
     For example, if one person stopped using plastic bags for the harm they caused and another did not.  The person who stopped using single-use bags could be killed by the other’s ill choices.  Yes, your plastic bags you thought only hurt other creatures can kill you.  Britta and Qamar, two research scientists for Curious Kids, worked on and published an article on August 2nd regarding how plastic bags harm the environment.  This quote was uncovered in the article, “Many people don’t realise that plastic bags can also cause flooding. Previously in Ghana (in West Africa), plastic bags blocked storm water drains during a big rainstorm. This caused flooding so bad that people were killed.”  This may come as a shock to anyone who does not believe in the ban of plastic bags, but they endanger human beings.  For the threat to our safety and others, plastic bags must be banned.
    In addition, the input of a ban on plastic bags is necessary for the harm they cause on the environment.  Plastic bags are an eyesore to us on land and smother plants on the sea bed.  Britta and Qamar wrote this, “Plastic bags can also smother corals and other seabed communities”...“On land, plastic bags are an eyesore. They get stuck in trees, along fence lines, or as litter at our parks and beaches.”  Plastic bags are killing essential plants on the seafloor and are atrocious to look at when discarded in nature.  An example of the harm they cause the oceans is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.  Akpan, a digital science producer for PBS NewsHour and is co-creator to ScienceScope, wrote, “617,000 square miles...” This is the area of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.  Which from an article posted on the February 11, 2020 from The Ocean Cleanup is the size of …“an area twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France.”  The National Geographic Society posted on the ninth of October in 2012 that, “In reality, these patches are almost entirely made up of tiny bits of plastic, called microplastics. Microplastics can't always be seen by the naked eye. Even satellite imagery doesn't show a giant patch of garbage. The microplastics of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch can simply make the water look like a cloudy soup”...“The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Marine debris is litter that ends up in oceans, seas, and other large bodies of water.”   This example was of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which  is only one of the larger patches of garbage in the oceans.  These patches are, as said in the quote above, made mostly of micro plastics.  Plastic bags cause harm to the seabed plants and on dry land can be eyesores to humans.  Due to the endangerment to the environment, it is essential to ban plastic bags.
    Connecting to the reason above, plastic bags urgently need to be banned for being non-biodegradable.  Plastic bags cause harm to the environment, but the biggest concern is once they get there, they will not go away for a long time.  From the Center for Biological Diversity comes a post, entitled 10 Facts About Single-use Plastic Bags, states, “It takes 500 (or more) years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill. Unfortunately the bags don't break down completely but instead photo-degrade, becoming microplastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment.”  From this article, once a plastic bag gets into the environment, there seems no end when it will stop causing harm.  This is a major problem. From Debatewise this piece of information comes, “An estimated 17 billion plastic bags are given to British consumers. We do not need this many plastic bags in the world. The pollution caused by their creation alone is enough to warrant a ban on their manufacture and their use. In addition, they do not degrade well in our rubbish dumps, so they will remain on this planet forever more. We cannot have this accumulation of plastic bags and the only way forward is to ban their distribution and use.” Having so many plastic bags produced and distributed each year is madness, and there being no end to their harm seems reason enough to ban plastic bags.
     Trailing, single-use plastic bags should be banned across the globe for their waste when being made.  This refutes and counteracts the claim from Debatewise of, “We all have to USE the plastic bags instead of MISUSING it. All of us throw the used plastic bags on roads and other places. Infrastructure needs improvement to recycle plastic bags. plastic bags can be totally recycled. If we are not using plastic bags then we’ll rely on other resources which are paper bags, reality check : production paper bags cannot fulfill the requirements of today’s world.”  This reason does have sense when talking about it being in oceans, but the people who may be latched on to this reason have not looked into the strain plastic bags have on the environment before reaching the consumer.  The making of plastic bags is a complete waste.   When counting what goes into plastic bags you must include both the compounds that make up the plastic bags and the ones used to put those compounds together.  From Debatewise comes this statement, “Plastic bag production uses almost 10 percent of the world’s annual oil supply. Only 3.5 percent of this number are recycled. This means that much of the planet’s precious natural resources are being used to produce plastic bags that many of us maintain are unnecessary. The chemicals and compounds that go into making plastic bags could also be utilized in a far more effective manner.”  This means infrastructure and guiding the use of the plastic bags will not completely fix the problem of plastic bags.  Showing the most effective way to protect the environment from plastic bags is to ban them in all types worldwide.
     Finally, plastic bags most definitely need to be banned for the harm they cause animals.  Plastic bags directly harm the animals, not just their habitat.  Uncovered in Curious Kids article “Turtles (and other animals) may mistake plastic bags for food. Turtles like to eat jellyfish, and we think turtles eat the plastic bags because they resemble jellyfish.  When turtles eat plastic, it can block their intestinal system (their guts). Therefore, they can no longer eat properly, which can kill them.” If the animals aren’t mistaking the bags for food they are tangled in it.  This can be found later in the Curious Kids article, “When plastic bags end up in our oceans, animals (including seals, dolphins and seabirds) can get tangled up in them. An animal with a plastic bag around its neck will have trouble moving through the water, catching its prey or feeding, and escaping predators.”  As the article says animals caught up in a plastic bag will have its ability to travel hindered.  This can potentially starve them or help other species be able to eat them.  To be specific on how many animals plastic bags kill, this piece of information has been collected, “100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags annually...” (10 Facts About Single-use Plastic Bags).  For this reason plastic bags should be banned, or at the bare minimum, cause you to stop using them.
    To come to a close, everyone who uses plastic bags should switch to reusable bags and support the change by calling for a ban on plastic bags.  This means all types of plastic bags everywhere.  Anyone who did not believe in using reusable bags and battled the ban might have been worried about their freedom of choice and the belief that bag don’t actually hurt the environment, just the misuse of them.    These concerns are important, but you may have been overlooking the major damage plastic bags cause.  Having freedom of choice is important, but some don’t care about the environment.  These people who don’t care shouldn’t be allowed to ruin the planet for those who do.  The other claim of bags not harming the environment, but instead the misuse of them, is only partly true.  The misuse of them does affect the damage they do, but the sheer number of them has its toll on the environment, not to mention how bad it is just making them.  Some reasons for why plastic bags need to be banned is that many people do not know, is they are harmful to humans.  Plastic bags can clog drains and cause flooding in a storm.  These plastic bags also cause environmental damage by smothering coral in oceans and being an eyesore to people.  An example being the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is 617,000 miles squared.  Not only do these bags hurt the environment, but when they get there, they don’t go away for a very, very long time, 500 or more years.  Ensuing that, not only do these treacherous bags cause damage after they are handed out, they also are a great waste in the process of them being made.  The compounds needed to make the bags alone are bad, not to mention the chemicals and materials put into the making of the compounds together.  The final plea is one of the most tragic, it is they kill an estimated 100,000 marine animals a year.  Some animals mistake them for food and others get trapped in them.  Both of these scenarios end in almost certain death for the animal.  Don’t take the most convenient path if it has bad consequences even if they might not immediately or directly affect you.

 
Works Cited List

10 Facts About Single-Use Plastic Bags, www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/sustainability/plastic_bag_facts.html.

Akpan, Nsikan. “Great Pacific Garbage Patch Weighs More than 43,000 Cars and Is Much Larger than We Thought.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 22 Mar. 2018, www.pbs.org/newshour/science/the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-weighs-more-than-43000-cars-and-is-way-bigger-than-previously-thought. 

Britta Denise Hardesty Principal Research Scientist, and Qamar Schuyler Research Scientist. “Curious Kids: How Do Plastic Bags Harm Our Environment and Sea Life?” The Conversation, 2 Aug. 2019, theconversation.com/curious-kids-how-do-plastic-bags-harm-our-environment-and-sea-life-98859.

“Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” The Ocean Cleanup, 11 Feb. 2020, theoceancleanup.com/great-pacific-garbage-patch/. 

Krosofsky, Andrew. “Just a Few Choice Arguments as to Why Plastic Should Be Banned.” Green Matters, Green Matters, 22 Oct. 2020, www.greenmatters.com/p/plastic-should-be-banned-arguments.

National Geographic Society. “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” National Geographic Society, 9 Oct. 2012, www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/. 
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“Should Plastic Bags Be Banned?” DebateWise, 9 July 2020, debatewise.org/1011-should-plastic-bags-be-banned/.


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Stop the Drill! by K.M.

1/18/2021

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PicturePhoto by Zbynek Burival on Unsplash
Many common actions we do have huge negative effects on our planet and its inhabitants.  Some reasons you may think drilling is good, is it has immediate economic benefits.  By removing the oil, it also reduces pressure causing less gases to be released.  If the oil that is pushing the gases to the surface is not dealt with, more marine life will die.  You may think the positives of oil drilling outweigh the negatives, but could it be, the negatives actually out way the positives? Proponents of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, in Alaska, should use a better, renewable source of energy,  since drilling for oil can cause harm to wildlife and marine life, drilling can heavily affect the environment, it has a negative effect on plants, and it can cause climate change to speed up.
            Advocates of drilling, you should think about using a more renewable source of energy for the wildlife and marine life that are in danger if drilling happens in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  One reason is drilling can affect the way animals go about their habitat.  The second reason is if an oil spill were to occur, it would mean animals’ lives.  The next two quotes come from the Wilderness Society's article “7 Ways Oil and Gas Drilling Is Bad for the Environment”:  "Oil and gas extraction is a menace to wildlife. Loud noises, human movement and vehicle traffic from drilling operations can disrupt avian species’ communication, breeding and nesting..."  In this quote, it reveals how oil drilling can negatively affect wildlife.  “Big oil spills are known killers of wildlife… Smaller spills, including of other substances in the oil extraction process... can also be dangerous. During oil extraction on land, drilling fluids are injected into the well for lubrication. These oil-based fluids known as "mud" are supposed to be captured in lined pits for disposal, but they’re often spilled and splashed around the drilling site....”  This quote states that oil spills, big or small, can kill wildlife or marine life.  It also states substances used in the extraction process can spill and kill wildlife and marine life.  On the contrary, this next quote informs us that underwater oil pockets can seep out causing a small amount of marine life to die.  "...natural oil seepage accounts for more than half of the oil pollutants in the ocean, which push methane gas into the atmosphere and create oil slicks on the water’s surface that can negatively effect marine populations. Oil drilling reduces the pressure of oil reservoirs underground, which greatly reduces the amount of hydrocarbon seepage – and the amount of methane gas in the atmosphere..." (Flournoy)  Although, if they do extract this oil, it can disrupt the marine life that lives there, and if the oil were to spill, it could be devastating.  This paragraph has talked about how wildlife and marine life are heavily affected by drilling.  Meaning, the animals that were once safe and protected in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would have their lives at risk if drilling took place.  This is one of the reasons why you should use a renewable source of energy.
            In addition, advocates need to consider the consequences to the environment if we do not use a renewable source of energy.  The first two quotes come from the article, “7 Ways Oil and Gas Drilling Is Bad for the Environment”.  The first quote talks about how the damage of oil drilling can be irreversible.  "Infrastructure built for oil and gas extraction can leave behind radical impacts on the land. The construction of roads, facilities and drilling sites known as well pads requires the use of heavy equipment and can destroy big chunks of pristine wilderness. The damage is often irreversible."  If we let drilling occur in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, it could permanently damage the landscape. "The study’s researchers warned that even if oil and gas companies eventually abandon these sites, it can take centuries before the land fully recovers… Development of oil and gas complexes can cause serious and long-term damage to land, including,  Stripping the environment of vegetation, Increasing erosion, which can lead to landslides and flooding, Disturbing the land’s ground surface, Seriously fragmenting unspoiled wildlife habitats"  This quote provides a little hope that the land would eventually go back to the way it was, but it said that it could take centuries. The quote also states some of the actions that need to take place to drill, and that those actions can have a long-term effect on the environment.  What is a little bit of land for such a nice economic benefit you may ask?  It is true that oil drilling is a great way to boost the economy.  With drilling comes more jobs, and the price of oil is good for whichever country has it.  A quote found from an article on the website Scinceing.  “The process of extracting, refining and using the by-products of crude oil requires hundreds, if not thousands of people: the industry built around oil drilling and oil itself creates jobs in a wide number of industries including shipping and transportation as well as medical research – the immediate benefit of oil drilling comes in the form of job creation and economic boosts...” (Flournoy) Are more jobs being made at the cost of our planet really worth it?  The jobs only last as long as the oil is there.  The destruction stays long after the jobs leave.  In all, the environment will get destroyed if drilling happens in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  This destruction may be irreversible, or it will take centuries to go back to the way it was.  This is just another reason to use a renewable source of energy.
          Promoters of drilling, you should also use a renewable source of energy for the plants that are being killed because of drilling.  The subsequent quote comes from the website Sinceing.  “Oil drilling in Alaska can have disadvantages for plant life. Seismic vibrations can disrupt plants' growth patterns. In addition, the infrastructure from oil drilling can cause drainage issues for plants. Infrastructure, particularly road-building, can also lead to alkaline dust spreading across and settling on topsoil. This dust can have negative impacts on plant development and overall health.” (Devaney)  Plant growth patterns get disrupted, the infrastructure required for drilling causes plants to have drainage problems, and alkaline dust gets spread across the topsoil, which has negative impacts on plant development and health.  With our ever growing society we have less and less plant life.  We must keep the plants we have left alive and well.  For the plants, use a renewable source of energy.
          Supporters of drilling, the last point you should consider for using a renewable source of energy is how your lives could be in danger, along with the whole planet.  Drilling can contribute to climate change.  The oil extraction process can cause greenhouse gases to be released into the air.  Also, when oil is used in cars or when it is burned, it can cause these gases to be released.  I found a quote to support this in the “7 Ways Oil and Gas Drilling Is Bad for the Environment” article.  “... humans have been burning more and more fossil fuels, releasing more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These emissions have been trapping unwanted solar heat and causing the planet’s temperatures to rise. The consequences are all around us in the form of longer wildfire seasons, stronger hurricanes and harsher heatwave... Another gas, methane, is released during the extraction of natural gas through the method of “fracking.””  This quote explained how greenhouse gases, including gases released when oil is being extracted, are a direct cause of climate change.  This is one of the many reasons to use a renewable energy source.
            To conclude, advocates of drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should find and use a less harmful, more renewable source of energy.  Proponents of drilling may have thought that the positives of drilling outweighed the negatives.  Two of these reasons may have been that oil can boost the economy, and by taking the oil out from the oceans, it helps marine life.  From one or all of my reasons, you’ve changed your mind to think there are more negative outcomes than positive ones.  Here are the reasons summarized.  First, wildlife and marine life are in danger if drilling happens in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  Next, drilling can have  a huge, negative, environmental impact,  and drilling can have a devastating effect on plants.  Lastly, drilling can cause climate change.  Many actions that happen all around us have huge, negative effects on our planet and its inhabitants.  Have you ever thought about the consequences of oil drilling?  In the same way as other actions, it has a catastrophic effect on our planet.  You can do your part: stop the drill.

Works Cited List

“7 Ways Oil and Gas Drilling Is Bad for the Environment.” The Wilderness Society, 9 Aug. 2019, https://www.wilderness.org/articles/blog/7-ways-oil-and-gas-drilling-bad-environment

Devaney, Erik. “The Disadvantages of Oil Drilling in Alaska.” Sciencing, 2 Mar. 2019, https://sciencing.com/the-disadvantages-of-oil-drilling-in-alaska-13662686.html
​
Flournoy, Blake. “Oil Drilling Benefits.” Sciencing, 2 Mar. 2019, https://sciencing.com/oil-drilling-benefits-6127185.html




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