An argumentative debate on why usa exploiting oil reserves back home is preferable to alternatives

Drilling for Domestic Oil

As the world’s oil supply is being diminished, the turmoil regarding it increases. The United States, one of the largest consumers of oil, uses roughly 30% of the world’s supply and is in need of a domestic supply to reduce import expenditures. It is believed that Alaska’s oil supply could supply our country with oil needed to both reduce imports and create hundreds of thousands of jobs for our economy. Should the United States drill for oil in Alaska’s wilderness?

The United States should drill for oil in the Alaskan wilderness because it will provide many job opportunities. According to Document B, if we begin drilling for oil, 750, 000 jobs are estimated to be created. These jobs will greatly benefit our economy by drastically dropping the unemployment rate and opening job opportunities for people who do not have the college education required to have a scholastic occupation. Also, in Document D, the Inupiat Eskimos of Barrow, Alaska say that they want to drill for oil as it would benefit their economy. If drilling were to begin, the Inupiat Eskimo’s economy would benefit because they would have nearby job opportunities and more people would be nearby to do business with. People coming to Alaska to drill for oil would also create a need for more housing, grocery stores, restaurants, etc, greatly benefitting the economy.

The United States should drill for oil in the Alaskan wilderness because it will generate more revenue for the government. As seen in Document B, the oil drilling would generate an estimated 4. 2 billion dollars within five years after being approved by government according to the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Interior. With the additional money, the government could make its first steps towards paying of the tremendous debt that they’re in, they could spend it towards making domestic improvements, etc. Also, in Document D, the Inupiat Eskimos say that they rely on the land and resources of the nearby land for their economic well-being, meaning that if the United States were to begin drilling for oil in the northern slopes of Alaska, the indigenous Inupiat Eskimos would greatly benefit from the money waiting to be unearthed in the oil wells.

The United States should drill for oil in the Alaskan wilderness because it will support self reliance, therefore strengthening the country. In Document B, it is shown that the United States imports up to 64% of its oil being used. This means that the United States is too reliant upon other countries for its oil, so if an embargo were to go into effect and we were no longer able to import oil from foreign countries, oil prices would increase exponentially. Also, since we are so reliant upon other countries for oil, they can manipulate the prices for it at free will. If we begin drilling for domestic oil, we can become more self-sustained and less dependent upon other countries to supply us with our necessities. Also, in Document D, the Inupiat Eskimos say that the area represents the United State’s best hope for significant domestic deposits of the critical resource. In other words, the Eskimos are suggesting that drilling for oil in Alaska is smart because it is one of few opportunities to create and support self reliance.

The United States should drill for oil in Alaska’s wilderness because it would provide a plethora for job opportunities, it will generate more internal revenue, and it will support self reliance. I believe that the United States should have begun drilling for oil a long time ago, because we are now far too dependent upon other countries for our basic necessities. Since the majority of our oil is imported from foreign countries, they can manipulate us and the prices however they wish. Since oil is also a depleting resource and it is becoming one of the most necessary commodities to our nation, we should cut back on our usage of it and begin to drill for it domestically to reduce the risk of an economic oil crash.