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Ireland Malone Professor Radcliff ENGL 101A 7 April 2023 The…
Ireland Malone Professor Radcliff ENGL 101A 7 April 2023 The Disastrous Impact of Climate Change on Alaska Project Willow. The name could not have been chosen at random. The tree that was chosen to stand as the figurehead for a project that threatens to have such a massive impact on nature has long been viewed as a symbol of sorrow and mourning. With its drooping branches and sullen appearance it has long earned its moniker, the “weeping” willow. Standing forlorn at the water’s edge, it gazes upon the beauty that we take for granted. It watches helplessly as we savagely shred its homeland for our selfish gain. Those in power knew all too well what they were doing when they chose this name for such a foul undertaking. People all around the world have been faced with climate change and its undeniable effects. Climate change is today’s most serious global issue. Although some people disregard evidence of climate change, the effects are most apparent in Alaska due to oil drilling and the use of fossil fuels. How did this endeavor begin, what impact might it have on our planet, and what outcome can we expect for our children and their children’s children? The emergence of the Willow Project has sparked many conversations related to the fate of Alaska. When the Biden administration granted permission for oil production on Alaska’s North Slope, Americans expressed their outrage at this decision. According to a Yale PCCC survey, 49% of Americans believe global warming is caused mainly by human activities (2). The question wasn’t whether global warming exists; it was whether we were to blame. How could we not be? Did a bill sign itself, and oil magically pump itself out of the ground? Many Americans took to social media to express their anger and to create petitions for the project’s cancellation even going as far as protesting in the streets. However, their efforts were cut short when the Biden administration disregarded their pleas and proceeded with the Willow Project. With the Willow Project now in the works, it is predicted that 287 million tons of carbon emissions will be released into our atmosphere, resulting in an increase of global warming (6). When carbon dioxide and other air pollutants accumulate in the atmosphere, they capture sunlight and solar radiation that has bounced off the earth’s surface. Normally, this radiation would escape into space, but pollutants, which can linger in the atmosphere for years or centuries, trap the heat and cause the planet to heat up, resulting in global warming. Evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global warming. The concentration of atmospheric components that absorb or scatter radiant energy is changing as a result of ever-expanding human activity. Human needs are constantly expanding as we strive to satisfy not only our constantly growing number of mouths but also our insatiability. Born into a constant state of want, what we have is never enough. We want to go faster and farther, grow and cook our food better, have things delivered to us, and stay at a perfect temperature year-round. Furthermore, the majority of the observed warming over the previous 50 years is certainly due to the increase of greenhouse gas emissions (2). The primary cause of greenhouse gasses is the burning of fossil fuels, which emits massive amounts of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. High levels of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere increase global temperatures and contribute to climate change. Although the use of fossil fuels is the primary cause of global warming, the now-approved oil drilling project in Alaska is second in line. Climate change is more than just a shift in weather patterns. Global warming’s effects are becoming more frequent, strong, and widespread. Glaciers and sea ice are melting, causing a rise in sea levels and extreme weather events are becoming more prevalent as a result. In January 2014, the Eastern and Southern United States were faced with severe frigid temperatures that shut down power grids, closed schools, and killed more than twenty people. Overall, this event had an impact on the lives of more than 187 million people as a result of climate change (2). Despite the frequency of natural disasters caused by climate change, it also has a disastrous impact on our oceans. Drilling for oil will not only release 287 million tons of carbon emissions into the atmosphere, but it will also increase the chance of oil spills, which can irreversibly damage the ocean and endanger marine life (7). The ocean has long faced the consequences of man-made global warming. Being the planet’s largest carbon sink, the ocean absorbs excess heat and energy trapped in the Earth’s system as a result of greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, the ocean has absorbed approximately 90% of the heat caused by these growing emissions (3). Warmer waters can feed larger and larger storms. We are currently facing record-breaking hurricanes, droughts, freezes, wildfires, and tornadoes. It’s a very comforting thought to think that we are somehow not to blame for all of this. The reality is that we are. It’s our own nature that causes us to commit such destructive acts to selfishly fuel our needs. It makes us feel good to act as if buying a Tesla or avoiding bacon is making a huge difference in the preservation of our planet, even as we stand back and let that be undone and then some. Humans have always impacted our planet in many ways, e.g. overpopulation, pollution, burning fossil fuels, and deforestation. Changes like these are what led to climate change, soil erosion, poor air quality, and undrinkable water. Furthermore, the Willow Project was founded on human selfishness. Despite President Joe Biden’s promises to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and transition the US to clean energy, he approved this project despite knowing how much carbon pollution it will produce. Developing and burning oil from the Willow project would produce up to 287 million metric tons of carbon dioxide over the next 30 years at a time when the United States urgently needs to move away from fossil fuels (8). According to the Native Movement, the Willow Project’s developers conducted little research on the project’s effects on Alaska’s indigenous communities (1). Members of the community have expressed concerns about how the direct impacts of oil and gas extraction on their communities have caused sick fish, malnourished caribou, and toxic air quality. They also expressed concern over a lack of adequate consultation prior, the severe impact on the health of community members, and the loss of access to food resources (1). The Willow Project will not only have a negative impact on indigenous communities, but it will also have an impact on marine life. The Willow Project reduces the amount of surface infrastructure in ecologically sensitive regions like nesting areas for yellow-billed loons, caribou calving grounds, and caribou migration routes (4). The approved version of the project, for example, contains 21,114 fewer acres of caribou disturbances than the project proponent’s plan. Even with mitigation measures in place, certain impacts on caribou are unavoidable (4). Willow would also result in the loss of 532 acres of wetlands, 619 acres of polar bear habitat disturbance, and 17,037 acres of bird disturbance. Long-term mitigation, monitoring, and enforcement must be enforced to ensure that development around Willow’s drill sites has the least impact on the region’s diverse wildlife and native traditions (4). In order to preserve our planet, greenhouse-gas emissions must be cut in half by 2030 and reduced to zero by 2050. Both governments and businesses must take bold, swift, and extensive action. However, the shift to a low-carbon society requires citizen participation. For example, we can lessen our reliance on fossil fuels, but this is insufficient if citizens don’t participate. Furthermore, governments must implement carbon pricing, phase out fossil fuel subsidies, and invest in a transition to clean energy. The government must impose a tax on fossil fuels to ensure that both consumers and producers bear the entire cost. Renewable energy will become more competitive as a result, increasing the motive for energy companies to switch. Consumer demand will be reduced when the price of fossil fuel energy rises, and higher gas prices will encourage people to lower the warmth of their central heating and prevent wasting energy. To stop global warming, we must be motivated to find a solution. We will never solve this problem if we continue to stand here and do nothing. Knowing that our planet is in danger and that it is up to us to solve this problem should be enough of a reasoning. People should be motivated by an understanding of a non-monetary value. Offering our time, energy, and resources with no expectation of material recompense other than the satisfaction of being a part of something bigger than ourselves should be the biggest incentive of all (5).
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Peer Response Sheet
Read the paper through once, rather quickly, without pausing to write comments. Then put the paper aside and
answer the following questions without looking back. (If you can’t answer the question, write “I don’t know.”)
1. What single feature of the paper stands out to you as a reader?
2. What do you think is the writer’s main point?
3. Was there anything in the paper that seemed confusing to you? (If so, explain briefly).
Now reread the paper, making any comments in the margins you feel would be helpful. Try to com-ment on
development and organization of ideas: Do you understand the points the writer is trying to make? Do ideas
seem well-connected? Remember, you are not being asked to evaluate the paper; you are being asked to
respond to it with an eye toward helping the writer improve it.
4. Underline the thesis statement. Is it clearly stated? If not, what seems confusing?
5. Is there any place where the writer needs to support an idea with more concrete detail or explanation? If so,
where?
6. How well does the writer make transitions between his/her main ideas? Identify places that need better
transitions.
7. How well does the writer use quotations or citations of ideas form the sources. Are source(s) referenced
appropriately? If a citation is missing state where.
8. List at least two ways in which the essay could be improved.
9. List at least two things you like about the paper.
10. What would you like to know more about? What questions do you still have?
11. Ask of the essay “so what?” after you finish reading. Write sentence or two paraphrasing the point of the
paper, answering the question, “in what way(s) is this interesting, surprising, intriguing, etc.?” If the paper lacks a “so what,” point that out and discuss the possibilities.
