The Chukchi Sea in Alaska could one day compare with the US Gulf of Mexico as a source of energy for the US, according to a statement by Rick Fox, assets manager of Royal Dutch Shell PLC’s Alaskan unit.
Fox claimed that the acreage, off the state’s northwest coast, could yield one of the “potentially most prolific oil fields” left in the world, with some 100 different geological plays estimated.
The US Minerals Management Service estimates that the Chukchi Sea might contain 15 billion bbl of recoverable oil and 2.2 trillion cu m of natural gas.
According to the MMS’s environmental impact assessment, however, new offshore drilling would introduce a 33-51% chance of a major oil spill, an occurrence which could have a severe impact on polar bears and other marine mammals.
Last week, an obstacle to exploitation took place when the National Wildlife Federation urged Congress to protect America’s polar bears from the impacts of climate change. It wants Congress to list polar bears under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Threatened species?
Facing a court-imposed deadline, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) last year proposed to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the ESA. FWS was required by the ESA to issue a final listing decision 12 months later.
FWS missed the deadline nearly 3 months ago, raising suspicions that the administration of President George W. Bush was seeking to avoid scrutiny of oil and gas leases in polar bear habitat under the ESA when it proceeded to sell exploration licenses for the Chukchi Sea on Feb. 6.
“The [ESA] clearly states that listing decisions must be made based on the best available scientific data, not on the political or economic consequences of the listing,” said Dr. Doug Inkley, a senior scientist at the National Wildlife Federation.
“The science clearly shows the polar bear’s future is on thin ice,” Inkley told Congress. “The legal protections provided under the [ESA] would be a first step towards minimizing the impacts of global warming and other threats on the polar bear.”
Northern Lights
Actually, a first step has already been taken in Churchill, Man., by ecotour outfitter Natural Habitat Adventures (NHA), which is helping shed light on climate change while providing real community service to the town dubbed “The Polar Bear Capital of the World.”
NHA’s Bulbs-for-Bears program is enlightening homes and businesses in the 1,000-resident community with some 3,600 compact fluorescent light bulbs provided with the help of corporate sponsor Gaiam.
The donated bulbs are projected to save residents more than $150,000, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To us, that seems like a bright idea—one that balances the need of the bears with those of the people in the region.
After all, no one has proposed that the people of Churchill turn off their electricity. That really could be, uh, unbearable.
