8.5 The challenges and opportunities of Alaskan oil Flashcards
What is the trans-Alaskan oil pipeline
The pipeline is 800 miles long and 48 inches in diameter. It costs US$8 billion in 1977. It moves oil from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez Port and provides 20% of US oil. The pipeline was considered necessary to overcome the challenge of the ice sheets in the northern seas
What are the economic opportunities in Alaska
Employment - 1 in 7 Alaskans work in the 100,000 jobs available in the oil industry
Taxes for social development - oil industry provides 90% of Alaska’s taxes and this pays for education, health and policing
Caribou migration route - not disturbed, in certain places the pipeline passes underground and is thickly insulated to ensure it does not freeze
Zig zag pipeline - pipeline adjusts to ground movement during earthquakes
What are the cost (environmental challenges) of economic development in Alaska
Migrant worker - take many of the jobs available and do not spend the money earned locally, impacting the economy in Alaska
1989 Oil Spill - 5000 sea otters killed
2006 Broken pipeline - spilled 1 million litres of oil
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is home to polar bears, wolverines and snow geese but there are up to 16 billion barrels of oil underneath 80000 sqkm site. Ongoing political battles
To what extent can the environmental costs of economic development can be overcome
Environmental costs can be overcome so long as there is balance between economic development and environmental needs
Vast wilderness is fragile and must be protected, particularly as new areas for exploration such as the ANWR are part of ongoing political battle
Describe Trans-Alaska Pipeline System
- Designed and constructed to move oil from the North Slope of Alaska to the most northerly ice free part
- Delivers 20% of US domestic oil production
- Crosses three mountain ranges and 834 rivers and streams
