Oil on Ice Documentary

In class on January 27 we watch the documentary film Oil on Ice. I knew a little bit about the Alaskan pipeline and that there was a wildlife reserve in Alaska to stop the oil companies from destroying all of the caribous habitat. What I didn't know that was surprising is that in the reserve the government left area 1002 under a special clause that could possibly allow drilling in the future. This area is the main calving grounds for the caribou and it would most definitely effect the herd if there were huge oil plants built there. What I don't understand is that why would the government make a wildlife reserve and then leave a special clause in it to allow some of the reserve to be drilled in the future if they could gain enough support. When you make a national park or a wildlife reserve your supposed to make it to protect the wildlife and land forever. Now that there is a chance, even as small as it is, the oil companies will continue to try and get support to drill there because it would mean more money for them. Oil is one of the worlds most sot after resources and the oil companies are large and very powerful, which is bad for the people fighting against them. I know that George W. Bush wanted to open area 1002 up for drilling but it didn't happen when he was in office. I just hope that Barrack Obama doesn't want the same thing.

Another very interesting thing on the documentary was that in a town somewhere in Alaska they were interviewing the Mayor/Chief about the oil companies. He was angry because they didn't give everybody enough money, that they don't offer any northerners jobs, and that they are destroying their way of life. But as they film him showing up to work he pulls up in his Hummer H1! I mean hes complaining about the oil company's and how they don't help him but he's driving one of the most gas consuming vehicles! This was very ironic and he should really think of all the positive things that the oil companies do for his town like bringing in money to their economy. However there are still more negative impacts of drilling for oil in the north than positive.