Environment as Stakeholder

Drilling in the Alaskan Wilderness, the primary ethical issue is environmental, putting petroleum production development against preservation in Section 1002 of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska. Secondary ethical issues relate to specific impacts that development would have on inhabitants of the ANWR, including the Inupiat Eskimos, the Gwich'in, wildlife such as caribou, and wilderness that is represented within this area.

This is an ethical issue because decisions must balance a sense of right and wrong without clear answers when deciding how much wilderness will be protected and what level of development will occur. Members of Congress are the primary decision-makers. The ANWR falls under the jurisdiction of the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, making federal legislators the group that is responsible for setting the overall direction for this protected area. Stakeholders of the ANWR include the Inupiat Eskimos and the Gwich'in.

Both of these groups rely on the resources of the ANWR to support traditional lifestyles that are closely connected to the land. American citizens are also stakeholders, since the ANWR represents both a vast area of protected Alaskan wilderness and significant oil reserves. In this current period of global uncertainty relating to access to international oil reserves, the American public's interests could be best protected by developing additional domestic oil supplies to support the overall economy of the United States. Another stakeholder group is the oil and gas industry.

Lastly, wilderness is a stakeholder, and includes the various components of wilderness such as wildlife and plants. Environmental stakeholders from the above groups include the Inupiat Eskimos, the Gwich'in, and the environment, since all three of these groups require some degree of wilderness to maintain an ongoing traditional existence. Development can negatively impact the traditional lifestyles of the Inupiat Eskimos and the Gwich'in, especially if resources such as the caribou population are negatively affected.

Both of these groups could survive from the economic opportunities that are created from oil exploration and development, but ties to the land could be damaged or eliminated if the environmental damage is too great. Development of the oil reserves could bring noise, pollution, and environmental changes to the area. If these changes are too great, then wildlife like the caribou could be forced into the foothills, with calves being prone to predation and starvation.

This change in habitat could reduce the numbers of caribou to the point that the species becomes rare, endangered or even extinct. The Inupiat Eskimos and the Gwich'in can determine how much they value their connections to the land, and how much they desire economic advancement through development of oil reserves in the ANWR. These groups can make their support known to decision-makers through lobbying efforts. They can also express their opinions to the American public through campaigns and supporters such as environmental advocacy groups.

Wilderness as a stakeholder has no direct voice. Its interests must be represented by federal legislators, traditional users such as the Inupiat Eskimos and the Gwich'in, environmental advocacy groups such as the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, and other organizations that give a voice to wilderness. These diverse groups must determine what level of development will be supported, and then let this desire be known to decision-makers.

Congress must debate if the consequences of development are outweighed by the benefits that would result if development of the oil reserves happens in Section 1002 of the ANWR. Congress can decide if no development will occur, if limited development will occur, or if full development will take place by removing some or all of Section 1002 from the protection of the ANWR. If no development occurs, then the current situation will continue, allowing wilderness to evolve in a natural state.

If limited development occurs, then some impacts will likely occur on the land, the wilderness including wildlife populations and habits, and the groups who rely on the land. The Inupiat Eskimos and the Gwich'in could benefit financially from oil development, but traditions could be negatively affected.