Arctic drilling raises environmental concerns

John F. Seiberling would not be pleased. The Akron Democrat who represented this area in the U.S. House for eight terms ending in 1986 counted among his finest achievements the protection of 67,000 square miles of Alaskan wilderness. Soon a portion along Alaska’s North Slope will be open to oil and gas drilling . ...

The exploring and drilling fuel obvious economic activity, and advocates contend the oil and gas operation can be conducted with minimal intrusion on the ecosystem. That latter contention deserves much skepticism.

Most telling, advocates fail to show the necessity for disturbing such precious wilderness, for violating the Seiberling principle.

Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, insists that drilling will “provide for our nation’s energy future,” supporting energy independence and national security. Yet projections indicate differently. If oil is extracted, it would be a puny addition, increasing American oil reserves to 3 percent of the global whole . ...

If anything, drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should be a last resort, a necessity required to put at risk such pristine and revered lands. That just isn’t the case now, especially in view of the changing climate and energy priorities.

Read the full editorial from the Akron Beacon Journal at bit.ly/2B9kCkX