Oil in Alaska

The controversy over President's Bush's proposal to open up land in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has started anew as the Senate debated the bill this week. While the House has already passed a bill that would allow drilling on 1.5 million acres on the coastal plain of the refuge, the issue has seen more opposition from the Democratic leadership in the Senate. Now, the Interior Department is considering limiting drilling to one third of the proposed area, about 5 million acres, in an effort to gain more support for the measure.

While Bush and fellow proponents of the bill have been steadily arguing that increased drilling in Alaska is essential to diminishing our dependence on foreign oil, many opponents claim that little oil would be gained by the venture. Others are concerned for the well-being of the Alaskan wilderness, and would like to see more exploration of renewable forms of energy.

If you'd like to investigate the issue further, we recommend the following books:

Arctic Refuge
Edited by Hank Lentfer , and Carolyn Servid
A rich testimonial on behalf of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Arctic Refuge brings together 32 writers allied in protest of the government drilling in the 18-million-acre enclave. The diverse group of writers includes wildlife biologists, activists, and well-known writers -- Barry Lopez, Bill McKibben, Wendell Berry, and Terry Tempest Williams among them -- as well as former President Jimmy Carter. Passionate, eye-opening, and informative, Arctic Refuge is a moving read and an extraordinary tribute to the wilds of Alaska. Best of all, all royalties from sales of the book go to The Alaska Conservation Foundation.

The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power
by Daniel Yergin
A gripping historical drama that stretches from the origin of the first oil well (in Titusville, Pennsylvania, in 1859) to the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War, The Prize --which, coincidentally, won the Pulitzer Prize -- tells the fascinating story of the vast changes the oil industry has wrought upon our modern world. Weighing in at just over 900 pages, The Prize is a certainly a hefty tome, but the book never ceases to fascinate as fortunes are won and lost, urban landscapes sprawl across the map, and the tug-o-war between nation-states forever transforms life as we know it. A product of meticulous, and doubtlessly painstaking, research that included dozens of interviews with industry leaders, The Prize is not only a great biography of the black gold, but also a thought-provoking investigation of the workings of our modern world.

The Last New Land
Edited by Wayne Mergler
An anthology of Alaskan writing that includes poetry, fiction, nonfiction and traditional folklore, The Last New Land contains contributions from Barry Lopez, Pam Houston, Robert Service, Jack London, Margaret E. Murie, and many others. From wilderness survival tales to Eskimo legends to seafaring exploits to environmental journalism -- including an affecting account of the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez oil spill -- The Last New Land is filled with captivating frontier voices, and serves as a distinctive introduction to literary Alaska.

Charging Ahead
by John J. Berger
Pollution-free transportation, a healthy sustainable economy, and a position at the forefront of the energy technology revolution … sound too good to be true? Not so, says Berger, if we focus our energy efforts toward renewable sources of power such as wind, biomass, geothermal energy, and, especially, solar power. From electric cars to miniaturized solar cells to the wonders of ethanol (a fuel source made from kenaf, a bamboo-like grass), Berger covers the gamut of energy possibilities as he condemns "fossil-fuel lobbyists," paints a grim portrait of our potential ecological disaster, and strongly advocates for changes in our energy attitudes and policies. A valuable resource for those looking to become up-to-date on the soft-path approach.

Two in the Far North
by Margaret E. Murie, illustrated by Olaus J. Murie
First published in 1962, Two in the Far North recounts Murie's early life on the Alaskan frontier before much of the state had even been properly mapped. Considered by many to be the grande dame of the American conservation movement, Murie's reflections upon living in wilderness provide an insightful look at the roots of her activism, but it's her charming tales of hardscrabble Yukon life that truly stand out. Her description of her honeymoon, spent mushing huskies through a vicious snowstorm, is particularly memorable, as are her charming depictions of the remote community of miners, trappers, and Native Americans that surrounded her. A compelling account of a true individual.