During the election last year was when I first became aware of the issue revolving around the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and I did my homework then. Whenever I got stuck in a political debate I had my figures down, and watching the recording of Joe Medeiros brought back memories of debates past. It's always nice to hear your viewpoints echoed by someone so knowledgeable.
The whole speech pretty much hit the nail on the head: 9-12 months of supply and somewhere around a decade before we could benefit from it. And we would basically be destroying one of the most pristine environments left on earth, even if it is only active for 3ish months out of the year. I didn't know this area of the arctic was devoid of invasive species. I'm all for keeping it that way.
One question I still have, although I hope I never learn the answer to, is what impact this development would ultimately have on all the species that reside or migrate there. There is no question in my mind we would lose some, if not most, but I'm actually curious for the Porcupine Herd in particular. Would a decade of industrial development in their breeding grounds force the herd into extinction? The average lifespan of a caribou in the wild is only 8-10 years. If this oil development stresses the herd too much, I can't imagine a better scenario for them.
All in all, great lecture. I'm never let down by Mr. Medeiros, and the majority of the speakers this semester have been great. It's hard to believe we're almost done!
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