Save Alaska's Wilderness

Author's Note: There are a lot of people who are asking if we should drill for oil in Alaska's wilderness. I will be talking about what my opinion is on whether or not they should drill for oil in Alaska's wilderness.

Many people are wondering, should we drill for oil in Alaska? There are many factors to take into consideration like, environment, money and you also have to think about the people that live in Alaska. You need to think about how this will affect them and their home. There should be no drilling for oil in Alaska, because of environmental issues, economic issues and lastly how it will have an impact on the people who live in Alaska.

One of the reasons that I think that drilling in Alaska is a bad idea is because of the economy. According to http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-oil-drilling.html we already use thirty billion barrels of oil per year and oil keeps getting harder and harder to find. If we keep using the amount of oil we are using we won’t have any oil left. The solution to this is that we should cut back on oil so we don’t have to rely on foreign oils, and so we don’t use all of the oil that’s left in the United States. We are using way too much oil in the United States.

Not only is the economy a big reason that we shouldn’t drill for oil in Alaska, the oil would also have a big impact on the environment. Oil is very messy and can destroy the entire Alaskan wilderness especially if there is an oil spill. According to, http://www.scienceinthenews.org.uk/contents/?article=59, if an oil spill occurs, it can take months to years to clean up all the oil and thousands of animals will still be killed in the process. The oil can be very harsh on plant life also; once the plants are damaged it can take decades to recover from the oil says, http://www.unc.edu/~money/geography/anwr2.html. Not only that but Alaskan wilderness is a sanctuary and birthing ground to many animals. If oil spills, those animals will be either killed or forced to leave and find a new sanctuary and birthing ground. That’s why drilling for oil in the Alaskan wilderness will have a big impact on the environment.

While economy and environment are reasons that drilling for oil in Alaska shouldn’t be done there is also the people in Alaska to think about. Like how their lives and homes will be affected because of the drilling for oil. The oil industry promised to preserve the Alaskan environment but what if they break their promise and make a huge mess, then the Alaskan wilderness will be ruined and the Inupait people, who are native to Alaska, will have no wilderness for hunting or making money. Also the Inupiat people say they want their environment to be clean, but if there is one mistake on the oil industries part, their precious wilderness is gone and will take years to get back. People in Alaska need to be considered before they even think about drilling in Alaska’s wilderness.

As you can see, the oil companies shouldn't be allowed to drill in Alaska’s wilderness because of the environment, the economy and the people in Alaska. The United States needs to cut back on oil because the oil that they would get from Alaska would only last approximately six months. So, remember try to conserve oil because we are using too much oil and we can’t rely on foreign oils forever.

One Thing Leads to Another

Author’s Note: Depression is a very dangerous and sensitive subject to some family’s especially when one of their own teens’ struggles from it. I will be talking about a book that I think hints to a case of teen depression due to bullying.

Imagine sitting on your couch, feeling as lifeless as a bag of bones, hopelessly depressed. This is how the main character in All Summer in a Day, Margot, felt. Margot was tortured at school  every day for trying to share with the other kids who don’t remember the sun, what it was like, how wonderful the glistening sun felt against their dull pale skin. The main character in All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury, Margot, shows through symbolism in the book that she is most likely in a state of depression due to constant bullying.

Margot used to live on earth like you and me, but when her dad got a job on Venus her whole life changed. On Venus it’s always raining except for two hours every year. When Margot moved there she was judged as spoiled, a know it all, just plain ignorant. Her classmates always picked on her and put her into a spiraling state of depression. Except for one day when the sun was supposed to come out she had been talking about it all day, and so her classmates decided to lock her in a closet and she never saw the sun. This part of the book is when Margot’s depression really seemed to stick out.

Margot is not the only teenager who struggles through depression. According to teendepression.org, about 20% of teens will struggle through depression before they reach adulthood. Most cases of depression come from bad friends, bullying, and broken homes and the main character Margot had two of three of those things. One thing that really surprises me is that Margot’s parents don’t even seem to notice that their daughter has no friends or self confidences, which are common traits in teens going through different phases of depression, like Margot.

Most causes of depression starts with a bully. According to martialartsforpeace.com, one of four kids are bullied and seventy-seven percent of student are bullied. Like in All Summer in a Day, Margot was bullied which cause her struggles with depression. She was bullied because she was different and more often than not, students are bullied for what makes them different or unique. Under no circumstances is bullying okay; it should be monitored throughout the school, because when teachers are looking, bullies don’t bully.

In the book All Summer in a Day, Ray Bradbury shows that Margot is going through a state of depression due to constant bullying and explains that through symbolism. Over 34,000 people die from suicide every year and currently suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death in the United States according to, http://theovernight.donordrive.com. Next time you see someone getting picked on or bullied think about the effects that has on the persons’ life because, bullying leads to depression and depression leads to suicide. Think about the effect your decision will have on their life.