L5- Arctic Challenge Flashcards
What has happened to the gas and oil fields by the end of the 20th Century?
By the end of the 20th Century many of the most accessible oil and gas fields had already been discovered and exploited.
What is the population of the people living in the Arctic?
4 million people
State two disadvantages of exploiting oil and gas in the Arctic.
1) Severe/ harsh climate conditions
2) Remote Location
It’s severe climate and remote location makes it a challenging location for exploiting oil and gas reserves.
Developments of oil and gas fields have huge environmental impacts in the Arctic. State two groups that are at a disadvantage because of these developments.
1) The Gwich’in who live within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, close to the Point Thompson development.
2) The Caribou (reindeer) population
What was the Exxon Valdez tanker and when did it happen?
Exxon Valdez tanker was the most newsworthy spillage as it was an oil disaster that happened in Southern Alaska in 1989, which posed a huge threat to wildlife in the region.
What is Point Thompson?
It is a facility that aims to produce 10,000 barrels of gas a day, much of which will be exported to Asia, increasing American export earnings.
It is located in an isolated area of Alaska’s northern coastline by oil company Exxon.
What is the one advantage of exploiting gas in Alaska than in the UK?
Oil reserves in Alaska are four times bigger than the UK’s reserves. They are estimated at 35 billion cubic feet of gas, which means that there is more supply.
What are the 3 main Economic benefits related to this oil and gas exploitation project?
1) More employment - up to 800 jobs will be created.
2) 25% of the revenue will go directly to the state of Alaska (the money can then be spent on people living in the region)
3) The cost of the project is only $4bn, whereas the value of the revenue is estimated at $45bn.
Why is the Arctic a fragile ecosystem?
The ecosystem can be easily damaged and it would take a long time to recover.
State one disadvantage within simple food webs in the Arctic.
Damage to one organism has significant consequences for other species.
