Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Pumped into Commission
             United States oil companies depend on U.S. land for domestic oil production just as the United States needs domestic oil companies to be more energy self-sufficient. The demand for oil has become a topic for discussion and how to obtain it is an even bigger concern. The President and other politicians have been debating whether or not to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil production. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, known as ANWR, is 19.5 million acres of wildlife reserve in northeastern Alaska. The land is filled with many animals, including polar bears, wolves, wolverines, and grizzly bears, which make their home in the reserve. Designated for protection in 1960 by President Eisenhower, the refuge has been a critical spot for environmentalists for years, while being coveted by some of America's biggest oil companies. After Congress banned oil development in the refuge, oil industry lobbyists and Alaska's congressional delegation have sought to overturn the legislation. Still others in Congress have tried to end the debate by declaring the refuge's oil-rich coastal plain a permanently protected wilderness. Opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to the highest bidding oil company would not only ensure the ruin of the Alaskan habitat, but also waste time and money.
             Oil companies are still rushing to open little known, but remarkable, wild lands in Alaska's Arctic to drilling oil. ExxonMobil and British Petroleum (BP) have been leading companies in Alaskan oil production. BP is rigorously examining all the options for commercializing the Alaskan gas reserves. BP is also working to make sure that exploration would be as safe as possible ("Alaska" 2). To make exploration safe, BP and other oil companies use a three-dimensional subsurface image, known as 3-D seismic. This exploration technique lets geologists see the oil reserves...