Do you care for the wildlife that surrounds you? Do you believe in the slowing of climate change? Oil drilling has been around for thousands of years, but it has begun to threaten our wildlife in ways that cause permanent damage. Reasons include increased species extinction rates, a declining climate, and the creation of polluted air. These three reasons are the beginning of many, and they illustrate what has really been affected by oil drilling. The prevention of drilling in national parks and wildlife reserves is a crucial step in preserving our Earth.

 The first point of consideration is that the number of species in North America has declined abnormally, mainly due to oil extraction. According to Nik Kohomban, in 2023 alone, twenty-one species went extinct. That means roughly 0.00041% of the species on our earth have vanished in just the United States alone. That might not seem like a lot, but adding three years to it means upwards of sixty-three species could go extinct in the span of those three years. That makes the percentage add up to 0.00096%. With the ever-growing need for oil in this country, more oil needs to be extracted through drilling. In 2017, it was estimated that there were 500 drilling sites in twelve national parks, resulting in about forty-two sites per park. That doesn’t leave enough land for the animals that inhabit the national parks. 

 The second statement to consider is that oil drilling is one of, if not the primary cause, of our declining climate. Approximately 25% of total climate emissions originate from extracting, burning, and transporting fossil fuels (Cagle), and adding that to the 500 sites in National Parks, these alone could lead to a dramatic increase in emissions in our atmosphere. This could cause alterations to weather patterns in certain areas of the country or even the globe. Tropical plants originally found in the southern part of the nation are now being seen frequently in the north (Kohomban). That means the northern United States is becoming warmer with each passing year. With the planet warming, it also leads to higher sea levels, which causes land to shrink as the sea rises beyond the shore. 

 This final statement is about air pollution. Oil drilling has never been a clean process; it frequently results in numerous spills. Drilling releases heavy metals, toxic particles, and volatile compounds (Kohomban). Our earth already suffers from greenhouse gases, and oil drilling doesn’t help much in the matter. These toxic particles mix with our air, which causes issues such as heart disease, preterm birth, and asthma. This not only affects wildlife, but also humans. Anyone living within a 2.5-mile radius of an oil ridge is most likely to be affected negatively. Every time oil is extracted from the ground, it releases a gas called PM2.5, which is considered hazardous, not only to humans but also to wildlife. The amount of PM2.5 floating in our atmosphere increases by two micrograms every time oil is extracted. This could mean that anyone who visits an area close to an oil ridge has a risk of inhaling PM2.5.

 These three reasons: increased species extinction rates, a declining climate, and the creation of polluted air are examples as to why oil drilling should at least be illegal in National parks and wildlife refuges. The main reason Theodore Roosevelt created these National parks was to preserve wildlife, yet oil drilling is doing the exact opposite. It is harming our wildlife as well as the future of our Earth. Climate change has been a persistent problem for decades, and the impact continues to worsen over time. The only way to prevent this from destroying our wildlife is by taking action. Prevent oil drilling in this designated land to allow animals the areas they were granted. Wildlife is more important than oil, and we should treat it as such. 

Cagle, Alison. “Here’s Why Leasing Public Land to Oil and Gas Is a Death Sentence for the Planet.” Earthjustice, 12 Nov. 2021, earthjustice.org/article/why-oil-drilling-public-land-climate-change-harmful.

Kohomban, Nik. “4 Ways Oil and Gas Drilling Is Bad for Wildlife | the Wilderness Society.” Www.wilderness.org 21 Dec. 2023, www.wilderness.org/articles/blog/4-ways-oil-and-gas-drilling-bad-wildlife

(Disclaimer: This petition was made by three high schoolers. The description was written by us, so please be patient while reading. )