Educational Media Reviews Online

In June 1995, Thompson Valley High School in Loveland, Colorado hosted a Youth Environmental Summit. 300 students from around the world attended to listen to experts and advocates speak on topics such as human rights, rain forests, endangered species, and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It was this last topic - ANWR, as it is commonly called - that garnered the most attention from the young people present.

Considered the Serengeti of North American, a battle wages between those who support the development of this region by oil companies trying to find ever more oil deposits, and those who want to preserve the pristine wilderness and the migratory grounds for 150,000 caribou that are the livelihood of the Gwich’in Indians.

Following this summit, five high school students (three girls and two boys) raised their own money to go by plane, boat, and camper to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to seek the truth for themselves. They knew they would find two diametrically opposed camps, but what they are surprised to find out is that both sides of the argument have merits, and that not everyone living in Alaska is in favor of preserving the ANWR.

Their trip takes them first to the Gwich’in village of Old Crow. The natives share caribou meat with them and talk to them openly about the importance of maintaining their lifestyle and culture. To the Gwich’in, the caribou are everything: food, clothing, and culture. They want to teach the young people and their children how to care for and use the caribou appropriately. Without the caribou they say they couldn’t survive. They don’t want to trade their present life for modern day conveniences and an annual income from oil production. The coastal plain of the ANWR is considered the nursery for the caribou and the biological heart of its ecosystem. The 8,000 people of the Gwich’in nation stand firm about not caving into the pressure they feel from other Alaskans and Native Indians. Members of the Gwich’in nation have been touring since the early 1980s, sharing their cause with Americans in the lower 48 states.

The students then move on to Prudhoe Bay. Along the way they meet and talk with other Alaskans about their feelings related to development in the ANWR. Other Native Indian tribes talk about the Prudhoe Bay development and the modern enhancements it brought to their community and lives. They now have health clinics, streetlights, fire and police departments, and a better life, so they say. Critics say they just burned out on all the meetings and finally gave into the pressure from oil companies. Those in favor say that it is imperative to find and develop more oil. Not only is oil needed in the lower 48 states, but also in Alaska. And the annual money that comes to Alaskans makes their lives easier.

Traveling along the Dalton Highway—the northernmost highway in the U.S.—the students see the Alaska pipeline and learn that it is already obsolete and needs to be replaced within the next twenty years. The 800 mile steel tube stands out on the landscape as a big scar to some, and as a sign of technological advancement to others. The students notice a layer of smog hanging over Pruhoe Bay, and one comments that the nearby town of Dead Horse is just like Gary, Indiana. Prudhoe Bay provides 10% of all U.S. oil, and consumption doubles every decade. Oil Companies have leases on undeveloped land in the Prudhoe Bay area, but they want to develop ANWR. They argue that caribou do coexist with development. Critics of this argument say that it would hinder caribou migration, that ANWR is home to ten times the number of caribou found in other areas. The coastal plain is also home to the endangered musk ox, migratory birds, and polar bears have their winter dens in this region.

Interspersed with their trip are commentaries on the history of conservation in America. One environmentalist remarks that if locals had had their way, we would not have the national parks that we have today: Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, and Yosemite. Always, it was outsiders who championed their preservation and locals who favored their development. Some people see ANWR as beautiful; others see it as unattractive. 3.5 billion barrels of oil are believed to be there, which is the amount Americans burn every nine months. How do you balance these competing views and needs?

The conclusion shows the few senators who are fighting to preserve ANWR (interestingly, from Minnesota and Delaware) and those who are lobbying for its development—the 3 Senators from Alaska and others in Congress, as well as the oil interests.

The closing comments from the students are powerful. Each side has its own beliefs. Instead of choosing who to believe they ask, “Whose beliefs will we choose to respect and support?” They found the answer in the solitude and pristine beauty of ANWR itself and they know what they have to do. The students return home, determined to fight to preserver ANWR. They send letters to Congress, the President, their Senators and Representatives. They make personal visits, talk to fellow students at their colleges and universities, and show slides and pictures of its beauty. Other environmentalists talk about the alternatives our country should pursue: more efficient cars, recycling, alternative fuels (hydrogen cells, natural gas, solar power), and car-pooling. The final message is quite clear: we do have the power to change votes, but only when we send a strong message to our Congressmen.

The technical quality of this video is excellent. The audio is clear and the video images are superb. There is a nice mix of graphics (maps and archival photos) to inform viewers about the locations in the narration. Good editing is evident throughout. Haunting Native American flute music creates the proper mood for this arresting video.

Suitable for all academic libraries, school libraries, environmental studies programs, classroom instruction, and for anyone interested in saving the environment and finding alternatives to oil use and consumption.