Question: With the increased global demand for oil and gas, undiscovered areas of the world should be opened up to access more resources. To what extent do you agree?
As global demand for oil and gas continues to increase, some people argue that previously inaccessible areas should be explored to obtain additional resources. I largely disagree with this view because expanding fossil-fuel exploration could damage natural ecosystems and wildlife while increasing dependence on non-renewable energy.
One of the main reasons why I disagree with this view is that searching for previously inaccessible areas to obtain additional fossil-fuel resources could destroy natural ecosystems and wildlife habitats. This is because expanding exploration into new areas requires large amounts of land, and companies have to use heavy drilling equipment to build the necessary infrastructure. Additionally, digging up large areas of land can destroy and pollute natural habitats, while drilling activities may disturb surrounding wildlife and local ecosystems. As a result, these activities can immediately disrupt wildlife and damage fragile ecosystems. In the long term, biodiversity may decline significantly, and some environmental damage could be difficult or impossible to reverse. For example, drilling activities in remote forests or offshore areas could disturb wildlife and create pollution if fuel or chemicals leak into the surrounding environment. Hence, increasing oil and gas supplies should not come at the expense of environmentally sensitive areas.
Another important reason is that increasing access to new fossil fuel resources could make countries more dependent on non-renewable energy and may disrupt the development of green energy sectors. This happens because governments continue investing more and more when they are getting new sources of non-renewable energy that are available. Moreover, authorities give less attention and spend less money on renewable technologies, such as solar, wind and low-carbon sectors. Consequently, reducing emissions from non-renewable energy is difficult to control and to respond effectively to climate change. For example, if the authority gets more and more fuel sources in the undiscovered areas, it could inspire them to prioritise non-renewable sources instead of renewable sources.
In conclusion, I do not believe that undiscovered areas should be opened up simply to satisfy the growing demand for oil and gas. Although this could increase energy supplies, the environmental damage and continued reliance on fossil fuels would create more serious problems in the long term.