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Summary Of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge By Jimmy Carter

594 Words3 Pages

Jimmy Carter’s essay “Arctic National Wildlife Refuge” demands that each of America’s citizens consider the environment as an integral part of their lives. Carter’s essay skills help him to make his points ring clear. Furthermore, Carter’s uses of evidence, reasoning, and stylistic devices help him to highlight the fact that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge “should not be developed for industry” (Carter). In order to underscore his primary concerns for this Refuge, Carter includes pertinent pieces of evidence which appeal to logically minded readers. First, Carter notes that this land has been a designated “8.9 million-acre” haven for wildlife since President Eisenhower established it in 1960 (Carter paragraph 5). He expounds upon …show more content…

He states that “at best, the Arctic Refuge might provide 1 to 2 percent of the oil our country consumes each day” (Carter 7). Why on earth would industry pillage this environmental bounty for such a small amount of oil? Carter’s evidence plainly illustrates that destruction in this area is foolhardy. Much of Carter’s reasoning stems from emotional eye witness accounts of his own encounters with the wildlife in this region. After explaining that he has visited this area with his wife and that they had an unforgettable journey peppered with sightings of animals only found in Alaska, he insists that “there are few places on earth as wild and free as the Arctic Refuge” (Carter 8). This declaration strikes readers more because Carter has already discussed examples of the area’s unique natural offerings in prior paragraphs. Also when he reasons that Americans need to consider the fact that many indigenous people rely on Alaskan wildlife’s continuation to support their way of life, Carter further appeals to a reader’s sense of humanity (Carter 6). Essentially, he makes sure that readers understand that preserving this area is important, not just for the animals which inhabit the region, but for the sake of the people who live there

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