阿拉斯加的石油开发与环境保护运动:冲突与平衡

Oil Development and Environmental Protection Movement in Alaska:Conflict and balance

1968年,阿拉斯加北坡发现了大量的石油和天然气。石油开发者要求修建跨阿拉斯加石油管道,开发石油并发展当地经济;而环境保护主义者极力反对石油开发,要求保护阿拉斯加原始荒野。阿拉斯加成为开发势力与保护势力持续冲突和角逐的战场。经过一系列的冲突和斗争,跨阿拉斯加输油管道最终建立起来,而环保主义者在冲突中也有所收获,最终赢得了阿拉斯加大面积的土地保护立法。1989年发生的埃克森·瓦尔迪兹号漏油事故,是石油开发不顾环境保护而引发恶性后果的典型表现,引起各方势力的关注、思考和行动,并由此大大提高了在阿拉斯加以及全美海洋石油贸易中的环境保护力度。阿拉斯加的石油开发与环境保护在持续冲突中,达成各方势力的微妙平衡。与此同时,开发与保护活动都是由超越阿拉斯加的国家利益驱动的,相互关联又相互牵制,最终表现为美国能源政策与环境政策的平衡发展趋势。可以看出,在美国,能源开发政策高于环境保护政策,但不及环境治理政策。

In 1968,a large number of oil and gas was discovered on the north slope of Alaska.Oil developers called for the construction of the trans-Alaska pipeline to develop oil and local economy;while environmentalists,who strongly oppose oil development,want to preserve Alaska′ s pristine wilderness.Alaska has become a battleground for ongoing conflict and rivalry between development forces and conservation forces.After a series of conflicts and struggles,the trans-Alaska pipeline was finally built,and environmentalists gained ground in the conflict,eventually winning extensive land conservation legislation in Alaska.The Exxon Valdez oil spill accident in 1989 is a typical manifestation of the malignant consequences caused by oil development regardless of environmental protection,which has aroused the attention,thinking and action of various forces,and thus greatly improved the environmental protection in Alaska and the offshore oil trade in the United States.Oil exploration and environmental protection in Alaska strike a delicate balance in an ongoing conflict.At the same time,both development and protection activities are driven by national interests beyond Alaska,which are interrelated and contain each other,and ultimately show the balanced development trend of American energy policy and environmental policy.In the United States,energy development policies are higher than environmental protection policies,but lower than environmental governance policies.