Arctic Offshore DrillingOffshore oil and gas reserves, primarily along coastlines in Alaska, California, Louisiana, and Texas, account for a large proportion of the oil and gas supply in the United States. In August 2015, President Obama authorized Royal Dutch Shell to expand drilling off Alaska’s northwest coast. His decision brought into sharp relief the different, oftentimes competing views on the expansion of offshore drilling.Many proponents of offshore drilling argue that tapping into the vast amount of oil and gas reserves in the Arctic will help shore up national security interests for the United States, bolster its economy and workforce, and offer Americans a reliable, safe supply of oil. According to Robert Bryce, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, there are “enormous amounts of recoverable energy resources in the Arctic. The Department of Energy estimates them at something on the order of 400 billion barrels of oil equivalent in natural gas and oil. That’s four times the crude oil reserves of Kuwait.” Framed this way, drilling in the Arctic presents a way for Americans to mitigate risks from dependence on foreign oil and build the local and national economies by creating jobs and supplying cheap oil.A competing point of view charges that offshore oil drilling poses immense risk to the environment while reinforcing a reliance on dirty, environmentally unfriendly sources of energy. Critics claim that industrial activity associated with offshore drilling in the Arctic could harm native animals, including polar bears, walruses, seals, and whales already jeopardized by climate warming and declining levels of sea ice. Environmentalists argue that oil companies have not demonstrated the capability to clean up an oil spill in water obstructed by ice. Furthermore, they contend, extracting oil only perpetuates a fossil-fuel economy and will contribute dangerously to rising global temperature thereby exacerbating climate change.“Granting Shell the permit to drill in the Arctic was the wrong decision, and this fight is far from over,” said Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club. “The people will continue to call on President Obama to protect the Arctic and our environment.”Discussion Questions1. Do you find use of one framework over another more compelling than the other? Why? In what ways do your own beliefs or opinions affect your perspective on this issue?2. Do you think there are unintended or undesirable consequences of framing Arctic drilling as an “either-or” issue, i.e. as one that pits environmentalists against business leaders? Why or why not?5. What would be an ethically ideal way to resolve this issue and why?

IMPORTANT It is not necessary to give equal space to every source on this list. Several can be combined while discussing topics and themes that they have in common. For example: You can write one sentence to discuss three different sources,Social injustices and rural violence are key themes in Eakin (chapter 23), Azuela, and Goodman when discussing . . . and then focus one paragraph on the source that impressed you the most.The role of Roger Casement in Goodman is particularly relevant to this story. . . . (expand here on Roger Casement)AssignmentAn essay/report of 7-10 pages, typed and double-spaced. There is no penalty for exceeding the page limits.Those papers under 7 pages in length will receive partial credit.You will provide selective examples of “How the Americas Change” during the period 1750–2020. Consider the following aspects of change during this period, based on assigned sources and lectures:Imperialism – from the 18th to the 21st centuryPolitical change – revolutions and independence, growth of populist and progressive issuesMigration – both internal and externalWars – civil wars, foreign interventions and invasions, and major conflicts between nationsUrbanization – the growth of major cities, such as New York and Buenos Aires, why they grew and who lived thereIndustrialization – economic change, including the modernization of agricultureMilitarization – political, social, and economic importance of military institutions in North and South AmericaConclude your report with 1 – 2 paragraphs commenting on how the political, economic, and social characteristics of the Americas differ in 2019 from 1750.None of you will create the same paper – but all of your papers will be similar in themes discussed because you have drawn the information for your report from similar sources.Remember to never take TIME (when events happen) for granted – place your report in TIME (when) and SPACE (where).Required SourcesCourse books – select some information from all of these readings: Marshall Eakin, The History of Latin America: Collision of Cultures.Chapters primarily on the 19th century (chapters 13-16)Chapters primarily on the 20th-21st (17-24, Epilogue) centuriesSelect information from at least 3 of these chapters.Mariano Azuela, The Underdogs;Review supplementary readings in this text on the Mexican Revolution.Also watch portions of the documentary on the Mexican Revolution, posted in Module 5.Joseph Boyden, Louis Riel & Gabriel Dumont.Bruce Cumings, The Korean War: A History.Jordan Goodman, The Devil and Mr. Casement.Kevin Starr, California: A History; one chapter.Colin Woodard, American Nations.Read Introduction, skim Part Two; Read Parts Three and Four, and Epilogue.Course filmsComment on information from a minimum of six films from the course site, documentary and feature films.Course articles – select some information from all of these readings:"Background Readings: Americas in the 19th Century"."Comparing Frontiers" and "Frontier Violence in South America".Expanding frontiers in search of economic wealth from natural resources was not just a feature of the Texas/Kansas cattle frontier and cowboys. Present some examples from these sources."Latin America's Wars of the 19th Century".Select and skim two articles from this collection to gain an understanding of how war influence the course of early national development in Latin America.TimelineUse the course Timeline posted in the Lectures (Module 2) to guide your narrative.References to SourcesUse either the name of the author of a work mentioned in your text or a short title of the source. Then highlight that source with Bold lettering. For example:In chapter 18, Eakin alerts us to . . . Further examples of rural violence are evident in The Underdogs and Goodman's study of Roger Casement and violence in the Peruvian jungle.Formatting and Submitting Your PaperYour essay must have a title page, which includes the title and your name as you are enrolled in the course. The title must be centered on the page, with your name, the course number and title, and the date in the upper left hand corner of the page.Your essay will begin on a separate sheet following the title page, and these pages will have page numbers inserted at the bottom. These pages will have 1 inch margins, top and bottom, and will be double spaced. Use a 12 pt typeface, either Ariel or similar face, or Times Roman.