Saving The Environment or The Economy: Two Opposing Stances

The state of Alaska is home to some incredibly beautiful examples of nature, and also happens to be home to a large wealth of oil. Since the discovery of the amount of oil off the coast of Alaska, there has been debate of whether to take advantage of this resource and drill the Alaskan oil reserves, or to leave it alone and preserve the nature and wildlife surrounding the state. In the article, “Offshore Drilling in Alaska Should Be Expanded” by author Marvin E. Odum, and the article, “Offshore Drilling in Alaska Should Be Limited” by author Margaret Williams, the two authors convey opposing viewpoints on the same topic. Similar argumentative tactics are utilized in each piece of writing, however Odum’s article ends up being more effective than Williams’s due to a better use of those tactics. The main tactics that the authors used were their facts and evidence, their presentation of their opinion, and their ability to keep the reader interested in their article.

As the head of Shell Oil Company, Marvin E. Odum argues for the expansion of offshore drilling in his article; making claims for the benefit of the United States. His article covers the fact that America has become highly dependent on imported oil from foreign countries and that this is no help to the economic crisis of today. With a few facts for backup, Odum discusses the benefits that the expansion of offshore drilling will bring to the United States. Being the president of Shell Oil, his credibility on the topic is undeniable, as he makes his argument for expansion.

Perhaps the most effective way of portraying a thought or idea is being able to back it up with concrete facts. Throughout Odum’s article, facts can be found, but their effectiveness with respect to the...

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...to back up any statement with a fact is quite possibly the most important factor to an argumentative essay on a controversial issue. Two authors arguing against one another on the same topic proved this by one being able to use facts more effectively. In this case, the facts needed to point to why their argument was more valid, and prove that it was the better option. In the end, Odum’s article does a better job of applying facts to the issue and being able to convey the point with a firm basis.

Works Cited

Odum, Marvin E. "Offshore Drilling in Alaska Should Be Expanded" Offshore Drilling. Margaret Haerens, Ed. Opposing Viewpoints® Series. Greenhaven Press, 2010. Web. 15 Sep. 2011.

Williams, Margaret. "Offshore Drilling in Alaska Should Be Limited" Offshore Drilling. Margaret Haerens, Ed. Opposing Viewpoints® Series. Greenhaven Press, 2010. Web. 15 Sep. 2011.