The United States has a vast amount of oil underneath the surface of the ground and must be able to produce it to see the many benefits.  Producing oil domestically would boost the economy, create jobs, and bring overall prosperity to the country as a whole but specifically to those oil producing regions.  There are however many environmental factors to be mindful of when it comes to environmental impacts, safety, and responsibility of those doing the drilling.  Alaska specifically has trillions of gallons of oil beneath the surface and would likely be a starting point to extract oil for the United States.  
The issue of domestic oil production is vital to the success of the United States and the ongoing need to transport people and products around the world.  The cost to fill up a tank of gas has gone down significantly within one years’ time and will hopefully be good for the economy or not.  While it might be good for the economy in the short term it might not be good for everyone in the long term.  With the decline in oil prices as of recent many people have taken a step back and have begun considering the effects of oil prices and what can be done to sustain this drop in oil price.  The United States has spent $7.1 trillion dollars on imports into the United States with a large chunk of that being spent on oil.  Being reliant on foreign oil is not sustainable.  The Northern part of the United States holds billions of gallons of oil that should be used within the country.  As the world becomes a more global economy the United States must be able to increase domestic oil production.

	The oil crisis of the 1970s appears to be when the concept of domestic oil became popularly debated and researched.  At the time, most Americans believed that there was actual shortage and the price increase was artificial in order to boost profits of the oil companies.  In the article by Dinneen and Cook, they discuss the location and technology used to extract oil from shale formations.  While the location has not changed much, the technology has, allowing for once inaccessible oil to be retrieved.  Dineen and Cook explained the process of extracting oil and the regulations and approvals that are needed before anyone ever drills a single hole in the 1970s.  This again seems to be very similar to the present oil crisis conversations.  In terms of progress, the United States has been plagued with red tape and over regulation of domestic oil found.
	The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or ANWR is one of the largest pieces of protected land in Alaska.  It is thought to contain trillions of gallons of oil but is currently protected under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act that was passed in 1980.  This act was put in place to protect wildlife, natural resources and national interest into using the land for recreation.  There is also a section that is separate from the wildlife refuge where oil research is conducted.
