Oil on Ice

Filmmakers Dale Djerassi and Bo Boudart's excellent Oil on Ice intelligently argues against oil drilling in Alaska's precious Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, presenting a case that might now be moot in light of the GOP-driven Senate's March 2005 decision to support drilling. A maddening and depressing document of common sense and eco-friendly activism being effectively subverted by greed and deceptive maneuvering, the film demonstrates how political power was abused to utterly disregard the well-reasoned warnings enumerated here. Even staunch Republicans would have to admit that Oil on Ice makes a solid, irrefutable argument against unnecessary oil drilling in Alaska--supported by testimonials from members of the Gwich'in Athabascan Indian and Inupiat Eskimo tribes (whose cultures and lifestyles will be directly affected), and by ample evidence that the refuge's abundant wildlife will be seriously threatened by the expanded intrusion of Big Oil. Also included are numerous news clips that clearly demonstrate misleading tactics by the Bush administration and Senate supporters of big-oil profits, and a persuasive survey of alternate-energy options that put the lie to the "necessity" of Alaskan oil. It's become something of a cliché for left-leaning, environmental documentaries like this to be narrated by liberal activist/actor Peter Coyote, but his contribution here is dramatically moving. Regardless of current legislative realities, Oil on Ice remains a powerful warning and wake-up call. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Shannon)