Nature for Nature's Sake

Recently, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources debated Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski'sproposalto establish a competitive energy resource leasing and development program within a sliver of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) known as the 1002 area. In simple terms, the committee deliberated over the question should we drill. Rather than asking,"Should we drill?" I submit that we ought to reframe the question and instead ask,"Why is a federal government ban on productive economic activity the status quo?" My answer is that this prohibitive norm exists because our public discourse has been permeated by the idea that nonhuman life on earth has intrinsic value and that we as human beings have no moral right to affect it for our benefit.