The state of Alaska is home to some incredibly beautiful examples of nature and coincidentally is also home to great oil wealth. After the discovery of the amount of oil off the coast of Alaska, there has been discussion about whether to exploit this resource and extract Alaska's oil reserves, or 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 in the article “Offshore Drilling in Alaska Should Be Limited” by author Margaret Williams, the two authors express opposing views on the same topic. Similar argumentative tactics are used in each paper, however Odum's article ends up being more effective than Williams' due to better use of such tactics. The main tactics used by the authors were facts and evidence, the presentation of their opinions and the ability to keep the reader interested in their article. As head of Shell Oil Company, Marvin E. Odum advocates the expansion of offshore drilling in his article; make claims for the benefit of the United States. His article deals with the fact that America has become heavily dependent on oil imported from foreign countries and that this does not help the current economic crisis. With some supporting facts, Odum discusses the benefits that expanding offshore drilling will bring to the United States. As the president of Shell Oil, his credibility on the subject is undeniable, as he supports expansion. Perhaps the most effective way to represent a thought or idea is to be able to back it up with concrete facts. Facts can be found throughout Odum's article, but their effectiveness relative to the... center of the paper... in supporting any statement with a fact is quite possibly the most important factor for an argumentative essay. on a controversial issue. Two authors discussing the same topic proved this, as one of them managed to use the facts more effectively. In this case, the facts had to demonstrate why their argument was more valid and demonstrate that it was the best option. Ultimately, Odum's article does a better job of applying the facts to the issue and managing to get the point across with a solid basis. Works CitedOdum, Marvin E. “Offshore Drilling in Alaska Should Be Expanded” Offshore Drilling. Margaret Haerens, ed. Opposite Viewpoints® Series. Greenhaven Press, 2010. Web. 15 September 2011. Williams, Margaret. “Offshore drilling in Alaska should be limited” Offshore drilling. Margaret Haerens, ed. Opposite Viewpoints® Series. Greenhaven Press, 2010. Web. 15 September. 2011.