Is there drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
Trump Administration Allows Oil and Gas Drilling in 1.5 Million Acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Interior Department is opening up the entire Coastal Plain of the refuge to polluters—at the expense of Indigenous peoples’ traditional ways of life, numerous wildlife species, and the climate.
What are some pros of opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling oil?
The argument for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is economic. Proponents say it will create jobs, generate $1.1 billion over the next decade, and make the country more energy independent.
Why should we drill in the Arctic Refuge?
Drilling will also increase oil revenues for the state of Alaska , which is a huge benefit. And drilling oil in ANWR could possibly lower gas prices at the pump. Americans pay a lot of money for gas and for that price to be lowered, even by a little bit, it would be very beneficial.
Did Biden stop drilling in the Arctic?
Biden administration suspends Trump-era oil and gas drilling leases in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Biden administration is suspending oil and gas drilling leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, reversing one of former President Donald Trump’s final environmental decisions before leaving office.
Why is drilling in the Arctic bad?
The vast size, remote location, and extreme weather conditions—combined with the complete lack of infrastructure for responding to oil spills—make drilling in the Arctic Ocean extremely dangerous. Our ability to respond to emergencies and oil spills is severely limited.
Why is drilling in Alaska bad?
There are as many reasons that drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a bad idea as there are caribou that call it home. Drilling in the refuge would damage the habitat of the wolves, muskoxen, arctic foxes, wolverines, brown bears, golden eagles, tundra swans and snowy owls that call it home.
Why Arctic drilling is bad?
Why is it bad to drill for oil in the Arctic?
Expansion of oil and gas drilling in their habitat could be extremely damaging. Direct contact with spilled oil would kill polar bears but an invisible threat could persist for years, as toxic substances lingering in ice or water may impact the entire food web of the Arctic ecosystem for years to come.
How does oil drilling cause global warming?
Burning oil releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to the warming of our planet. In order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, scientists say the world cannot afford to burn more than one-third of known oil reserves.
Is mining in the Arctic bad?
Mining operations in the Arctic do not sufficiently address climate change. Mining is heavily water dependent. Increased water variability can threaten a mine’s rate of production, its dust suppression ability and mine drainage, which could potentially harm the environment.
Is oil drilling in the Arctic bad?
Of course, any new oil or gas drilling also poses a much broader public-health problem: climate change. Every barrel of oil removed from the Arctic Ocean will presumably be burned, releasing carbon dioxide that will spend centuries trapping solar heat in the atmosphere.
Is there fracking in Alaska?
According to the Alaska Oil and Gas Association, approximately 25 percent of Alaska oil and gas wells were hydraulically fractured from 1963 (when fracking first occurred) and 2015. The map below shows where oil and gas operations occur in the Northern Slope (as of March 2017).