Protecting the Arctic
- Sydney
- Dec 30, 2020
- 3 min read
On January 6th the Trump Administration is set to auction off drilling rights in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge. Oil Drilling is incredibly harmful to the arctic and its wildlife, and we must act now to protect them.
Disclaimer: This post is not made to target any political party or candidate. This post was made specifically to inform on the current threat to the Arctic Wildlife Refuge.
Let's start with some background information on the Arctic Wildlife Refuge. The Arctic Wildlife Refuge was first recognized with federal protections 60 years ago. Made up of 19.6 million acres, it is home to many species. This includes polar bears, caribou, grizzly bears wolves, moose, and migratory birds from all 50 states. The refuge is one of very few ecosystems on the planet that has remained untouched. It also helps support indigenous tribes, who have lived on the land for thousands of years. Throughout history, protecting this land has been a bipartisan effort.
The plan being pushed would include oil drilling and also seismic testing. Seismic testing is the process of surveying the land for potential oil and gas. This is done by sending vibrations down into the ground, and can only be done in the winter when the ice is frozen and stable. Now that we have a little background information, lets look at the facts.
1. Oil Drilling Facts
Protectthearctic.org states that "oil drilling releases carbon stored in the arctic soil into the atmosphere" They also explain how this will lead to "increasingly volatile shifts in global climate" The arctic is a major carbon reserve and oil drilling would cause this carbon to release and speed up the affects of global warming. Oil drilling can cause air and water pollution, which harms surrounding communities and disproportionately affecting communities of color. The emissions from oil drilling are very dangerous. Oil and gas development destroys the land and causes irreversible damage. Overall, Oil drilling is horrible for our environment.
2. The Unnecessary Risk
24 million acres of the arctic are already open to oil drilling. The process that would normally take place when opening up land to oil drilling has been rushed, allowing more room for error or improper research. Both the US Fish and Wildlife service and the US Geological Survey agree that not enough is known about these areas to understand the possible affects development could have on these areas. Many species are at risk, including endangered species.
3. The Threats it Poses on Wildlife
Polar bears are classified as endangered animals. They are especially sensitive to seismic testing. Seismic testing would occur in critical habitats for polar bears and during the middle of denning season. The vehicles used for seismic testing can destroy dens or just scare bears out of their dens, neither are good. This process puts young cubs at risk because they rely on the dens for warmth in the early stages of their lives. Oil spills are also a threat to polar bears, and according to protectthearctic.org, allowing oil drilling would produce a 75% chance of an oil spill occurring. Polar bears are one of many species that are crucial to the arctic and the whole world. Many of the species in the refuge would become at risk for endangerment or even extinction.
As you can see, the Arctic Wildlife Refuge is a very important place that needs to be protected. Below I have included my sources and also ways to take action. Thanks for reading and please continue to speak out for our planet!
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