Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: An Irreplaceable Treasure
Called “America’s Serengeti” for its tremendous biological productivity and diversity, the coastal plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most intact and untouched ecosystems in America. The refuge is home to 42 mammal species, including more than 120,000 head of caribou; 36 species of fish, and over 160 species of birds. Many of these birds migrate to and from all fifty states and from six continents to feed and reproduce, taking full advantage of the burst of biological growth which blossoms here in the long days of the Arctic summer.
Refuge as a Target
The refuge was established in 1960 under President Dwight Eisenhower, and while much of Alaska remains open to oil and gas drilling, oil and gas interests continue to lobby hard to drill there.
In recent years, the special interests have persuaded their supporters in Congress to force several votes to allow energy extraction in the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge, putting at risk the incredible array of wildlife that rely on the refuge for their survival. While they have gotten close, conservation groups like Audubon have held firm and helped prevent this pro-drilling legislation from moving forward in Congress.
New Opportunities for Protection
With the change in Congressional leadership resulting from the 2006 elections, drilling legislation targeting the Arctic Refuge is not expected to advance very far. In fact, the 110th Congress may even present the opportunity to pass legislation that permanently protects this special place. Bipartisan legislation (HR 39) was introduced early in the 110th Congress by Reps. Markey (D-MA) and Ramstad (R-MN) to make the Arctic Coastal Plain a wilderness area that would be immune from drilling. Drilling proponents have not backed off however, and President Bush’s FY2008 budget proposal includes a section that calls for energy exploration there. A 2007 report from the bipartisan Congressional Research Service sums up the situation
YOU CAN HELP PROTECT THE ARCTIC. Tell your Congressional representatives to support permanent protection for the Arctic Refuge by cosponsoring HR 39.
The Search for Lasting Energy Solutions
Drilling is a dirty and dangerous business that has historically always resulted in spills and harmed the environment. In addition, it perpetuates the nation’s dangerous addiction to oil, which is also a major cause of global warming. Ironically, the very oil that is extracted from the Arctic actually endangers it by speeding global warming, which threatens the habitat of species like the polar bear, which can only survive in colder climates. Major and minor spills occur almost daily in areas of Alaska that are drilled, and these occurrences can cause lasting damage to nature and disrupt our energy supply. In addition, the network of roads, pipelines, gravel mines, and heavy machinery that would be needed to produce oil would industrialize the pristine wilderness of the refuge. Despite what drilling supporters have claimed, energy extraction in the Arctic Refuge would do virtually nothing to bring down energy costs or increase energy security, and new supply would not arrive for years. According to government estimates, oil from the refuge would only lower prices at the gas pump by one penny in 20 years.
There are better solutions to our energy problems that can both protect nature and make us less dependent on oil. Audubon endorses raising fuel efficiency standards, energy conservation, and responsible development of renewable energy sources like properly-sited wind farms, solar power, and biofuels.
We need your help in preserving this unique, unspoiled, and irreplaceable ecosystem! Contact your representatives in Congress and tell them to support HR 39.
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