Oil and gas development in America’s Arctic promises devastating impacts on our global climate, on the human rights of the Indigenous Peoples who live and depend on the lands they consider sacred, and on the millions of birds, fish, and wildlife who rely on this one-of-a-kind ecosystem. We can't let that happen.
Add your name now to say no seismic testing, no oil drilling, no industrialization of any kind in this special place.
Join us in demanding that our voices be heard. Help us protect the Arctic.
Some places are too precious to drill: the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of them.
Encompassing almost 20 million acres of America’s wildest and most pristine public lands in the far north of Alaska – an area roughly the size of South Carolina – the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge provides critical habitat for iconic wildlife species, sustains the livelihoods of Indigenous peoples residing in the region, and offers landscapes beloved by hunters, anglers, and recreators alike.
The biological heart of the Arctic Refuge is the Coastal Plain. The Coastal Plain is vital habitat for countless wildlife species – including threatened polar bears, caribou, and nearly 200 species of migratory birds. The Gwich’in call this landscape ‘The Sacred Place Where Life Begins’. It is here that the Porcupine Caribou Herd migrates to each year to give birth and nurse their young. The Gwich’in are spiritually and culturally connected to the caribou, and rely on the herd for subsistence hunting, and every aspect of their traditional livelihoods.
The Gwich’in – along with Iñupiat land protectors – have lived in relationship, relied upon, and worked to protect these lands for generations. In 2020, the United Nations took extraordinary measures to call for an investigation into the United States regarding violations of the Gwich’in’s human rights from proposed oil and gas development in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
In addition to these serious ecological and human rights concerns, oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge doesn’t make economic sense. Drilling in the Arctic is extremely hazardous and expensive. Many companies have abandoned their plans for development due to uncertainty, costs, and unpopularity. Major oil companies have chosen not to lease lands in two previous lease sales in the Arctic Refuge. Banks have been unwilling to finance projects, and insurance companies have been reluctant to underwrite them.
Americans want to protect the Arctic. Harms caused by industrialization in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will outweigh any profits. We, the undersigned, urge you to keep harmful seismic testing, oil drilling, and industrialization of any kind out of this culturally and ecologically valuable place.
Sincerely,