The Alaska Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is rich in mineral resources and is home to many animals. Recently, the U.S. government announced that it will lease parts of the protected area for oil and gas development. Experts fear the move will damage the protected area environment and threaten the survival of wildlife.
"60 years of protection overturned"
On the 17th, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt announced a lease plan for the Alaska Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (hereinafter referred to as the Arctic Animal Sanctuary), in which about 1.5 million acres of coastal plains will be leased for oil and gas development.
△ Location of the Arctic Nature Reserve Image source: BBC
The Arctic Animal Sanctuary covers approximately 19 million acres in northern Alaska, USA, and became a federal reserve in 1960. The controversy over whether to develop an Arctic animal sanctuary has been going on in the United States for decades, and since the 1970s, U.S. lawmakers have repeatedly proposed plans for oil drilling in the reserve, but they have been stranded due to opposition.
In 2017, the White House passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which empowers the U.S. Department of the Interior to develop a lease plan and assess impact. In an assessment released last September, the U.S. Natural Resources Defense Council noted that oil extraction could threaten the protected wastelands that are home to many animals. However, on the 17th, the US Department of the Interior still announced the lease plan.
The Economist magazine said that "the exploitation of oil in animal sanctuaries is economically and ecologically meaningless". The New York Times reported that the move "overturned 60 years of conservation measures," noting that Trump has been increasing oil drilling in Arctic animal sanctuaries as his achievement in securing U.S. "energy independence."
Karin Ichak, alaska chief of the Wilderness Conservancy, said in a statement that the U.S. government's move "ignores science, takes shortcuts in public procedures, and irresponsibly helps oil companies obtain leases for the coastal plains." ”
△ The steering committee of the local indigenous organization Gervais said on social media that "the struggle to protect the reindeer calves in North America is not over." ”
These animals can all be affected
More than 200 species of birds live in the Arctic Animal Sanctuary, as well as Arctic foxes, black bears, brown bears, reindeer and many others.
In an interview with the BBC, Kristen Monsell of the U.S. Center for Biodiversity said oil drilling programs could lead to a range of problems such as noise pollution, habitat destruction, oil spills, climate change and the homes on which wildlife depend could be destroyed.
△ Polar bears in Alaska Image source: Visual China
According to Monsell, once an oil spill occurs, polar bears will be deeply endangered. Polar bear fur is very easy to absorb oil and is difficult to clean. Oil can irritate the skin, damage the fur, and potentially affect internal organs, ultimately leading to the death of the polar bear.
△ North American reindeer in the Arctic Animal Sanctuary Image source: The New York Times
In addition, the noise generated by drilling activities can affect the reproduction of animals in protected areas. Maggie Howell, executive director of the Wolf Conservation Center, noted that coastal plains are the calves of North American reindeer, and that deer herds migrate north to give birth every year, and drilling activities will greatly interfere with their lives.
△ Musk oxen is also one of the species living in Alaska Image source: Visual China
Howell also said: "If it is not safe in animal sanctuaries, where can animals live? Leaving habitat, where can they meet their survival needs? ”
Executive Producer 丨 Wang Shanshan Zhang Ou
Producer 丨 Wang Wei
Editor-in-chief 丨 Li Ying
Editor 丨 Chen Ningzeyi