What’s happening in the Arctic Refuge?
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge stands as the last untouched Arctic wildness in North America and is melting at twice the rate of any other place on this Earth. In 1960, President Dwight D. Eisenhower designated the Arctic Refuge as a protected area. Twenty years later, President Jimmy Carter expanded the land protected area, naming it the Arctic Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
Due to political pressure, part of the coastline was removed from this protection because it continued billions of barrels of oil. In 2017, the Republican-led Congress voted to lift the 40-year ban on energy and development. President Trump’s administration has recently allowed opening up the natural landscape to oil and gas development, putting the landscape and all its inhabitants in danger.
Why should you care?
The landscape is home to over 270 species of wildlife, including indigenous tribes called Gwich’in and Inupiat. Birds from all 50 states rely on the Arctic Refuge for migration. Animals such as caribou migrate to the Arctic coastal plain to give birth to their calves. In the nine months of winter, polar bears replenish their energy and hunt on the ice, but as the region warms up, sea ice and snow are beginning to melt. The polar bears are suffering greatly as their population has declined by almost 40%. Both the Gwich’in and Inupiat have relied on the land for hundreds of years for their food, clothing, and culture. With oil development creeping in, all of their lives are at stake.
How you can help
Researching and educating yourself
Reshare and tell your friends and families about what’s happening
Use the hashtag #ProtectTheArctic
Research Coordinator - Kelly Zarate
Editor - Jigisha Hota
Illustrator - Lily Tan
Graphics - Akshaya Shankarganesh
Resources:
https://www.nrdc.org/protect-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge
https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/imperiled-polar-bears-face-new-threat-in-alaska-s-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge
https://www.alaskawild.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Arctic-Refuge-brief-history-2018.pdf
Research Coordinator - Kelly Zarate
Editor - Jigisha hota
Illustration -
Graphics -
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