High Gas Prices Put Arctic Refuge at Greater Risk
It is summertime, and the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is operating at its biological peak. Hundreds of thousands of baby birds, tens of thousands of caribou calves, brown bear cubs, and countless other newborns are adjusting to life in the land of the midnight sun.
But in Washington, anger over high gasoline prices has created a volatile political climate that puts this natural treasure at greater risk. “Too many politicians feel pressure to do something about our energy problems, even if that something makes no sense,” says Leslie Catherwood, associate director of The Wilderness Society’s Wildlife Refuge Program. “We are reminding them of the federal report documenting that even if drilling in this wilderness did bring up a commercially viable supply of oil, pump prices probably would drop by only about one penny—20 years from now.”
In late May, with little warning, House leaders brought a stand-alone Arctic drilling bill to the floor. The GOP leadership knows that it has the votes to pass such a measure, but we were heartened by the 225-201 vote, which is the best showing for conservationists in five years. “It was encouraging to see 30 Republicans continuing to stand strong against drilling and several historically pro-drilling Democrats switch,” says Maribeth Oakes, who oversees our work on national wildlife refuges. The Anchorage Daily News declared passage of the measure “mostly for show,” as Arctic champions in the Senate declared any drilling proposal “dead on arrival” on their side of Capitol Hill.
“Senator Ted Stevens and others who are comfortable with turning the refuge into a sprawling oil field will continue to come up with ways to try to get drilling legislation through Congress,” says Oakes, “so we and our many partners intend to continue mobilizing the intense citizen opposition to this ill-conceived proposal.” The state of Alaska, which is Stevens’ home, has budgeted $3 million for a pro-drilling PR campaign.
Meanwhile, we continue to work toward the ultimate solution: passage of a bill that would make the refuge’s coastal plain part of the National Wilderness Preservation System and thus off-limits to oil rigs, pipelines, airstrips, and all the other infrastructure that would sprawl across “America’s Serengeti.” Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT) introduced such a bill (S. 543), while Representatives Nancy Johnson (R-CT) and Ed Markey (D-MA) took the lead on H.R. 567, the House version. .
