alaska
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Biden administration considers new oil drilling limits in Alaska
The Biden administration is evaluating further restrictions on oil drilling in Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve, potentially designating more areas off-limits to development.
In short:
- The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will seek public input on expanding “special areas” in the 23-million-acre reserve, which could restrict new oil exploration.
- The move follows the approval of the controversial Willow oil project, which could add up to 199 new wells in the reserve.
- The evaluation will involve consulting with Indigenous tribes and communities reliant on the reserve's resources for subsistence.
Key quote:
“We have a responsibility to manage the western Arctic in a way that honors the more than 40 Indigenous communities that continue to rely on the resources from the Reserve for subsistence.”
— Tracy Stone-Manning, BLM Director
Why this matters:
Increased restrictions on drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska could significantly impact oil production and the local economy, while aiming to protect vital ecosystems and Indigenous ways of life amid rapid climate change.
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Credit: Alexis Mette/Unsplash
Alaskan Indigenous communities adapt to climate change
Alaska’s rapid warming forces Indigenous communities like Point Hope to adapt their traditional lifestyles to changing conditions.
In short:
- Alaska is warming up to three times faster than the global average, severely impacting Indigenous communities reliant on ice and wildlife.
- Traditional practices are being adjusted; for example, people in Point Hope adapt by changing their hunting and food storage methods.
- Community projects, like building a pool in Bethel, prepare residents for unpredictable conditions caused by climate change.
Key quote:
“You can’t really change the Arctic. You can only change with the Arctic.”
— Priscilla Frankson, Iñupiaq student
Why this matters:
Indigenous communities’ adaptation strategies offer practical examples for dealing with climate change. As extreme weather becomes more common, these approaches highlight the importance of local, knowledge-based solutions.
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Credit: Tomas Gonzalez de Rosenzweig/Unsplash
Young Alaskans file lawsuit to halt massive gas export project
Eight Alaskan youths are suing the state over a $38.7 billion gas export project, arguing it violates their constitutional rights by exacerbating climate change.
In short:
- The Alaska LNG Project includes a gas treatment plant, an 800-mile pipeline, and a liquefaction plant, which will significantly increase the state's greenhouse gas emissions.
- Plaintiffs, aged 11 to 22, claim the project infringes on their rights to natural resources and protection from government overreach, as stated in the Alaska constitution.
- The lawsuit, filed by Our Children’s Trust, aims to prevent the state from proceeding with the project and establish a legal precedent for climate justice.
Key quote:
“The acceleration of climate change that this project will bring will affect what the land provides and brings to my culture.”
— Summer Sagoonick, lead plaintiff in the case and a member the Iñupiaq tribe
Why this matters:
This case illustrates the legal battles young people are waging to protect their future from the impacts of climate change. The outcome could set a significant precedent for environmental justice and state responsibility.
Be sure to read EHN’s related coverage:
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In an era of climate change, Alaska’s predators fall prey to politics
With Alaska's caribou herds shrink, agencies are culling predators like bears and wolves. The true threat is much more complex.
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Photo by Anna Sullivan on Unsplash
Supreme Court rejects Pebble mine, climate and water cases
The decision, marking another chapter in the Pebble mine saga, deals a significant blow to Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican whose administration asked the high court in July to undo EPA’s move to block Pebble and similar extraction projects on state land in southwestern Alaska.
Photo by Heather Wilde on Unsplash
A major climate force has been ignored for decades
Small mammals play an outsize role in shaping the world around them.
‘Hope is a discipline’: Youth climate case plaintiff on why he’s suing the US government
Nathan Baring of Alaska is part of a group of young activists suing the US, which they say ‘willfully ignored’ dangers of fossil fuels.
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