The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a pristine corner, where polar bears, caribou and wolves live free. A natural paradise which, however, could hide enormous deposits of crude oil under its frozen soil. For this reason, the largest wildlife refuge in the United States is tempting Donald Trump, who has tried to open it to the oil industry since his first term.
Now, his administration is preparing for a decisive move: authorizing the sale of oil and gas licenses on the refuge’s entire coastal plain, an area that has been protected for more than 40 years. The announcement, which could come at the end of October, is intended to mark a further step towards intensifying fossil fuel production, fulfilling a promise made by the president already in 2017: to open up the tundra of Alaska’s North Slope, an area of 1.56 million acres, to drilling.
This decision comes at the end of a decade of legal and political battles, which saw Trump promote drilling in the area, only to be stopped by President Biden. But with the Trump administration returning to the field, there is now talk again of new licenses and a possible reopening of the refuge to drilling.
An operation, fortunately, not without controversy: opposition from environmentalists and indigenous tribes has already been underway for months, with legal appeals ready to challenge the move. Another aspect to consider is the willingness of oil companies to push into a remote area, a symbol of environmental struggles, just as low oil prices are forcing industry giants such as Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips to lay off thousands of workers.
Opening the entire coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge to drilling would mean destroying one of the most important ecosystems on the planet. These are the birthplaces of the Porcupine caribou herd, vital habitat for polar bears, migratory birds, and sacred lands for the Gwich’in people, who have stewarded these resources for millennia, says Kristen Miller, Executive Director of the Alaska Wilderness League.
However, not all communities are against it. Some, like those on the North Slope, who already benefit financially from drilling, enthusiastically support the refuge’s opening. Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat, a nonprofit supported by the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, has long advocated for responsible development of the coastal plain, advancing policies that promote indigenous self-determination and strengthening the local economy.
This war for oil is being played out on a minefield: on the one hand the desire for wealth and the promise of an energy future; on the other, the risk of destroying an indispensable natural heritage. The battle for ANWR is far from over, but what is certain is that the future of our planet is at risk.
