Already stressed by climate change, polar bears are one of the Arctic species that would be threatened by an offshore oil spill.

Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Despite a glaring lack of scientific information about the Arctic Ocean, or effective technology to address a major oil spill, the Obama administration is following the previous administration’s lead and positioning itself to expand offshore oil and gas leases in Alaska’s Beaufort and Chukchi seas over the next five years in its 2012-2017 drilling plan. Region:  Alaska Read more

Credit: Lens Envy, flickr creative commons

These days the phrase ‘energy independence’ has become code for drilling  our wild public lands. But what some may not realize is that oil and gas from our wildlands is not staying in the United States. As it turns out, the oil, gas, and coal that is drilled and mined from right here in the U.S. is actually leaving American shores to fuel cars and furnaces in places like Europe, China, and India. Read more

Heliostats for concentrating solar power

Credit: Langalex, Flickr

What do solar energy and real estate have in common? Location, location, location. Our western public lands are home to beautiful wildlands and wildlife habitat, as well as some of the best solar resources in the world.  While building large-scale solar projects on appropriate sites can create jobs, boost the economy and help tackle the threat of climate change, we want to make sure they don’t have negative impacts on cherished wildlands and wildlife habitat. Read more