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Broken Promises: The reality of oil development in America’s Arctic

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The oil and gas industry has been promoting Alaska’s North Slope as the gold standard for “clean” oil development, asserting that new technology has shrunk industry’s footprint and will make future development less harmful to the environment. The facts tell a different story. Broken Promises, a new Wilderness Society report, calls attention to the gaps between promise and reality, casting doubt on the assurances issued by Arctic drilling proponents. more

My afternoon as a Polar Bear

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There was a bit of hesitancy in communications director Kathy Westra’s voice last Thursday when she asked me how I would feel about wearing a polar bear costume to an outdoor mid-day rally at the Department of the Interior to raise awareness about oil drilling in Arctic waters. As a communications intern new to Washington, I jumped at an opportunity to draw attention to myself, and I then proceeded to research the issue more in-depth, so I would know why I was wearing this enormous furry outfit in the noonday Washington heat. more

Migratory birds take long flight to Alaska

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It’s a long airplane flight from Baltimore to northern Alaska. But what if you were a tundra swan? This time of year, these birds head off from their wintering grounds in the Chesapeake Bay, flying about 4,000 miles to their breeding grounds in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other spots across Alaska’s Arctic coastline. Typically, they fly through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota, stopping at national wildlife refuges and other suitable spots. more

Latest Arctic Refuge drilling bill based on misleading claims

While there’s a lot of positive change afoot in Washington, some things just never seem to change. One of those is the Alaska congressional delegation’s single-minded determination to drill in one of America’s last true wilderness areas, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. more

Bush’s Last Assault: Real life Arctic tale needs a happy ending (Part 5 of 6)

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I recently had the chance to see Arctic Tale, a National Geographic documentary film geared towards children that tells the story of a young polar bear (Nanu) and walrus (Seela) from birth to adulthood. The movie touches on a few examples of how climate change is affecting these animals and pulls at the heartstrings in the process. In one scene, Nanu’s brother collapses from hunger and exhaustion. He dies and has to be left behind as his mother and sister move on in search of food. more