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

Waste pit on hydraulic fracturing site

Credit: Photo by TXsharon, Courtesy Photobucket

Worries over the safety of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking,” as a method to drill for oil and natural gas continue to grow across the United States. The oil and gas industry loves to say that hydraulic fracturing is safe, as long as the fracking process is done correctly. If this is the case, why won’t they disclose which chemicals they are pumping into the ground? We believe the status quo on hydraulic fracturing is inadequate to ensure the safety of communities and wild lands. Americans clearly agree. Read more