The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was at risk of being leased to oil drilling companies. People were hearing about the horrible news and started signing petitions. On the day of the auction, January 6, 2021, to lease off the Arctic Refuge no companies showed up. If the Arctic Refuge is ever to be leased to an oil or gas company it can put many species and native communities in danger.

Let’s talk about oil drilling and how it can damage not only the Arctic but the whole world. How does this affect everyone, you may ask. Well, temperatures are already rising, and leasing the land to oil drilling will only make the situation worse. Oil drilling releases carbon stored in Arctic soil into the atmosphere. This leads to air and water pollution.

Thousands of animals will be at risk of extinction and left without a habitat. Polar Bears, Arctic Foxes, Wood Bison, Caribou, Narwhal, Musk Ox, Beluga whales, and the Pacific Walrus are some animals that are at risk of going extinct. These animals were meant to live in extremely low temperatures and leasing this land to oil drilling will have a huge impact on the climate. It’ll cause their home to melt and possibly the extinction of our wildlife animals.

Not only are animals being affected but native communities. The Arctic is home to Athabascan Gwich’in and the Inupiat people. If the land is leased this will force them to leave their home, culture, and their way of living.

Global Climate Change is real and is the reason for the increase in temperatures caused by human activity. This happens when humans burn fossil fuels and pump greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. But we can stop the global climate! It will not be simple, thousands of people have been trying to make a change for many years. We have to make our voices heard, use renewable energy, reduce water waste and use our energy wisely. This will also help us save money and protect the environment.