White House approves increased oil and gas drilling in Alaska’s national wildlife refuge
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Trump Admin Reopens 1.56M Acres of Arctic Refuge for Drilling
Above: The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's Coastal Plain in Alaska, U.S., on Jan. 1, 2001. Image copyright: Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
Reopening Alaska’s Coastal Plain unlocks America’s most promising and untapped energy resources, strengthening both the economy and national energy security. This action will generate jobs and stimulate economic growth in Alaska, benefitting local communities and eliminating the obstacles to development that have stymied the state for far too long.
Democratic narrative
Opening the Arctic Refuge to exploitation threatens sacred Gwich’in lands and irreplaceable wildlife, all while worsening climate change in a region warming three to five times faster than anywhere else in the world. The corporate giveaway also ignores economic reality, as few companies are interested in leasing the land while major banks refuse to fund Arctic drilling.