The Trump administration gave permission for drilling in the Alaska Arctic refuge. This is a ruling that should never have been made.
Thankfully, as the Biden administration is aware that we live in the real world and that the world is warming, they recognise that as much oil needs to be left in the ground as possible. Furthermore, without the refuge, many species will be threatened with localized extinction.
Estimates are that there are 11 billion barrels of oil below the refuge – we cannot afford to release that much CO2 emissions, and the USA cannot meet its carbon reduction pledges if this oil is not left in the ground.
The arctic is warming 3 times faster than the rest of the planet. This is a common sense move, and should never have been made. Far more oil needs to be left in the ground. Many oil and gas companies face bankruptcy if fossil fuel cars and heating ends, however without it, the world is likely to become far more hostile – I do not wish to leave a world like that for my children and grand children.
