Thawing Permafrost Is Full of Ice-Forming Particles That Could Get Into Atmosphere
30 January
Climate
Permafrost is thawing across the Arctic, releasing microbes and organic materials that have been trapped in the frozen ground for thousands of years. NOAA / Wikimedia Commons
By Jessie Creamean and Thomas Hill
The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.
The Big Idea
<p>Permafrost – frozen soil in the far north – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1029/2010EO260001" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">is thawing</a>, <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/02/arctic-thawing-ground-releasing-shocking-amount-dangerous-gases/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">releasing greenhouse gases</a> and <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/01/24/575974220/are-there-zombie-viruses-in-the-thawing-permafrost" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">long-lost microbes</a>. But one thing that scientists have not studied extensively is whether permafrost contains certain kinds of particles that could affect clouds and weather.</p><p>As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=SDZfxGQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">atmospheric</a> <a href="http://chem.atmos.colostate.edu/k_members.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">scientists</a>, we found in a recent study that thawing permafrost contains lots of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab87d3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">microscopic ice-nucleating particles</a>. These particles make it <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_nucleus" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">easier for water droplets to freeze</a>; and if the ones in permafrost get airborne, they could affect Arctic clouds.</p><p>In the summer of 2018, one of us, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=SDZfxGQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao" target="_blank">Jessie Creamean</a>, went to Fairbanks, Alaska, and collected samples of permafrost from a research tunnel deep underground. These samples ranged from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab87d3" target="_blank">18,000 to 30,000 years old</a>, and our team tested them to see how many ice-nucleating particles are hiding in permafrost.</p><p>It turns out permafrost <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab87d3" target="_blank">contains a ton of them</a> – up to 100 million highly active individual particles per gram of mostly dead microbes and pieces of plants. This density is on par with what is found in fertile soils, which are some of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.106197" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">most concentrated sources of ice-nucleating particles on Earth</a>. Everywhere in the world, ice-nucleating particles typically play a major role in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/AMSMONOGRAPHS-D-16-0006.1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cloud behavior</a>, and the strength of that effect is still being studied.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTU1MjUyOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxOTQzNDY0M30.-IsUzuo7WRuOwn4flXJovmpm7ub_ERbmC8Pgo7e9VRY/img.jpg?width=980" id="31993" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="896ebc10d4c7be5c1a3ba9e941ac4662" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1000" data-height="659" />
This 18,000-year-old permafrost sample contains millions of ice-nucleating particles per gram. Thomas Hill / CC BY-ND
Why It Matters
<p>No one yet knows whether ice-nucleating particles from permafrost are getting into the atmosphere and affecting clouds. But the theory of how ice-nucleating particles change clouds is understood.</p><p>Clouds are made up of billions of tiny <a href="https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/clouds/how-clouds-form" target="_blank">water droplets or ice crystals</a>, often a mix of both. A cloud is like a forest of trees: All water droplets of the cloud require a seed – a tiny aerosol particle – to form and grow on. Almost any little speck of material from the land or the ocean can be the seed of a liquid cloud droplet. Because of their unique ability to line up water molecules into an icelike grid, they help supercooled liquid in a cloud to freeze at warmer temperatures.</p><p>Ice-nucleating particles are extremely good at <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/ice-nuclei" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">forming small ice crystals</a> – a rare skill found in less than <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0910818107" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">1 in a million of all the particles</a> floating around in the air. Ice-nucleating particles can be <a href="https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-9067-2016" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mineral dust from deserts</a>, specks of <a href="https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7195-2016" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">soil from farm fields</a> or – like what we found in the permafrost – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/AMSMONOGRAPHS-D-16-0006.1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bacteria</a> and bits of biological material from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083039" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">oceans</a> or plants.</p><p>The ability to easily form ice has big consequences for clouds and weather.</p><p>Most of the time, airborne water droplets need to freeze before they can fall to the ground as snow or rain. Ice-nucleating particles allow cloud ice to form at warmer air temperatures than normal, up to around 28 degrees Fahrenheit. Without these particles, a water droplet can supercool to about <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/AMSMONOGRAPHS-D-16-0006.1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">negative 36 F before freezing</a>. When ice-nucleating particles are in a cloud, water droplets freeze more easily. This can cause the cloud to rain or snow and disappear earlier, and reflect less sunlight.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTU1MjUzMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTk0MjUwNH0.ouDrcctyjFcn6x1EEU0VDDKDwgun9jzlt2HzrAkSJng/img.jpg?width=980" id="6b97a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8e192f99106b5b101c49b7b1040db337" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1000" data-height="750" />
As permafrost thaws, ice-nucleating particles are getting into rivers, lakes and eventually the ocean. National Park Service / C.Ciancibelli / Wikimedia Commons
What Still Isn’t Known
<p>Our work found there are a lot of these ice-nucleating particles in thawing permafrost, which is important because permafrost covers <a href="https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/sotc/permafrost.html" target="_blank">24% of the exposed land surface in the Northern Hemisphere</a>. The question now is whether these particles are getting into the atmosphere or not. No other researchers that we're aware of have looked at permafrost's effect on cloud formation, or the mechanisms by which ice-nucleating particles from permafrost become airborne.</p><p>We hypothesize that ice-nucleating particles from thawing permafrost could get into lakes and rivers, make their way to coastal Arctic Ocean waters and spread over large areas. Then, <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/113/21/5797" target="_blank">winds could eject these ice-nucleating particles into the air</a>, where they could enhance the freezing of clouds and affect weather.</p><p>There are still many unknowns and a lot of work to do.</p>What’s Next
<p>This summer, we are teaming up with colleagues from the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in Fairbanks and the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, to set out for a six-week expedition to the Alaskan Arctic tundra. We will collect hundreds of samples of permafrost, lake water, river water, coastal ocean water and air samples to see whether ice-nucleating particles from permafrost are present, and in what amounts. Our goal is to use these findings in models to predict how thawing permafrost could alter the region's clouds.</p><p><em><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessie-creamean-1193582" target="_blank">Jessie Creamean</a> is a research scientist at Colorado State University. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/thomas-hill-1115169" target="_blank">Thomas Hill</a> is a research scientist at Colorado State University.</em></p><p><em>Disclosure statement: Jessie Creamean receives funding for this work from the National Science Foundation (Award OPP-1946657). Thomas Hill receives funding for this work from the National Science Foundation (Award OPP-1946657).</em></p><p><em></em><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/thawing-permafrost-is-full-of-ice-forming-particles-that-could-get-into-atmosphere-152736" target="_blank" style="">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>From Your Site Articles
- Horses Might Stop the Permafrost From Melting - EcoWatch ›
- Methane Meltdown: Thawing Permafrost Could Release More ... ›
- Arctic's Melting Permafrost Will Cost Nearly $70 Trillion, Study Finds ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
No major oil company offered a valid bid on the land leases. Pat Gaines / Getty Images
The oil industry responded to the controversial and last-minute sale of oil leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge with a collective 'meh' on Wednesday.
<p>The federal government received bids on just 11 of the 22 leasing tracts on offer, and nine of those were purchased at the legal minimum price of $25 per acre by an Alaska state-owned corporation with hopes to sublet the tracts to other oil companies in the future. </p><p>No major or even mid-size oil companies entered valid bids. </p><p>The ANWR lease sales are mandated as part of the GOP plan to pay for its 2017 tax cuts based on expectations that the sales and oil extraction would net the Treasury $1.8 billion over 10 years; Wednesday's lease sale raised $14.4 million. </p>
<p>Under mounting pressure from climate advocates, the six biggest American banks and five biggest Canadian banks have all pledged not to finance drilling in the refuge. President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to prevent oil drilling in the refuge.</p><p>"This lease sale was an epic failure for the Trump administration and the Alaska congressional delegation," Adam Kolton, executive director of the Alaska Wilderness League, said in a statement. </p><p>"After years of promising a revenue and jobs bonanza they ended up throwing a party for themselves."</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/01/06/trump-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge-polar-bears/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105782603&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9x1f4J1F0OtFhjdqNfsM2OEEcFSdUoNhoWYrJbpyKNVR97yaHYe4KgINerb1LzK1eFwrb5vCQHKFl0eDg92Mn4PGn8XLv0RxeG-jtuI75fVsTTMrs&utm_content=105782603&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>, <a href="https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2021/01/06/anwr-lease-sale-brings-in-144-million-in-bids-mostly-from-alaska-state-owned-corporation/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105782603&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--N4DdlAZeRNAUQwAXojgzeHRhAOStf444y0Jx4Cf7tEuhTVEOgJGRee604N1cCDfxS9Ygtj0PxR3TZwUDSnjdYaj5hk-tz5xuePEwZxBlRlRkVFy0&utm_content=105782603&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Anchorage Daily News</a>, <a href="https://www.highnorthnews.com/en/auction-oil-gas-leases-alaska-arctic-refuge-draws-little-interest?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105782603&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9by8khE_zPABF80OtouybI--xzLxvUvrc8iGiX3Z51eM30D-TqRQRAbBm3V7IU38bZsVAmzYnPaXf6sESSGKnxboWstbolIiIUc7nevqqHeVJMqZY&utm_content=105782603&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">High North News</a>, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/alaska-agency-is-biggest-bidder-for-arctic-oil-leases-11609963845?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105782603&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_fph9IODwKLyBJHA9Jd0cmuXggeUELlXRkRuG9_uowE0Ppw2k3AGux_UT3ab16QgjNDyyqw8hJzQXhsSQkb-CY3Kjd3xTTMR7CyTNDosANFIghzBw&utm_content=105782603&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal,</a> <a href="https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/stories/1063721947?t=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eenews.net%2Fstories%2F1063721947%3F_hsenc%3Dp2ANqtz-8JRd6gnk4_7ZlC1lEPJzm0OYQKJ47OdWPjR_gHMZZ6mX5HBHkaB2Am_qA1qoECGxhaBdThR59hZ6-bbDBZELxR1j53uV88yXKYPxjzCllbdfcB-pE%26_hsmi%3D105782603%26utm_campaign%3DHot%2520News%26utm_content%3D105782603%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dhs_email" target="_blank">E&E</a>,<a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07012021/trump-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge-oil-leases/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105782603&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8oTdWGwuuRsu4-kcaPe0tE1xFJzpGotKkd91gPFKNd9xdzKQ26xEsdjvnqlX9H9l-wcGxS_opzwwxSl6vF05NRWZ7KEp2SA8kESqUh1fSfreL3FNs&utm_content=105782603&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank"> InsideClimate News</a>, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-06/secret-bids-opened-in-rare-auction-of-arctic-oil-drilling-rights?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105782603&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_BSs2y7tI3cVM-TC6vLZrluv3RL5ttNDRIlTYsRNrZm4R0Syzs2E7QQ1oOPcHrgxfOMpsRINrydj4fz63TRng-K1DvqCWF7ql666nnoK314pSa1H8&utm_content=105782603&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/01/06/953718234/major-oil-companies-take-a-pass-on-controversial-lease-sale-in-arctic-refuge?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105782603&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--zCLhVAWMBy1Sji6yxkGlLNBvPqNktX8YSCVqNKZPah-v2-cPRYfMg7bCbtOGqTXaBDj3eCyPsuQkQva9vwDuGY7YglfjqrJzMKfBISZPy7GvK7Ds&utm_content=105782603&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">NPR</a>, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/bf1c671e-a032-43a0-8471-5cfc133c8fee?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105782603&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9bi3DrfICr5ifkIL-P_B3zOyjP_Y9ngzHr71OoAafNiEUyG8pkoW-Fkz70r_uuG9IflKVyGxLe-2J1CXBqB5QFsS5x5uwOdC_mz-JzD2hIgoy__Xo&utm_content=105782603&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">FT,</a> <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-alaska-oil/oil-drillers-shrug-off-trumps-u-s-arctic-wildlife-refuge-auction-idUSKBN29B0KR?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105782603&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8s5zTGuBgVohzUrN6PG6pKIWl4XrUkeCar7I81uSrxV6O1KM4JspHsi1_y9pIrnrIpYNI5MrRn-wdYH3vrSaUBxtR7YJu9bx0ntQngdlT3e4wqlak&utm_content=105782603&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Reuters</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/climate/arctic-refuge-drilling-lease-sales.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105782603&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_cRMugNyj4Zvxbn2OcpCtJYZWmxmq0qQLcF8VugBQJVHTIxLzQyc1MxEbf0twRxjvx5SkExXvwaPMU9_HvobOY-Zl2hKMsjPRQ12Y-ySrKqh8IfzI&utm_content=105782603&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">New York Times,</a> <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-55564483?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105782603&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--GbPWL-EuxEvl0XsV7yquDsdDPNDirfoyv1NTj_H3nVXIPc6-unLWep9IdJLucGMsgwVwIHxPM3Rj0_m17HOJ_CbKHUOqeU5c3vhK7jtmnyfNNehE&utm_content=105782603&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">BBC</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/06/trump-arctic-refuge-auction-oil-leases?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105782603&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8NPyx9aOiHkL_lltqY5z42w-sez42AqcZnhTJoVIu1yU4DUdxOENKk9wno1q437aFZp6XIbsShjEfRAGHymuxULnnHK0VNtCDvfpiDsX5mAmOf4QM&utm_content=105782603&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">The Guardian,</a> <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/532983-trumps-sale-of-arctic-refuge-drilling-rights-earns-just-a-fraction?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105782603&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9m81SWu1WXTj_iOVpcjbk0EV3FnoR8KyBLJ5aBV7NyqpPPH42G8J5PKb2R35_bqqd719_MjgENcv_71qL3zPoQsEYhJpnLlCsJ7EBf4EwzJ-q2X2E&utm_content=105782603&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">The Hill,</a> <a href="https://apnews.com/article/alaska-wildlife-arctic-513daddc87565b22cd5ba71f2b267a32?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105782603&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8j09WFX9NfwlGeZoqWWTrR092rD3Ia8nZuwx5SATkSXCiPSmDs6noHSCBGiPUm3JZe3VhdqZ0Pm5O2ECI4-2Aiz6D84LxUTyCb2FSzgVRW2H8pwuM&utm_content=105782603&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">AP,</a> <a href="https://www.eenews.net/energywire/2021/01/07/stories/1063721993?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105782603&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_rS_50mb4LbYCZTJq5HHcsRFRmexZGHWVXKMCaaY4iXwQX8yet0hk_PXS6HoPjWv6MU5fObU9Xm2hqzR2gStb7Z6tcpfHJU24foFBYv-WK9dVmlf8&utm_content=105782603&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">E&E </a><br/></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>. </em></p>From Your Site Articles
- How Drilling in ANWR Would Threaten the Gwich'in People's Way of ... ›
- Trump: 'I Never Appreciated ANWR' Until Oil Industry Friend Called ... ›
- Biden Urged to Ban ANWR Drilling After Court Approves Leases ... ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><em><br></em>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" data-width="710" data-height="959" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" data-width="800" data-height="800" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" data-width="600" data-height="600" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
$60
From Your Site Articles
- Best CBD Oils of 2020: Reviews & Buying Guide - EcoWatch ›
- Best CBD Oil for Pain Management - Top 10 CBD Oil Review 2020 ... ›
- Best CBD for Dogs 2020 - Organic CBD Oil for Pets - EcoWatch ›
- Full Spectrum CBD Oil: What To Know - EcoWatch ›
- Best CBD Waters: Plus All You Need to Know - EcoWatch ›
- The Best Water Soluble CBD Available Online - EcoWatch ›
- Best CBD for Sleep (Lab-Tested, Person-Tested Oils) - EcoWatch ›
- Strongest CBD Oils to Buy in 2021? - EcoWatch ›
- Best CBD Oils For Pain: Top 3 Brands of 2021 - EcoWatch ›
- 8 Science-Based Benefits of CBD Oil - EcoWatch ›
- Best CBD Vape Pen: Top Brands of 2020 - EcoWatch ›
- Because Price Matters: Most Affordable CBD Oils of 2021 - EcoWatch ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
Biden Is Urged to Ban ANWR Drilling After Court Approves Auction of Fossil Fuel Leases
07 January
Climate
Polar bears are seen in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge near Kaktovik, Alaska. Sylvain Cordier / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
President-elect Joe Biden is facing renewed pressure to deliver on his promise of a bold climate agenda after a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration could move forward with a Wednesday auction of fossil fuel drilling leases for federally protected lands in Alaska.
<p>After decades of national debate over oil and gas development in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), Republicans in Congress opened up the region to drilling with a <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/12/08/gop-tax-scam-attacks-renewables-while-nurturing-nuclear-and-fossil-fuel-industries" target="_blank">provision</a> in the so-called "<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/12/22/corporations-are-literally-going-wild-says-trump-he-signs-tax-bill-most-americans" target="_blank">tax scam</a>" that President Donald Trump signed in 2017.</p><p>Late Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason in Anchorage <a href="https://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20441489-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge-order-on-preliminary-injunction" target="_blank">declined</a> to issue a preliminary injunction to block the auction. The request came from environmental groups and Indigenous people who are opposed to drilling in ANWR, which is home to <a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/arctic/wildlife_habitat.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">over 280 species</a>.</p><p>In a statement Wednesday, Mitch Jones, policy director at the advocacy group Food & Water Watch, urged Biden to prevent fossil fuel development in the refuge—and beyond—when he takes office in two weeks. The president-elect has previously <a href="https://www.adn.com/politics/2020/12/05/with-oil-drilling-in-anwr-advancing-and-a-possible-end-to-pebble-mine-what-could-change-for-alaska-under-biden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> he "totally" opposes drilling in the ecologically sensitive region.</p><p>"Trump rushing through these lease sales as a final handout to his cronies in the oil and gas industry is outrageous, if not surprising," Jones declared. "Trump's consistent, willful ignorance of the realities of climate change has pushed our planet towards decades of increasing climate chaos."</p>
<p>"President-elect Biden can reverse these disastrous oil and gas industry plans by keeping his promise to ban fossil fuel extraction—including fracking—on our public lands and waters," he added. "This is a step he can, and must, take upon taking office."</p><p>Jones' call for Biden to intervene to protect ANWR's coastal plain came after environmental and Indigenous leaders expressed disappointment with Gleason's decision not to block the auction while also emphasizing that her ruling doesn't mark the end of their fight against drilling rights in the refuge.</p><p>Four lawsuits have been filed since August challenging the lease plans, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-alaska-lawsuit/u-s-judge-denies-effort-to-stop-drilling-auction-in-arctic-refuge-idUSKBN29B071" target="_blank">according to</a> <em>Reuters</em>. The National Audubon Society and other groups had argued that the auction shouldn't go forward until the broader challenge to the drilling is resolved.</p><p>The <em>Anchorage Daily News</em> <a href="https://www.adn.com/politics/2020/12/05/with-oil-drilling-in-anwr-advancing-and-a-possible-end-to-pebble-mine-what-could-change-for-alaska-under-biden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reports</a> that Erik Grafe, an Earthjustice attorney representing the Audubon Society, said the case "is by no means over."</p><p>"The court concluded only that for now there is no harm that justifies an injunction. It also recognized that such an action could come very soon with issuance of seismic permits," he said. "We will continue to press our case that the agency approved the program unlawfully and that its decision should be overturned."</p>
<div id="4b52a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2fc64a53f75e68a880e2293893243cb"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1346838449593212928" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">We #StandWiththeGwichin in our collective fight to #ProtectTheArctic.
Trump's last-ditch effort to extract fossil… https://t.co/uhaPPWiL6T</div> — 350 dot org (@350 dot org)<a href="https://twitter.com/350/statuses/1346838449593212928">1609946284.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Bernadette Demientieff, executive director of the Gwich'in Steering Committee, which represents some of the area's Indigenous people, similarly <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-alaska-lawsuit/u-s-judge-denies-effort-to-stop-drilling-auction-in-arctic-refuge-idUSKBN29B071" target="_blank">said</a> Tuesday that "today's ruling is disappointing but does nothing to change the strength of our lawsuit or our resolve."</p><p>Demientieff's people have <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/08/24/coalition-files-suit-stop-trumps-slapdash-and-tragic-plan-drill-arctic-national" target="_blank">relied </a>on the region's Porcupine Caribou Herd for thousands of years. The Gwich'in <a href="https://ourarcticrefuge.org/about-the-refuge/the-coastal-plain-the-sacred-place-where-life-begins/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">call</a> the coastal plain, which the caribou use as their calving grounds, "Iizhik Gwats'an Gwandaii Goodlit" or "The Sacred Place Where Life Begins."</p><p>As <em>The Guardian</em> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/05/trump-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge-lease-sales?utm_campaign=Carbon%20Brief%20Daily%20Briefing&utm_content=20210106&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Revue%20Daily" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> ahead of the ruling Tuesday:</p><blockquote>Oil from drilling west of the refuge, at Prudhoe Bay, has fueled the economic development the state has depended on to fill its coffers and write annual revenue checks to residents. That extraction also led to the most damaging oil spill in history, when the Exxon Valdez tanker spewed millions of barrels off Alaska's southern coast in 1989.<br><br>Prudhoe Bay "was the largest oil field ever discovered in North America. Since then we have had more than 1,500 square miles of oil and gas development in the Alaskan Arctic… but [ANWR] has been off limits," said Adam Kolton, executive director of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/alaska" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Alaska</a> Wilderness League.<br><br>"For us, it symbolizes just what's at stake here. If you can't draw a line at the tundra and keep this one area of the Arctic off limits, then the question is, where can you draw the line and what protected part or wildlife refuge in the United States will remain off limits?"<br></blockquote><p>For the <a href="https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2021/01/05/heres-what-to-know-ahead-of-the-anwr-oil-lease-sale/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">first-ever ANWR auction</a>, the Bureau of Land Management "plans open bids from companies seeking 10-year leases," according to the <em>Daily News.</em> "Up for grabs to the highest bidder are 22 tracts on the refuge's coastal plain, most of them about 50,000 acres. Together, the tracts represent about 5% of the 19-million-acre refuge."</p>
<div id="ef02c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="21eddea470b1f924a3e56108665ca656"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1346821784440606720" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">With the denial of the injunction lease sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will go forward today. The ind… https://t.co/B07NKdKD9w</div> — Ctr4BioDiv Ocean (@Ctr4BioDiv Ocean)<a href="https://twitter.com/EndangeredOcean/statuses/1346821784440606720">1609942310.0</a></blockquote></div><p>It remains unclear if any fossil fuel companies will even bid on the leases—especially given that major U.S. banks, under pressure from environmental and Indigenous groups, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/01/lame-duck-trump-pushes-arctic-pillage-bank-america-latest-bank-rule-out-drilling" target="_blank">have adopted policies</a> of refusing to finance drilling in the Arctic, including ANWR, which was designated by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1960.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/06/after-court-oks-trump-arctic-refuge-auction-biden-urged-immediately-ban-drilling" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
- Majority of U.S. Public Against Drilling ANWR; Oil Experts Think ... ›
- Trump: Let's Drill for Oil in America's Last Pristine Wilderness to ... ›
- How Drilling in ANWR Would Threaten the Gwich'in People's Way of ... ›
- ANWR Oil Lease Sale Is a Fail for Trump Admin - EcoWatch ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
Trending
Trump Administration Sued Over 'Outrageous Assault' on Tongass National Forest Protections
24 December 2020
Politics
A humpback whale in Tongass National Forest, Alaska. Danita Delimont / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
A coalition of Indigenous groups, businesses, and conservation organizations on Wednesday sued the Trump administration over its "arbitrary and reckless" removal of roadless protections for the nearly 17 million-acre Tongass National Forest in Alaska, warning that the rollback could devastate local communities, wildlife, and the climate.
<p>Earthjustice and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed the <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/public_lands/forests/pdfs/Tongass-NF-Roadless-OVK-et-al-Complaint.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">lawsuit</a> in the U.S. District Court in Alaska on behalf of regional tribes, businesses, and conservation groups. The complaint notes that the largest national forest, located in Southeast Alaska, "is central to the life ways of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian people who have lived in and depended on the forest since time immemorial."</p><p>The U.S. Forest Service's move to exempt the forest from the Roadless Rule, finalized just days before President Donald Trump lost reelection to President-elect Joe Biden, would open up more than nine million acres of the Tongass — with its centuries-old trees that provide crucial carbon sequestration — to logging and roadbuilding.</p>
<div id="bb1ce" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4e7ad98f94e433b5c7d5ffafa79b1888"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1341844503783636992" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Here's the legal complaint, which lists just about everyone under the sun as a plaintiff: https://t.co/0Vmazdm6hM… https://t.co/3uzhWST8E2</div> — James Brooks 🗞️ (@James Brooks 🗞️)<a href="https://twitter.com/AK_OK/statuses/1341844503783636992">1608755634.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"The Tongass Forest is my home. Home to the ancient Tlingit and Haida Indigenous Nations, it is where my ancestry originates. My bloodline is Indigenous to this land — its DNA is my DNA," <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/12/23/womens-climate-justice-group-joins-lawsuit-targeting-trump-administrations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> Kashudoha Wanda Loescher Culp, a Tlingit activist and Tongass coordinator for the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN). "The air we breathe, the water we depend on, the land we live upon, all pristine. It is a life to cherish. It is a way of living worth fighting for."</p><p>"The repeal of the Roadless Rule will only lead to the destruction of our homelands, and subsequently the destruction of our communities who depend upon the abundance of the forest," she said. "This is an attack on our peoples and the climate. The Trump administration's decision to open the Tongass to roads, logging, and mining is an underhanded misuse of congressional authority and the battle will go on — we will continue to rise in defense of our homelands."</p>
<p>Robert Starbard, tribal administrator of the Hoonah Indian Association, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/12/23/lawsuit-challenges-trump-administration-decision-gut-tongass-national-forest" target="_blank">declared</a>: "The need for this litigation is a mark of shame upon the federal government for violating the trust and responsibilities it has to the Indigenous peoples of the Tongass. It is equally a stain upon the state of Alaska, which colluded with the Trump administration to circumvent scientific analysis to achieve a desired political outcome."</p><p>Though the Hoonah Indian Association had accepted a government invitation to weigh in during the rulemaking process, "we ultimately withdrew as a cooperating agency when it became clear that our involvement was purely to provide political cover and lend legitimacy to a corrupted process with a preordained outcome," Starbard explained. "The Roadless Rule decision is fatally flawed and ignores the advice and expertise of the tribal cooperating agencies and omits significant issues and concerns."</p>
<div id="550fa" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ee0c5a8137a173e1cce9f22e9e4e1c03"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1339988024558542854" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">This is yet another example of a flawed process that ended with a flawed result.
We encourage the incoming Biden a… https://t.co/AUJm9KG3qz</div> — The Wilderness Society 🌳 (@The Wilderness Society 🌳)<a href="https://twitter.com/Wilderness/statuses/1339988024558542854">1608313015.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"The Tongass Forest is my home. Home to the ancient Tlingit and Haida Indigenous Nations, it is where my ancestry originates. My bloodline is Indigenous to this land — its DNA is my DNA," <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/12/23/womens-climate-justice-group-joins-lawsuit-targeting-trump-administrations" target="_blank">said</a> Kashudoha Wanda Loescher Culp, a Tlingit activist and Tongass coordinator for the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN). "The air we breathe, the water we depend on, the land we live upon, all pristine. It is a life to cherish. It is a way of living worth fighting for."</p><p>"The repeal of the Roadless Rule will only lead to the destruction of our homelands, and subsequently the destruction of our communities who depend upon the abundance of the forest," she said. "This is an attack on our peoples and the climate. The Trump administration's decision to open the Tongass to roads, logging, and mining is an underhanded misuse of congressional authority and the battle will go on — we will continue to rise in defense of our homelands."</p><p>Robert Starbard, tribal administrator of the Hoonah Indian Association, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/12/23/lawsuit-challenges-trump-administration-decision-gut-tongass-national-forest" target="_blank">declared</a>: "The need for this litigation is a mark of shame upon the federal government for violating the trust and responsibilities it has to the Indigenous peoples of the Tongass. It is equally a stain upon the state of Alaska, which colluded with the Trump administration to circumvent scientific analysis to achieve a desired political outcome."</p><p>Though the Hoonah Indian Association had accepted a government invitation to weigh in during the rulemaking process, "we ultimately withdrew as a cooperating agency when it became clear that our involvement was purely to provide political cover and lend legitimacy to a corrupted process with a preordained outcome," Starbard explained. "The Roadless Rule decision is fatally flawed and ignores the advice and expertise of the tribal cooperating agencies and omits significant issues and concerns."</p>
<p>Andrea Feniger, Sierra Club Alaska chapter director, emphasized that "preserving the Tongass is a matter of survival."</p><p>"It is essential to the subsistence culture and food security of Indigenous peoples," she said. "As one of the planet's major carbon sinks, it is also essential for mitigating the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate crisis</a> that threatens us all."</p><p>Other advocates from groups that have joined the suit also highlighted how wildlife and the climate could be impacted by what NRDC senior attorney Niel Lawrence called "an outrageous assault on America's environment and all those who benefit from it, now and in future generations."</p><p>"Trump's reckless plan to clearcut old-growth trees in the Tongass will irreversibly damage our climate, kill wildlife, and devastate Southeast Alaska communities," warned Randi Spivak, public lands program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "We're in the midst of climate and wildlife extinction crises and the Tongass is a lifeline for our planet."</p>
<div id="ea5ec" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="84d8bcdc0caf651231fe7cc8e89cef3c"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1341873740620054528" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">“Stretching 16m acres…the Tongass is unique for its size and #biodiversity, with thousands of islands, waterways, g… https://t.co/xQtXpv5oOM</div> — Lili (@Lili)<a href="https://twitter.com/climateleaf/statuses/1341873740620054528">1608762605.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>As for the impact on local businesses, Dan Blanchard, CEO of UnCruise, a small vessel company providing outdoor recreation experiences, pointed out that "Southeast Alaska hosts two-thirds of all Alaska visitors, making it the most visited region of the state."</p><p>"Forest Service lands, particularly inventoried roadless areas, are critical to drawing these visitors, and generate roughly $245 million annually — over two-thirds of Tongass National Forest visitor spending," Blanchard said. "We depend on the ability to market and provide unique recreation experiences, and our clients expect to see 'wild' Alaska and prefer intact natural landscapes."</p><p>"Clearcutting and timber road construction would force us to divert our travel routes to avoid seeing or being around clearcuts," he added. "This would negatively affect the outdoor recreation economy and Southeast Alaska's reputation as an adventure travel destination."</p><p>According to Earthjustice attorney Kate Glover, "The Trump administration ignored tribes and Alaskans throughout this process, and is instead prioritizing illusive timber industry profits over the interests of Alaska Native people who have stewarded the land since time immemorial, small business operators whose livelihoods depend on an intact forest ecosystem, and everyone who benefits from this national forest's unique ability to serve as a natural buffer against climate change."</p><p>Dubbing the Roadless Rule a "landmark achievement in conserving our natural heritage, our climate, and our public resources," Lawrence of NRDC vowed that "we're not going to let Trump get away with this illegal effort to strip America's great temperate rainforest of these vital protections."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/23/coalition-sues-trump-administration-over-outrageous-assault-tongass-national-forest" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
- Latest Trump Rollback Allows Increased Logging in National Forests ... ›
- Judge Rules Against Trump's Attempt to Log in America's Largest ... ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
A pair of bears perch atop Brooks Falls in Alaska's Katmai National Park, about 100 miles from the proposed Pebble Mine site. Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times / Getty Images
By Andrea Germanos
Environmental campaigners stressed the need for the incoming Biden White House to put in place permanent protections for Alaska's Bristol Bay after the Trump administration on Wednesday denied a permit for the proposed Pebble Mine that threatened "lasting harm to this phenomenally productive ecosystem" and death to the area's Indigenous culture.
<div id="da98c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="478a197b7c59c92787c92bec92f1ac39"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1331662923710693376" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Bristol Bay forever, Pebble mine never. #NoPebbleMine #SaveBristolBay https://t.co/CBQ9zuy8A5</div> — Save Bristol Bay (@Save Bristol Bay)<a href="https://twitter.com/SaveBristolBay/statuses/1331662923710693376">1606328156.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>In its record of decision on the long-fought industrial gold and copper mining project, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cited "Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act," the <em>Anchorage Daily News</em> <a href="https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2020/11/25/trump-administration-denies-permit-for-pebble-mine/" target="_blank">reported</a>.</p><p>"USACE determined that the applicant's plan for the discharge of fill material does not comply with Clean Water Act guidelines and concluded that the proposed project is contrary to the public interest."</p><p>The decision was hailed by a chorus of conservation groups. "Sometimes a project is so bad, so indefensible, that the politics fall to the wayside and we get the right decision," said SalmonState executive director Tim Bristol. "That is what happened today."</p><p>"The Pebble Mine was always the wrong mine in the wrong place," said Adam Kolton, executive director of Alaska Wilderness League. "The fact that President Trump resurrected and promoted it prior to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ultimately denying the permit isn't worth dwelling on," he said, referring to the president's <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/08/10/gold-over-life-literally-how-trump-forced-reversal-mining-project-epa-scientists" target="_blank">intervention</a> in the matter.</p>
<p>"What matters today," Kolton continued, "is that the world's most productive salmon fisheries are safer and the tribes, fishermen, and communities that depend on a healthy Bristol Bay can breathe a sigh of relief."</p><p>World Wildlife Fund previously released a video explaining "why the proposed mine doesn't stand up to a fact check." The group described Bristol Bay as "the lifeblood that sustains every species calling the region home," including harbor seals, hundreds of bird species, and brown bear. The watershed is also critically important to tribes and the salmon upon which they've relied for millennium. Bristol Bay also hosts the planet's most productive salmon fishery.</p><p>With such impacts at stake, Marc Fink, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, called the rejection "a huge victory for wild salmon, the Iliamna, lake seal, and other imperiled wildlife that call this spectacular place home."</p><p>The administration's rejection follows the September <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/09/22/secretly-recorded-pebble-tapes-mining-execs-reveal-true-scope-200-year-project" target="_blank">release</a> of secret recordings between Tom Collier, CEO of Pebble Limited Partnership, and Ronald Thiessen, president and CEO of Northern Dynasty Minerals, which owns Pebble, that revealed the goal was not a 20-year project the 20-year operation publicly promised by the developers, but instead to create a project of "unstoppable" growth with a timeline of possibly 200 years. The executives instead were looking at "unstoppable" growth and a timeline of possibly 200 years.</p>
<p>The recordings elicited concern from the House Transportation Committee chair Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Grace F. Napolitano (D-Calif.), who <a href="https://transportation.house.gov/news/press-releases/tandi-chairs-press-pebble-limited-partnership-and-army-corps-for-records-after-secret-pebble-tapes-reveal-companys-contradictory-claims-about-the-mine-projects-size-and-duration" target="_blank">wrote</a> last week to Pebble Limited Partnership and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.</p><p>"From the private discussions revealed by the 'Pebble Tapes,' it seems as though Pebble was dealing with two sets of facts," wrote DeFazio and Napolitano,"one to lure potential investors to the Pebble project and one to alleviate fears of Alaskan Natives, the U.S. Congress, and federal agencies of potential adverse environmental impacts from the mine."</p><p>In his statement on Wednesday, Kolton added, "The credit for this victory belongs not to any politician but to Alaskans and Bristol Bay's Indigenous peoples, as well as to hunters, anglers, and wildlife enthusiasts from all across the country who spoke out in opposition to this dangerous and ill-conceived project. We can be thankful that their voices were heard, that science counted, and that people prevailed over short-term profiteering."</p><p>Bonnie Gestring, Northwest Program director at Earthworks, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/11/25/earthworks-statement-denial-pebble-mine" target="_blank">accused</a> Pebble of having "tried every trick in the book to push this project through, but the crystal clear science prevailed."</p>
<p>President-elect Joe Biden, for his part, has <a href="https://medium.com/@JoeBiden/statement-by-vice-president-joe-biden-on-bristol-bay-1a83d60a2986" target="_blank">promised</a> to reject the Pebble Mine.</p><p>Gestring urged the incoming administration to "take the next step and use the Clean Water Act to place permanent limits on mining in Bristol Bay to protect the salmon fishery and the communities that depend on it."</p><p>Her demand was echoed by Joel Reynolds, senior attorney with the Nature Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).</p><p>"The next step is for the Environmental Protection Agency to use section 404c of the Clean Water Act to permanently protect this national treasure from large scale mining for all time," <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/11/25/major-reversal-trump-administration-denies-permit-pebble-" target="_blank">said</a> Reynolds.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/25/victory-tribes-waterways-and-planet-pebble-mine-denied-permit" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p><a href="https://commons.commondreams.org/t/victory-for-tribes-waterways-and-planet-as-pebble-mine-denied-permit/84496" target="_blank"></a>From Your Site Articles
- Pebble Mine Threatens One of the Last Great Salmon Rivers ... ›
- The Pebble Mine Is Too Toxic Even for the Trump Administration ... ›
- Trump Admin Reverses Obama-Era Restrictions on Pebble Mine ... ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
Trump Administration Plans Seismic Testing for Oil in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge This Winter
26 October 2020
Politics
A caribou in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Danielle Brigida / CC BY 2.0
The Trump administration released on Friday its plan to start oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) this winter, as The Hill reported.
<p>The <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2003258/510" target="_blank">plan</a> was put forth by the Kaktovik Iñupiat Corporation and released by the Bureau of Land Management. The plan calls for the start of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/seismic-airgun-blasting">seismic testing</a> on millions of acres, spanning an 847.8 square mile area, on the east side of the refuge in an area where polar bears and other <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife">wildlife</a> reside. The seismic testing will allow the Kaktovik Iñupiat Corporation to detect the presence of oil in the area.</p><p>Seismic testing works in a way that is similar to ultrasound technology. It generates acoustic waves deep underground that produce a picture that can pinpoint oil deposits, according to The Hill.</p>
<p>The Bureau of Land Management said it would allow for 14 days of public comment before deciding if it should issue a permit, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/24/climate/anwr-seismic-tests-arctic-refuge.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>.</p><p>Environmental activists have argued that the short timeframe means it is impossible to conduct an adequate environmental review of the proposal. The plan involves using heavy trucks fanned out across the area to create a grid pattern. It also requires a crew of 180 workers who would need ample supplies and mobile living quarters, according to The New York Times.</p><p>The National Wildlife Federation argues that the rushed comment period in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic ensures that public opposition will not be heard adequately.</p>
<p>"This is a desperate attempt to jam through a plan that could kill denning polar bears, imperil other wildlife, threaten the Gwich'in people, and cause long-lasting damage to the Arctic," said Tracy Stone-Manning, associate vice president for public lands at the National Wildlife Federation, in a <a href="https://www.nwf.org/Latest-News/Press-Releases/2020/10-23-20-Arctic-Seismic-Testing" target="_blank">statement</a>. "By rushing this plan through while ordinary Americans are focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and their own health and safety, it's clear this administration wants to cut the public out of public lands in order to advance its dangerously myopic and misguided energy agenda."</p><p>The company intending to conduct the seismic test said it will exercise caution should it encounter any wildlife during its exploration. Environmentalists countered that it's not the interactions that worry them as much as the permanent alterations to the Arctic tundra that could upset the delicate balance of the ecosystem that polar bears and other animals depend on.</p>
<p>"Allowing huge thumper trucks and camps onto sacred lands where they leave deep and lasting wounds is a threat to my people, the animals, our food, and our way of life," said Bernadette Demientieff, the executive director of the Gwich'in Steering Committee, in a statement, as The Hill reported. "We have raised concerns repeatedly about this administration rushing the process and shortcutting our review."</p><p>The Wilderness Society also sees the plan as a politically motivated move that will silence the public.</p><p>"The submission of this application and BLM's choice to act on it so close to the election shows how desperate the administration is to turn over one of the nation's most sensitive landscapes to the oil industry," said Lois Epstein, director of the Arctic program for the Wilderness Society, in a statement, as The New York Times reported. "The federal government is recklessly rushing and irresponsibly denying the public adequate time to assess the application and submit comments."</p><p>The New York Times also noted that the proposal calls for the work to be carried out by Houston-based SAExploration, which declared bankruptcy, and was accused of accounting fraud earlier this month by the Securities and Exchange Commission.</p>
From Your Site Articles
- Exposed: Chevron's Secretive Drilling Site in the Arctic National ... ›
- Trump Admin Pushes Final Drilling Plan for Arctic National Wildlife ... ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
747 is the big winner of Fat Bear Week 2020 in Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Katmai National Park and Preserve
For bears and the people that love them, it's the most wonderful time of the year.
<p><a href="https://www.nps.gov/katm/index.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska</a> wrapped up its annual <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/fat-bear-week-katmai-park-2640911327.html" target="_self">Fat Bear Week</a> competition Tuesday, in which online fans vote for the coastal brown bear that has had the most success bulking up ahead of winter hibernation.</p><p>"The votes are in! You've crowned the Earl of Avoirdupois, bear 747, the 2020 Fat Bear Week Champion," the park announced on Twitter.</p>
<div id="b2c7f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6a66711f5acee75ef45787edb3f12cc7"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1313660315893141504" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Match 11: Lardaceous Leviathan Levels Chunky Challenger The votes are in! You’ve crowned the Earl of Avoirdupois,… https://t.co/4SlXOpVBcH</div> — Katmai National Park (@Katmai National Park)<a href="https://twitter.com/KatmaiNPS/statuses/1313660315893141504">1602036000.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>This is the first time bear 747 has won the competition, though he was last year's runner-up, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2020/10/06/fat-bear-week-winner-2020/" target="_blank">The Washington Post reported</a>. He was first identified in 2004, according to his <a href="https://explore.org/meet-the-bears" target="_blank">bio</a> on the competition website. At the time, he was still a growing bear who could not compete for the choice fishing areas along the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/national-parks" target="_self">national park</a>'s Brooks Falls. He has significantly beefed up since then, and is now so big that no other bear dare challenge him for prime riverfront real estate. In fall 2019, park workers estimated that 747 weighed more than 1,400 pounds, and they think he likely weighs as much or more this year.</p><p>"Many staff who've worked at Katmai for many years say that [747] is the biggest bear they have ever seen," Katmai media ranger Naomi Boak told The Washington Post. "It's pure coincidence that he has the same name as a jumbo jet, but he is the size of a jumbo jet."</p><p>To earn his crown, 747 faced off against runner-up Chunk, or bear 32.</p>
<div id="bc390" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7ec387bc0962cc207aae4e2fa0a5488b"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1313513386878152705" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Today’s the day we will crown 2020’s Fat Bear Week Champion. Where 747’s sedulous quest for salmon secured him a st… https://t.co/tBnlt5eyCS</div> — Katmai National Park (@Katmai National Park)<a href="https://twitter.com/KatmaiNPS/statuses/1313513386878152705">1602000969.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Chunk was estimated to be more than 1,100 pounds in 2019, but he has become something of a gentle giant.</p><p>"In recent years he's shown a tendency to wait patiently to scavenge leftover <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/salmon" target="_self">salmon</a> and even play with other bears," his bio reads. "These are two uncommon behaviors for a dominant bear to display. Due to his size and strength, 32 Chunk is poised to take advantage of opportunities not available to most other bears. Yet, it is only by observing his full range of behaviors that we can get a true sense of his individuality."</p><p>Fat Bear Week started in 2014 in order to honor the bears of Katmai National Park in their efforts to fatten up for winter. During hibernation, a bear loses a third of its body mass, the <a href="https://explore.org/fat-bear-week" target="_blank">competition website explains</a>, so the summer and fall feasting serves a vital purpose.</p>
<p>At Katmai National Park, the bears' preferred food is sockeye salmon. These fish have about 4,500 calories each, and the bears can eat more than two dozen per day, <a href="https://eu.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2020/10/06/fat-bear-week-2020-declares-747-fat-and-fabulous-winner/3637634001/" target="_blank">USA TODAY reported</a>. The bears of Katmai are especially lucky, because the park has one of the biggest sockeye salmon runs in the world, the park said. And this year, the salmon run broke records, <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-alaska-fat-bear/wide-bodied-747-crowned-alaskas-fattest-bear-idUKKBN26S0BT?il=0" target="_blank">Reuters reported</a>.</p><p>Katmai National Park has the world's densest concentration of brown bears. The bears like to feast along Brooks River, where people from all over the world can watch them on a <a href="https://explore.org/livecams/brown-bears/brown-bear-salmon-cam-brooks-falls" target="_blank">webcam</a>.</p><p>Since its debut, Fat Bear Week has become increasingly popular. A record 187,000 people voted in 2019, while more than 550,000 voted this year, The Washington Post reported.</p><p>"What a curative healing pleasure it is to, one, be able to laugh, and, two, be connected to nature by understanding the achievements of these individual bears," Boak told the Post. "I think such a cheerful release. And, quite frankly, how often does one get to celebrate fatness?"</p>
From Your Site Articles
- Wild Bears 'Having a Party' in Coronavirus-Closed Yosemite ... ›
- Trump Rollback Allows Hunters to Kill Bears and Wolves in Their Dens ›
- Meet the Winner of Katmai National Park's Fat Bear Week 2019 ... ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
Trending
A black bear cub climbs a tree at Tongass National Forest in Alaska. sarkophoto / iStock / Getty Images Plus
America's largest national forest, Tongass National Forest in Alaska, will be opened up to logging and road construction after the Trump administration finalizes its plans to open up the forest on Friday, according to The New York Times.
<p>The plans to open up the forest to logging have been in the works for years. In March, the Trump administration faced a setback when a federal judge halted plans to open 1.8 million acres to logging and road building because the administration had failed to evaluate the environmental impact fully, as <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/national-forest-trump-logging-tongass-%202645476974.html" target="_self">EcoWatch</a> reported at the time.</p><p>The roughly 9 million acres that the administration wants to open up now have been protected since the 2001 by the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, or Roadless Rule, which prohibits construction in nationally protected wild areas, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/24/tongass-national-forest-trump-administration-logging" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. The U.S Forest Service is expected to release a full environmental impact statement later on Friday, saying that lifting the rule will not damage the 16.7 million-acre temperate rainforest in southeast Alaska. The administration will consequently revoke the Roadless Rule and move forward with plans to lease the land for logging.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQzODc5OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NTAyNzY2MX0.SZTIW9byPmjJzEqUrAY4midPIAU14f50liCctiggGcI/img.jpg?width=980" id="c3d9b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="646dd5c09a8e4f58d9f702f13abedff5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="938" data-height="483" />
Aerial view of the Tongass National Forest. Alan Wu / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
<p><br></p><p>The drive to open up Tongass National Forest to logging, as well as energy and mineral exploration, started in 2018 when Alaska's Governor Bill Walker asked the federal government to consider removing protections for the forest. While Alaska's senators have supported the idea, environmental advocates have criticized it, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/environment-juneau-bill-walker-forests-alaska-14542223458790b775b98c1384cb333a" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AP</a>.</p><p>The U.S. Forest Service evaluated several plans, including more moderate ones that would maintain protections for 80 percent of the forest and another that would have opened up logging and road construction to 2.3 million acres. The Forest Service, however, decided to fully remove the Roadless Rule protections and open 9 million acres to developers and loggers, according to a <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2020/09/24/us-department-agriculture-releases-final-environmental-impact" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">statement</a> from the Department of Agriculture, as The New York Times reported.</p>
<p>"This administration has opted to take the road well traveled by continuing to spend tens of millions of dollars every year to expand logging roads for a dying old-growth timber industry," said Andy Moderow, a director for the Alaska Wilderness League, in a statement, as The Guardian reported. "This is bad for people, bad for a sustainable economy and bad for <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife">wildlife</a>."</p><p>Earthjustice, an environmental legal-advocacy group that successfully stopped development in Tongass in March, said it would fight the plan in the courts. Katie Glover, an attorney for Earthjustice, said, "We will use every tool available to continue defending this majestic and irreplaceable national forest," as the AP reported.</p>
<p>Scientists have also criticized the plan, saying that Tongass is one of the world's largest carbon sinks, absorbing nearly 8 percent of the greenhouse gas pollution that the U.S. emits. Scientists also note that cutting down the old growth trees will put trapped greenhouse gases back into the atmosphere, which is particularly imprudent when the world is grappling with increasingly severe heat waves and wildfires triggered by the climate crisis, as The New York Times reported.</p><p>"The Forest Service's environmental impact statement is junk science on assessing the impacts of releasing the carbon," said Dominick DellaSala, chief scientist and president of Geos Institute, a nonprofit organization that studies climate change, to The New York Times. "They are saying that the carbon that would be released by logging the timber is insignificant. There's no science that supports their analysis."</p><p>That sentiment was echoed by Randi Spivak, public lands director at the Center for Biological Diversity, who vowed to fight the lifting of the Roadless Rule, as the AP reported. She said in a statement that the new plan will pour "gasoline on the inferno of climate change. These towering ancient trees take enormous amounts of carbon out of the air and we need them now more than ever. We'll do everything possible to keep these magnificent giants standing for centuries to come."</p>
From Your Site Articles
- Trump Admin Proposes Drilling for Oil in National Forests - EcoWatch ›
- Forest Service Wants to Fast-Track Logging Without Environmental ... ›
- Trump Admin Moves Closer to Slashing Protections for World's ... ›
- Judge Rules Against Trump's Attempt to Log in America's Largest ... ›
- Trump Moves to Open 16.7 Million Acre Alaskan Rainforest to ... ›
- Trump to Remove Protections for Tongass National Forest, the 'Lungs of North America' - EcoWatch ›
- Latest Trump Rollback Allows Increased Logging in National Forests ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
Trump Greenlights Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but Will Oil Companies Show Up?
24 August 2020
Energy
By Scott L. Montgomery
The Trump administration has announced that it is opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas development – the latest twist in a decades-long battle over the fate of this remote area. Its timing is truly terrible.
<p>Low oil prices, a pandemic-driven recession and looming elections add up to highly unfavorable conditions for launching expensive drilling operations. In the longer term, the climate crisis and an ongoing shift to a lower-carbon economy raise big questions about future oil demand.</p><p>I've <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=dCRySjIAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">researched the U.S. energy industry</a> for more than 20 years. As I see it, conservative Republicans have backed oil and gas production in ANWR since the 1980s for two overriding reasons. First, to increase domestic oil production and reduce dependence on "foreign oil," a euphemism for imports from OPEC countries. This argument now is largely dead, thanks to the <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/fracking-revolution-thats-made-the-us-the-top-global-oil-producer-is-boosting-the-economy-and-curbing-emissions-too-2019-03-22/" target="_blank">fracking revolution</a>, which has greatly expanded U.S. oil and gas production.</p><p>The other motive for drilling in ANWR, I believe, is to score a major, precedent-setting victory over government policies that prioritize conservation over energy production and environmental advocacy groups that have fought for years to protect ANWR as "<a href="https://www.wilderness.org/articles/article/why-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge" target="_blank">one of the finest examples of wilderness left on Earth</a>." Capturing ANWR and transforming it into a locus of fossil fuel extraction would be a massive physical and symbolic triumph for politicians who believe that resource extraction is the <a href="https://theconversation.com/dems-and-the-gop-are-miles-apart-on-yet-another-issue-public-lands-65772" target="_blank">highest use of public lands</a>.</p><p>President Trump seems to understand this, based on his recent comment that "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/17/climate/alaska-oil-drilling-anwr.html" target="_blank">ANWR is a big deal that Ronald Reagan couldn't get done and nobody could get done</a>." But global, national and oil industry circumstances are overwhelmingly arrayed against Trump getting it done.</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="acfdbc74ce6214af4b64f1f77bd82b45"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bTdOrHxIto4?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
Years of Debate
<p>ANWR is inarguably an ecological treasure. With 45 species of mammals and over 200 species of birds from six continents, the refuge <a href="https://www.amnh.org/explore/science-bulletins/earth/documentaries/reading-the-rocks-the-search-for-oil-in-anwr/essay-northern-alaska-rich-in-wildlife-and-oil/" target="_blank">is more biodiverse</a> than almost any area in the Arctic.</p><p>This is especially true of the 1002 <a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/arctic/wildlife_habitat.html" target="_blank">coastal plain portion</a>, which has the largest number of polar bear dens in Alaska. It also supports <a href="https://theconversation.com/scientist-at-work-tracking-muskoxen-in-a-warming-arctic-70378" target="_blank">muskoxen</a>, Arctic wolves, foxes, hares, migrating waterfowl and Porcupine caribou, which calve there. Most of ANWR is designated as wilderness, which puts it off-limits for development. But this <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33872.pdf" target="_blank">does not include the 1002 Area</a>, which was recognized as a promising area for energy development when the refuge was created in 1980 and left that way after a 1987 study confirmed its potential.</p><p>Climate change is causing <a href="https://theconversation.com/100-degrees-in-siberia-5-ways-the-extreme-arctic-heat-wave-follows-a-disturbing-pattern-141442" target="_blank">especially rapid warming in the Arctic</a>, with probable negative effects for many of these species. Environmental advocates argue that fossil fuel production in ANWR will <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/protect-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge" target="_blank">add to this process</a>, damaging habitat and impacting the <a href="https://www.alaskapublic.org/2019/07/02/in-arctic-village-gwichin-leaders-say-the-fight-to-stop-drilling-in-the-arctic-refuge-isnt-over/" target="_blank">Indigenous people who rely on the wildlife</a> for subsistence. But the situation is complex: There are also <a href="https://www.ktoo.org/2019/07/02/in-the-alaska-village-where-anwr-is-the-backyard-many-see-drilling-as-an-opportunity/" target="_blank">Indigenous groups who support ANWR development</a> for the jobs and income it would bring.</p><p>Energy companies' interest in ANWR, meanwhile, has risen and fallen over time. The discovery of oil at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prudhoe_Bay_Oil_Field" target="_blank">Prudhoe Bay</a> in 1968, followed by <a href="https://www.cfr.org/timeline/oil-dependence-and-us-foreign-policy" target="_blank">two oil shocks in the 1970s</a>, sparked support for exploration and production in the region. But this enthusiasm faded in the late 1980s and '90s in the face of fierce political and legal opposition and years of low oil prices.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU3NjgzMi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NzAxNzY4MH0.vWNpbGQIFsOi5KclugxDJn1zOdFvnMZjregD-L2-R1k/img.png?width=980" id="c43dd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="21bad02c37ee46a4c84f7ef33adabd67" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="600" data-height="546" />
A majority of Americas of all political leanings believe the U.S. should develop alternative energy sources rather than expanding production of oil, coal and natural gas. Pew Research Center, CC BY-ND
<p>Scientists performed two major assessments of oil reserves in the 1002 Area in <a href="http://dggs.alaska.gov/webpubs/usgs/b/text/b1778.pdf" target="_blank">1987</a> and <a href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-0028-01/" target="_blank">1998</a>. The latter study concluded that ANWR contained up to 11 billion barrels of oil that could be profitably recovered if prices were consistently high. But when prices rose between 2010 and late 2014, companies chose to focus instead on areas to the west of the refuge, where new discoveries had been made.</p><p>In the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/hr1/BILLS-115hr1enr.pdf" target="_blank">Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017</a>, a Republican-controlled Congress directed the Trump administration to open the 1002 Area to leasing. The bill required one lease sale within four years, and at least two sales within a decade. But as the Interior Department tried to comply, it was hampered by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/15/us/ryan-zinke-interior-secretary.html" target="_blank">political controversies</a> and environmental assessment requirements.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/secretary-bernhardt-signs-decision-implement-coastal-plain-oil-and-gas-leasing-program" target="_blank">new Record of Decision</a>, released on Aug. 17, 2020, determines where and how leasing will occur. It represents the Trump administration's last chance to bring forward a well-designed leasing plan, and is certain <a href="https://www.arctictoday.com/with-arctic-refuge-drilling-approved-focus-shifts-to-legal-battles-and-market-forces/" target="_blank">to spark legal challenges</a> from environmental and wildlife organizations.</p>
Is ANWR Oil Worth It?
<p>Today the oil industry is facing its greatest set of challenges in modern history. They include:</p><ul><li>A collapse in oil demand and prices due to the global pandemic, with a sluggish and <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/oil-market-report-august-2020" target="_blank">uncertain recovery</a></li><li>Companies canceling and reducing activity worldwide, with bankruptcies in the U.S. shale industry and <a href="https://energynow.com/2020/08/u-s-oil-gas-rig-count-falls-to-record-low-for-14th-week-baker-hughes/" target="_blank">drilling rig counts</a> falling back to 1940 levels</li><li>New uncertainty about future global oil demand as climate concerns push public interest and government policy toward electric vehicles, and automakers respond with new EV designs</li><li>The growing possibility of Democratic victories in the November 2020 elections, which would likely lead to policies reducing fossil fuel use</li><li>Increasing <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-barclays/barclays-pressured-by-shareholders-to-cut-fossil-fuel-financing-idUSKBN1Z700F" target="_blank">investor pressure</a> on banks and investment firms to reduce or eliminate support for fossil fuel projects.</li></ul><p>All of these factors compound the challenges of leasing and drilling in ANWR. Well costs there would be among the highest anywhere onshore in the U.S. Only one well has ever been drilled in the area, so new drilling would be purely exploratory and have a lower chance of success than in better-studied areas. Under these conditions, it would make more sense for companies that are active on Alaska's North Slope to pursue sites they currently have under lease, which pose much lower risk.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU3NjgzMy9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDYxODU1OX0.Hio5lx25UgfA_LlmK8SAiPCXI3yM1YMMeRj67Kcc390/img.png?width=980" id="d7d17" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="77bcfa6e07ee6840f82cceccbe0a2af7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="600" data-height="464" />
<p>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/scott-l-montgomery-102115" target="_blank"><em>Scott L. Montgomery</em></a><em> is a Lecturer, Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Disclosure statement: Scott L. Montgomery does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/trump-greenlights-drilling-in-the-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge-but-will-oil-companies-show-up-144715" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
</p><iframe height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/144715/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1"></iframe>Alaska's North Slope outside of ANWR remains rich in oil, according to the latest U.S. Geological Survey assessment. USGS
<p>What's more, as I have <a href="https://theconversation.com/large-scale-fracking-comes-to-the-arctic-in-a-new-alaska-oil-boom-75683#comment_1264055" target="_blank">argued previously</a>, it's not clear that there's a need to drill in ANWR. Energy companies have made new discoveries elsewhere south and west of Prudhoe Bay – most recently, the <a href="https://www.rigzone.com/news/pantheon_resources_makes_alaska_north_slope_discovery-13-apr-2020-161730-article/" target="_blank">Talitha Field</a>, which could yield 500 million barrels or more.</p><p>Companies that pursue leases in ANWR also will have to weigh the prospects of litigation, investor anger and a tarnished brand – especially large firms with public name recognition. Shell's experience in 2015, when it <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/09/28/shell-backtracks-on-controversial-arctic-drilling-plan/" target="_blank">abandoned plans to drill offshore in the Arctic</a> under heavy pressure, indicate what other companies can expect.</p><p>If Trump is voted out of office, I expect that a Biden administration would quickly move to <a href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/06/most-trump-environmental-rollbacks-will-take-years-to-be-reversed/" target="_blank">reverse</a> the directive for leasing in ANWR. In my view, this contested area will have far more meaning and value as a wildlife refuge in a warming world that is starting to seriously move away from hydrocarbon energy.</p>From Your Site Articles
- Trump: 'I Never Appreciated ANWR' ›
- Obama Seeks Wilderness Designation for Arctic National Wildlife ... ›
- Trump Admin Pushes Final Drilling Plan for Arctic National Wildlife ... ›
- Trump Rushes To Sell Oil Drilling Leases in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - EcoWatch ›
- Trump Plans 'Going Out of Business' Sale With Arctic Drilling Leases - EcoWatch ›
- Court Rejects Trump's Arctic Drilling Proposal in 'Huge Victory for Polar Bears and Our Climate' - EcoWatch ›
Read More
Show Less
Trending
A polar bear with cubs at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in North Slope, Alaska in 2014. Steven Kazlowski / Barcroft Medi via Getty Images
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, thanks to protections put in place 60 years ago, has remained a pristine oasis in the most remote section of Alaska. Now, the Trump administration is finalizing plans to end those protections and to lease the federal lands to oil and gas exploration, according to The New York Times.
<p>The maneuver will allow oil and gas companies to exploit the vast reserves that sit under what environmentalists call "the last great wilderness," according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/17/trump-alaska-arctic-wildlife-refuge-drilling" target="_blank">The Guardian.</a></p><p>The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is estimated to sit above billions of barrels of oil. However, the 19-million acre sanctuary is home to polar bears, various waterfowl, migrating caribou and Arctic foxes that make the area their year-round home. In all, the refuge is home to more than 270 species, including the world's remaining Southern Beaufort Sea polar bears, 250 musk oxen and 300,000 snow geese, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/08/17/trump-drilling-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge-alaska/" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a>.</p>
<p>The Trump administration plans to open the perimeter to drilling, roughly 1.6 million acres in coastline, as The New York Times reported.</p><p>The Department of the Interior said it had completed all the requisite reviews and intended to start selling leases to the land soon. Speaking to reporters, Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt said, "I do believe there could be a lease sale by the end of the year," as The New York Times reported.</p><p>Bernhardt added that offering the leases, "marks a new chapter in American energy independence" and predicted it could "create thousands of new jobs," according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/17/politics/trump-arctic-wildlife-drilling/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a>.</p><p>He also said in his conference call with reporters that he was moving forward with a 2017 budget bill, passed by a Republican-led congress, that insisted that the Federal government open up oil and gas leasing on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/08/17/trump-drilling-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge-alaska/" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a>.</p>
<p>The push to open up the wildlife refuge marks a significant energy policy for an administration that has been hostile to the urgency of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate crisis</a> and invested heavily in greenhouse gas-emitting <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels">fossil fuels</a>. According to <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2019/11/20/477495/trumps-energy-policies-put-alaska-climate-crosshairs/" target="_blank">research</a> from the Centers for American Progress, the drilling would result in more than 4.3 billion tons of CO2 emissions, which is roughly 75 percent of the nation's annual carbon dioxide emissions, according to The Washington Post.</p><p>"This is our nation's last great wilderness," said Adam Kolton, the executive director of the Alaska Wilderness League, as The Guardian reported. "Nowhere else in the five-nation circle polar north do you have such abundant and diverse wildlife."</p>
<p>The migrating porcupine caribou is important to the culture of the indigenous Gwich'in people, many of whom reside alongside the caribou's migrating pattern.</p><p>"This area they just opened is their calving grounds," said Bernadette Demienti, executive director of the Gwich'in steering committee, as The Guardian reported. "This is a place that is so sacred to the Gwich'in that we don't go there. Our creation story tells us that we made a vow with the caribou that we would take care of each other. They have taken care of us, and now it is our turn to take care of them."</p><p>Demienti added that the caribou have already started to change their migration pattern as global warming afflicts the Arctic at a rapid pace, changing the landscape and the vegetation that the ruminants rely on.</p><p>Environmentalists like Kolton intend to fight the leases in federal court, where a protracted legal battle is expected to play out.</p><p>"We will continue to fight this at every turn," said Kolton in a statement, as The New York Times reported. "Any oil company that would seek to drill in the Arctic Refuge will face enormous reputational, legal and financial risks."</p>
From Your Site Articles
- Judge Says Trump's Plan to Allow Drilling in Arctic Ocean Is ... ›
- Trump Moves to Open 1.5 Million Acres of Alaskan Refuge for Oil ... ›
- Investors Controlling $2.5 Trillion Stand With Indigenous People ... ›
- Will Oil Companies Drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge? - EcoWatch ›
- Trump Administration Plans Seismic Testing for Oil in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge This Winter - EcoWatch ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
Trump Admin Reverses Obama-Era Restrictions on Pebble Mine Near Alaska's Largest Salmon Nursery
27 July 2020
Politics
The Bristol Bay watershed supports the world's largest sockeye salmon fishery. World Wildlife Fund / YouTube
Officials from the Trump administration announced last week that a plan to open a copper and gold mine that threatens Alaska's largest salmon nursery would not pose a serious environmental threat.
<p>This is a sharp about-face for the U.S. government, after <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/epa-alaska-mining-salmon-2646141959.html" target="_self">the Obama-administration cited environmental concerns</a> and the threat to the spawning ground of the region's prized sockeye salmon when it put the brakes on the project in 2012, and again when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa">EPA</a>) expressed concerns about the salmon in 2014.</p><p>This new move represents the latest salvo in the Trump administration's thorough and systematic dismantling of environmental efforts and regulations from the previous administration. When it comes to the Pebble Mine, as <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/07/24/pebble-mine-alaska-trump/" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a> reported, a <a href="https://pebbleprojecteis.com/documents/finaleis" target="_blank">final environmental analysis</a> issued Friday by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers found that the mine — which targets a deposit of gold, copper and other minerals worth up to $500 billion — "would not be expected to have a measurable effect on fish numbers" in the Bristol Bay watershed, which supports the world's largest sockeye salmon fishery.</p><p>Opponents of Pebble Mine criticized the review process as rushed, flawed, and favorable to the mine developer, as the <a href="https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2020/07/23/as-a-major-federal-environmental-review-comes-to-a-close-six-things-to-know-about-the-pebble-mine-proposal/" target="_blank">Anchorage Daily News</a> reported.</p>
<p>In a joint statement, Alannah Hurley with United Tribes of Bristol Bay, Norm Van Vactor with Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp., Ralph Andersen with Bristol Bay Native Association and Katherine Carscallen with Commercial Fishermen for Bristol Bay said the final review "completely fails to adequately assess the impacts of Pebble on Bristol Bay's waters, salmon, and people," according to the Anchorage Daily News.</p><p>The mine will be located in two watersheds that feed fish-spawning rivers. Opponents say traces of heavy metals and other contaminants left from the mining operation pose risks if they leach into groundwater or if dams holding back the tailings fail in an earthquake, as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/24/climate/pebble-mine-alaska-environment.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> reported.</p>
<p>Opposition to the mine has been widespread, both in the region and statewide, for nearly two decades, with concerns about environmental damage and the potential harm to the area's salmon, which are the main traditional subsistence food for many of the Native Alaskans in the region and the crux of both sport-fishing and commercial fishing in the area, according to The New York Times.</p><p>The open-pit mine calls for a large dammed area to trap the tailings from mining operations that would be toxic to the fish. It also calls for the 80 new miles of road to carry the concentrated tailings away to Cook Inlet. Additionally, the mining company wants to build a 165-mile natural gas pipeline for a generating plant to power the operation.</p>
<p>According to the Corps, the operations would permanently destroy more than 2,200 acres of wetlands and waters, and 105 miles of streams. The EPA indicated earlier this year that it would not block the project at this point, as The Washington Post reported.</p><p>Opponents have argued that the environmental impact statement was not rigorous enough, as they highlighted hazardous risks, including the potential for a tailings dam failure that could contaminate waterways used by spawning fish and harm the Bristol Bay fishery, which employs about 15,000 people. They also note that Alaska is the most seismically active state in the nation, and critics said the Corps had not taken sufficient account of the risk of earthquakes or volcanic activity, and that its analysis of the dam designs was inadequate, particularly since a few of the dams would be hundreds of feet high, as The New York Times reported.</p>
<p>Taryn Kiekow Heimer, who leads the the Natural Resources Defense Council's effort to stop the project, told The Washington Post that the administration's push to greenlight a massive project that is opposed by neighboring <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/indigenous-peoples">Indigenous</a> communities amounts to environmental injustice.</p><p>"It's especially embarrassing for the government and appalling given the current social context we are in," she said of the accelerated approval process. "It's just another example of the entrenched and systemic racism that this government is showing to people of color and indigenous people in particular."</p><p>The Pebble Mine, like logging in Alaska' <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-wildfires-trump-alaska-exploitation-2640082295.html" target="_self">Tongass forest</a>, the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/keystone-xl" target="_self">Keystone XL</a> pipeline, and the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/dakota-access-pipeline-shut-down-2646355663.html" target="_self">Dakota Access</a> pipeline, is a gift to industry that the Trump administration has tried to fast track. All those projects could be reversed if a Democratic administration takes office in January, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/07/24/pebble-mine-alaska-trump/" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a>.</p>
From Your Site Articles
- Pebble Mine Threatens One of the Last Great Salmon Rivers ... ›
- EPA Likely to Approve Mine That Threatens Alaska's Largest ... ›
- Trump Pushed for Mining Project That Could Destroy Alaska Salmon ... ›
- Pebble Mine Denied Permit in Victory for Tribes and Planet ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
A polar bear with two playful cubs. Jennie Gosché
By Jennie Gosché
In late 2019, before the world was completely upended by the COVID-19 pandemic, I was presented a last-minute chance to photograph polar bears outside one of the northernmost villages in the United States — Kaktovik, Alaska. It was an opportunity I couldn't refuse, and as the COVID-19 pandemic now stretches into summer 2020, I'm grateful I accepted.
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUxMzU2My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDg0NDEyOX0.ducqI5scB-Y8YGfBjJy8MH782PWfHnMc3M2N5yrh9dE/img.jpg?width=980" id="86ac9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="99cd2f84506e478d8022f6c9a3064b44" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1600" data-height="1067" />
Polar bears adorn the sign leading into Kaktovik. Jennie Gosché
<p>Kaktovik is an Inupiat native village of around 250 people on the coast of the Arctic Ocean, located on barrier islands at the edge of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. My first trip there took place in September 2016, and I traveled with the purpose to photograph the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/southern-beaufort-sea-polar-bear-population-declined-2000s#:~:text=The%20polar%20bear%20was%20listed,ice%20loss%20on%20their%20populations." target="_blank">threatened Southern Beaufort Sea polar bear population</a>. The coastal region of the Arctic Refuge in fall is a special place to photograph these magnificent animals, as they congregate on dirt and sand spits of land waiting for the winter ice of the Beaufort Sea to make its way to the Alaska shore.</p><p>During the late summer and early fall, Inupiat boat owners from Kaktovik guide "tourist" photographers out to view polar bears from a safe distance in the placid lagoon adjacent to the raging waves of the Beaufort Sea. I joined one such group of photographers led by <a href="https://hughrosephotography.com/" target="_blank">Hugh Rose</a>, a professional photographer and geologist who lives in Fairbanks, and we took a short charter flight from Deadhorse to Kaktovik, landing in a morning snowstorm. But by afternoon, the sun was out and we had three and a half days of sunshine that combined with the ice and snow to create great conditions in which to photograph polar bears.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUxMzU2Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDE1ODE5M30.wlTpUch74PsdZbvOOVmlJLlEfOS3UHI9S1yb1orCbf4/img.jpg?width=980" id="f9de2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="57baaf66d893539215aba68cdae72e8c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="512" data-height="331" />
The welcome sign at the Waldo Arms Hotel. Jeff Stamer / www.firefallphotography.com
<p>We were out in the lagoon twice a day, breaking only for lunch at our hotel, the modest but welcoming <a href="http://www.waldoarmshotel.net/" target="_blank">Waldo Arms Hotel</a> owned by Walt "Waldo" Audi and Merlyn Trainer — one of only two options for places to stay in Kaktovik when visiting. The boat guides are skilled, and they have to be, because knowledge and awareness of depths in the lagoon is critical to prevent a boat from getting stuck in shallow water.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUxMzU2Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NzQ0NzQ1NH0.8LgGTAoqcrRC2fk3XirhyPMIRAFLzpaan5NmnJ9C6Rc/img.jpg?width=980" id="4bf06" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="28ddc335167786f68044d07a092f1d82" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="512" data-height="341" />
Polar bear viewing is done by boat for the safety of both people and polar bears. Jennie Gosché
<p>This trip we were in a boat with a heated cabin, a perk since we were there later in the season. Our boat driver, however, told us that at that very same time the previous year, the lagoon was completely frozen over. He shared this as we floated on the lagoon in open water, though ice was visible in places and we occasionally heard pieces rubbing against the hull of the metal boat.</p><p>____________________________________________________________________________________________________________</p><p>With rapidly rising temperatures, <a href="http://forestry.alaska.gov/Assets/pdfs/firestats/2019%20Alaska%20Fire%20Statistics.pdf" target="_blank">increases in wildfires</a>, thawing permafrost, receding glaciers, <a href="https://www.alaskapublic.org/2019/11/21/new-report-sheds-more-light-on-climate-change-impacts-to-alaska-native-villages/" target="_blank">eroding coastlines</a> and disappearing sea ice, <a href="https://www.cjr.org/special_report/whats-become-of-arctic.php" target="_blank">Alaska and the Arctic are on the front lines of climate change</a>. It has hit Alaska's rural communities and <a href="https://www.alaskapublic.org/2019/11/21/new-report-sheds-more-light-on-climate-change-impacts-to-alaska-native-villages/" target="_blank">Alaska Native villages especially hard</a>, including villages like <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/11/25/changes-in-climate-make-alaskas-traditional-ice-cellars-unreliable/" target="_blank">Kaktovik</a>. Warming waters and the disappearing Arctic ice cap are also impacting ocean life, from plankton to <a href="https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Polar-bears-face-swimming-to-land-or-ecological-trap-as-sea-ice-diminishes-567243261.html" target="_blank">polar bears</a> to whales. And the decline in sea ice is making it <a href="https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/seaice/environment/indigenous_impacts.html" target="_blank">increasingly unsafe for humans and wildlife to travel across it</a> to hunt marine mammals like seals, walrus and bowhead whales.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUxMzU2OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0ODkyMzUyMH0.yboTwh7hnlLyKF3hiJn3JAF_ClTFFXjxSx0bFMDvLLM/img.jpg?width=980" id="7fcbc" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dd629612d9e0b2b3d95ca96a1fafe6d3" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="512" data-height="384" />
Coastal erosion is causing permafrost to thaw and break off, here along the Arctic coastal plain in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area of the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska. Brandt Meixell, U.S.Geological Survey
<p>The Inupiat are primarily subsistence hunters and whalers, harvesting whales each summer (in addition to caribou and other wildlife), the meat from which is shared by the entire village. It is a staple of their diet and has been for thousands of years, but as temperatures warm, the lack of ice combined with changes in whale migration patterns and timing could make hunting progressively more difficult.</p><p>The Inupiat <a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/arctic/pbcommunity.html" target="_blank">share their whale meat with the polar bears</a>, something they have done for many years. This gesture provides much needed food for polar bears, especially as they spend longer periods of time on land due to the receding sea ice. When I visited Kaktovik in 2016, my most memorable photo is of a cub on top of whale bones, shaking what looks like animal skin in its mouth.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUxMzU3MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MDg0OTE0N30.0_0GgJUfWyM96OOfooius3AoGASWNwoUjBk40SVeES4/img.jpg?width=980" id="f176f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="babdb9d27ca6834212bc276596e92df3" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1600" data-height="930" />
Bears have learned to scavenge whale carcasses left over from successful whaling hunts. Jennie Gosché
<p>As I returned to the village in late 2019, however, they had moved the bone pile away from the lagoon to an area off-limits to tourists. I was told the bone pile now only stays on land for a short time, and then the bones are pushed into the ocean. Eventually, this change could affect the overall health of the Southern Beaufort Sea polar bears, as many of them increasingly den on land in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and utilize the shared whale meat for sustenance during the summer and early fall before they enter their maternal birthing dens in November.<br>____________________________________________________________________________________________________________</p><p>Which brings me back to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, as wild a place as any other on Earth but one also under threat of oil and gas development. While in Kaktovik I learned that there is not a consensus in the village on the question of allowing oil drilling in the Arctic Refuge. Climate change and impacts to wildlife are serious concerns, so much so that more than 60 village residents <a href="https://www.adn.com/opinions/2017/12/13/those-who-would-open-anwr-do-not-speak-for-kaktovik/" target="_blank">signed a petition in 2017 opposing drilling on the Arctic Refuge coastal plain</a>.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUxMzU3My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzY1Mzk4OH0.mbTdFW-RUFS12gFR5cnUKtB7aERaAYyfBpAo7FpL6EU/img.jpg?width=980" id="a986f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a69634ab2a4cb7218e73571fb67e8825" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="512" data-height="341" />
Oil production facilities dominate the region around Prudhoe Bay, to the West of the Arctic Refuge. Florian Schulz / www.florianschulz.org
<p>Helping to prevent development in the <a href="https://www.alaskawild.org/places-we-protect/arctic-refuge/" target="_blank">Arctic National Wildlife Refuge</a> — a place that supports the greatest variety of plant and animal life in the entire circumpolar north — is very important to me, not least of all because the <a href="https://www.alaskawild.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/USGS-wildlife-report-statement-1-26-2018-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">U.S. government has admitted</a> it simply doesn't have enough information about the impacts of oil and gas development on the coastal plain to protect its wildlife and other values. Oil drilling <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2019/11/20/477495/trumps-energy-policies-put-alaska-climate-crosshairs/" target="_blank">will compound the devastating climate impacts</a> already being felt by villages in the region, increasing carbon emissions, worsening climate pollution and further harming front line communities.</p><p>Especially now, in the midst of an uncertain present and looking forward to an uncertain future, we need to press pause on Arctic Refuge development. Instead of recklessly rushing ahead, more research over extended periods of time is needed so that we can fully understand the potential impact oil drilling will have on local villages, our climate and wildlife like the majestic polar bear.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUxMzU3NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NTcxMjg3NX0.vGKHDYb33sKdlDGRU9frMekl9_N8lJBALumUl58n-hQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="972ae" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="00847007e12c1478891865721f7dc0c6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="512" data-height="341" />
A mother nurses her cubs. Jennie Gosché
<p><em>Jennie Gosché has traveled to the Arctic seven times to photograph polar bears. Having visited the five countries where polar bears are found (Denmark (Greenland), Norway, Russia, the United States and Canada), Kaktovik, Alaska, has become her favorite place to photograph them. Jennie's photography has been exhibited in Washington, D.C., Minneapolis and Maryland. She is a member of Alaska Wilderness League.</em></p>
Read More
Show Less