Virginia Cramer, virginia.cramer@sierraclub.org, 804-519-8449
Today, the Department of the Interior announced plans to speed up efforts to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The effort would give the area over to the oil industry, ignoring the place’s importance to the Gwich’in Nation, the permanence of drilling damage to one of the country’s last wild places, and the irreversible climate impacts in a state already warming at twice the rate of the rest of the country.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune issued the following statement:
“We stand with the Gwich’in Nation in defense of this sacred place. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is unique in its wildness and in the connection it offers to the unspoiled natural world, even for those who may never set foot there. We have a moral obligation to safeguard the Arctic Refuge from destructive drilling, and we will fight this plan every step of the way. We will not stand idly by as Ryan Zinke’s Department of the Interior runs roughshod over human rights and climate justice in their zeal to give away this special place to the dirty fuels industry.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.