April 18, 2002
Thursday - 11:40 pm

Washington - World Wildlife Fund commended the bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate today for blocking an amendment that would mandate oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Today's momentous vote sent a strong message that the Arctic Refuge is a unique national treasure that should be protected for future generations of people and wildlife.

"This was an important goal-line stand for the environment," said Brooks Yeager, vice president of WWF's global threats program. "A strong bipartisan group of Senators held firm against all the ploys that drilling proponents put forward. This vote is a significant victory for those who believe that we can develop a future-oriented energy policy that protects our wilderness and wildlife resources now and for our children's future."

The Arctic Refuge protects some of the world's most spectacular wilderness and wildlife, including the Porcupine Caribou, who move to the refuge's coastal plain each spring in one of North America's last great mammal migrations. The caribou rely on the coastal plain to give birth and raise their calves. Moreover, polar bears use the coastal plain as their denning habitat, the nursery for newborn cubs. Any oil development would endanger the area's population for these and dozens of other species of mammals and birds. WWF considers the coastal plain of the Arctic Ocean to be one of the world's most critical ecosystems for biodiversity protection.

In addition to environmental impacts, drilling for oil in the Arctic Refuge will do little or nothing to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil or help our military. According to the
U.S. Geological Survey, recoverable oil under the Arctic Refuge would provide a six-month supply, and even industry officials admit that oil wouldn't be available for 10 years.

"Even at the highest estimates, the amount of oil that might be found beneath the Arctic Refuge would do little to alleviate America's energy problems. There is no justification sacrificing this special place for such little gain," Yeager said.

Today's vote is a wake-up call for the country's leaders to find creative ways to conserve energy and switch alternative energy sources that represent an environmentally-sound future.

"If we truly want to make an immediate and substantial impact to conserve energy, we need to change America's gas-guzzling addiction by increasing fuel efficiency standards," Yeager said. "If new cars, minivans and SUVs got just 3 miles more per gallon, it would save more oil within 10 years than would ever be produced in the Arctic Refuge."

Source of News Release:

World Wildlife Fund
Web Site

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