Preserving Wildlife in the Arctic

For many years, people have argued whether global warming is real, and if it’s really affecting our world at the end of the day. However, global warming has been proven by a clear increase of the average global temperature by about 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit, impacting cold environments like the Arctic greatly. Although, this isn’t the only way the Arctic is being affected.

In December of 2020, the Trump administration announced that they were going to auction off drilling rights in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, an organization used to protect immense areas of wildlife and wetlands in the United States, which would affect many animals in the upcoming months.

The plan was that the Arctic lands were going to be sold to companies that would completely wipe the place down for oil. Immediately, many conservation and tribal groups started filing lawsuits in order to save the wildlife that might soon lose their only home. Although there were people protesting against this horrible and selfish act, it wasn’t enough.

When news about the announcement spread, it split many people with whether drilling in Arctic habitats was really worth it or not. One side of the story was that, although many animals will lose their home, we need more oil to help out with the economy in the end. The other side was filled with people who felt empathy for the animals and couldn’t live seeing them slowly starve and face a new reality of isolation with no place to call home.

With the many conflicts of 2020 going on, including the COVID-19 pandemic, people faced a new sense of isolation, which created a whole new level of sympathy for the animals. There wasn’t any need for anyone else to face issues this year, especially not innocent polar bears, penguins, and millions of fish located in the Arctic. Since then, there are many petitions available to try to put a stop to this senseless act, and people aren’t ready to give up until there is justice.

With over 1.6 million acres of the refuge at stake, it’s important to take action and be considerate of the suffering these animals are going through, and how unnecessary this decision is. It’s time for a change before it’s too late; millions of animals are depending on you.