Posts
What could possibly go wrong? Think methane clathrates
Trump officials may allow 'shaker machines' to search arctic refuge for oil
Seismic testing plan would cause irreparable harm to Alaska national wildlife refuge, biologists say
24
July, 2018
The
Trump administration has announced it is considering a proposal to
conduct seismic testing for oil and gas in the Arctic national
wildlife refuge, the largest such preserve in the US.
If
the plan moves forward, vehicles with “shakers” –
diesel-powered equipment that sends tremors through the landscape –
will be deployed along Alaska’s northern coastal plain in an effort
to map underground hydrocarbon deposits.
SAExploration,
the Colorado-based firm that would carry out the work, has committed
to mitigating environmental impact by using large sleds, and
non-industrial vehicles along ice roads, to minimize scarring and
impact on flora and fauna. Nevertheless, airstrips would need to be
built in the pristine wilderness to service the two 150-person teams
in charge of the mapping.
Biologists
and environmentalists argue that the testing will cause irreparable
harm to the pristine wilderness. The Porcupine caribou herd, which
migrates 1,500 miles through the refuge, ends its journey along the
plain where the testing will take place. The caribou calve along the
coast and provide critical subsistence food for the Gwich’in
Nation, which has lived and depended on the land for thousands of
years.
In
April, the US interior department commissioned an expedited
environmental review of the impact of leasing the land for oil and
gas drilling.
Since
its founding by Theodore Roosevelt in 1903, the refuge has embodied
the American ideal of “wilderness” – where no roads, buildings,
or any trace of human presence is allowed, save for temporary
shelter.
Opening
the refuge to drilling has been a signature part of Trump’s pitch
to Republicans, despite enormous public resistance. Both Alaska’s
senators, along with its single House representative, all
Republicans, favor the move, which is estimated to bring in more than
$1bn in federal revenue over the next 10 years.
“Things
are happening more quickly than we can react,” said Heather
Bauscher, an Alaska-based wildlife biologist who has done extensive
research in the Arctic. “We’re making policy decisions without a
lot of information on the ground. In the current political climate,
there’s not a lot of funding being put to the research, and that
makes it even harder.”
No
seismic work has been done in the refuge since the mid-1980s. Despite
enormous pressure from the Republican party to open the land, The
refuge is not bifurcated by roads or the tread marks of industrial
machinery, and the migrations of caribou, polar bears and waterfowl
proceed unhindered by humans.
In
July, the Porcupine caribou herd will conclude its calving season and
head back into the mountains for the winter. Leases for full-scale
drilling along the coast could be available as early as summer 2019 –
right about when the caribou herd descends on to the coastal plain
after its long journey to give birth once more.
This
article was amended on 24 July 2018 to remove an erroneous reference
to caribou migration.
kate simcock
Greenpeace NZ
