On Sept. 6, President Joe Biden announced that his administration would no longer permit oil drilling on the 13 million acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in the Alaskan wilderness, reversing the decision made by former president Donald Trump to allow drilling in the area. The refuge was the largest untouched expanse of wilderness in the United States until 2017, when Trump reversed the environmental protection over the area and approved leases to oil drilling companies. While Trump’s decision appalled many environmentalists, so did Biden’s decision earlier this year to approve the ConocoPhillips Willow Project, an eight billion dollar project aiming to extract 506 million barrels of oil in a different part of Alaska over the next three decades. Biden’s decision to prohibit drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge contradicts his approval of the Willow Project, so after taking this step Biden should now work to prevent all oil drilling in Alaska, as fits with the best interest of the state and its residents.
The fossil fuel industry, as well as the Alaska state government, spent years lobbying for permission to drill for oil in the refuge, estimated to hold a stunning 11 billion barrels of oil. Representatives from the industry and government were frustrated when Biden terminated the leases granted under Trump, accusing Biden of violating the law, and the Alaska Development Corporation threatened to take legal action against the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Biden administration does, however, have the necessary jurisdiction to cancel the leases, if they can establish the project has fallen short of required environmental and other compliance measures.
It seems likely that Biden’s recent crackdown on drilling is an attempt to rectify and regain public support after his approval of the Willow Project, having been surprised by the immediate wave of intense environmentalist backlash to the project. Additionally, the Willow Project’s approval directly contradicted Biden’s campaign promise of “no new drilling” on federal property.
Although many Alaskans rely on the oil industry for jobs, the environmental ramifications of increased drilling in the state outweigh the economic benefits. Careers in the oil and gas industry are unsustainable and have only short-term benefits for the economy, given the finite and rapidly depleting supply of accessible fossil fuels. Taking into account all of the anticipated benefits and drawbacks, it is clear that Biden’s reversal of Trump-era Alaskan oil leases will benefit both Alaska’s environment and the long-term economy. The Biden administration should go further and actively replace unsustainable energy practices, especially drilling, with renewable sources, such as solar or hydraulic energy, to reduce American dependence on fossil fuels. With subsequent reduced carbon emissions and averted environmental repercussions, the U.S. can shift jobs from the fossil fuel sector to sustainable technology and energy production.
