The Trump administration has moved to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling. Environmental advocates warn this could devastate fragile ecosystems, threaten wildlife like polar bears and migratory birds, and harm Indigenous communities such as the Iñupiat and Gwichʼin. The administration has also rolled back climate protections, boosted mining and drilling projects across Alaska, and reduced Arctic climate research funding. Scientists caution that accelerating fossil fuel development in a region warming four times faster than the global average could intensify ice melt and worsen the global climate crisis.
Date: February 6, 2026. Source: theguardian.com