Oil and Gas Development Stories

5 species that stand to lose the most if the US allows drilling in the Arctic Refuge
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is located in one of the largest remaining natural areas on the planet: Alaska. The species that call the refuge home have been protected from the risks of unsustainable development for decades, but now the US government is moving forward with plans to open the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge to allow for oil and gas drilling.
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Unparalleled in modern history, West Coast fires necessitate urgent climate action
September 17, 2020Apocalyptic scenes have multiplied in recent weeks, as fires claim lives and incinerate communities across the West Coast. The flames are fueled by a confluence of interwoven drivers, including decades of fire management practices focused on fire suppression paired with the worsening climate crisis.
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Polar bears, climate crisis, and oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The Arctic Refuge has been a place undisturbed by development. But in 2017 Congress approved opening the Coastal Plain of the Refuge to allow for oil and gas drilling. WWF has been vocal in its opposition for a host of reasons, and there is one significant bit of logic even Fish and Wildlife agrees with—the climate crisis makes the future of the region uncertain. Oil and gas development only compounds the problem.
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In the Arctic, places once protected are now exposed
April 21, 2020Recent rollbacks mean a dramatic decline in the security of America’s Arctic for both people and nature. Places that are so crucial for Arctic biodiversity, such as the Bering Strait—and the people who live there—are increasingly at risk.
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US failing to meet Arctic protection goals
April 30, 2019Though the US government is meeting some of its commitments in the Arctic, not enough is being done and, in many instances, the government is backsliding, according to a new analysis.
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Defending the brown bears of Bristol Bay
April 30, 2019Brown bears are not listed as an endangered species—in fact, some populations are doing quite well—but in Southwest Alaska, they face an impending threat from the proposed development of an open-pit gold and copper mine.
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A proposed mine in Alaska threatens a rare population of seals
The proposed Pebble Mine threatens the only freshwater lake-dwelling seals in the United States.
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Imperiled polar bears face new threat in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
In some areas of the Arctic, female polar bears are more frequently choosing to build their maternity dens on land, rather than sea ice. The land provides the stability and security that sea ice no longer can—at least until human activity comes into the picture.
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Belize’s incredible barrier reef is removed from UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger
June 26, 2018Thanks to a series of conservation measures enacted by Belize’s government, the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System has been removed from the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger sites.
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How would offshore oil and gas drilling in the Arctic impact wildlife?
The Trump administration called for the removal of crucial Arctic protections in a new draft proposal of where oil and gas companies can purchase leases for offshore drilling. Take a look at how a handful of the Arctic’s abundant wildlife would be impacted by offshore drilling and a potential oil spill in the Arctic.
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Trump Administration to roll back crucial Arctic protections
January 05, 2018The Arctic Ocean—the pristine home to bowhead whales, gray whales, polar bears, walruses, and other magnificent wildlife, along with many indigenous communities—could potentially lose crucial protections from risky offshore oil and gas drilling.
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Belize ends oil activity in its ocean waters
January 05, 2018Belize, home of the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere, permanently suspended oil activity in its ocean waters. The legislation marks the first time that a developing country has taken such a major step to protect its oceans—and all the life within—from oil exploration and extraction.
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Why is Bristol Bay important for salmon? And seven other Bristol Bay facts
Alaska’s Bristol Bay is a sprawling watershed of winding streams and rivers, vast wetlands and tundra, forests of alder and spruce, and home to a variety of fish, birds and terrestrial animals. Learn more about this incredible place that WWF is working hard to save.
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A new plan to save Belize's livelihood-giving reef and coasts
July 27, 2017The coastal nation of Belize is at a crossroads. In 2009, the reef system was added to UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger. It remains on the list today because of mangrove deforestation, unsustainable coastal development and offshore oil exploration. The good news is a coastal zone management plan can safeguard Belize’s natural assets and produce a win-win opportunity for the people and environment.
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America’s Arctic could soon open up to a new wave of risky offshore oil and gas drilling
July 20, 2017Every five years, the US determines where oil and gas companies can purchase leases for offshore drilling. The most recent plan excluded the Arctic, but the Trump administration wants to change that.
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Belize fails to implement promised protections for the Belize Barrier Reef World Heritage site
June 27, 2017The government of Belize has not put into place promised protections for the Belize Barrier Reef World Heritage site, leaving the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere under threat from offshore oil drilling and damaging coastal construction, according to a new WWF assessment.
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5 reasons why America's Arctic should remain off-limits to new drilling for oil and gas
Most of the Arctic’s federal waters are off limits to thanks to protections put in place in 2016. But the Trump administration and some in Congress want to allow fossil fuel companies to begin bidding for a chance to drill.
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Working together to save World Heritage Sites
April 18, 2017On World Heritage Day, we’re highlighting some of the incredible sites that WWF is working to save. These sites belong to all of us, and together we can protect them for wildlife and people around the world.
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A Changing Arctic
WWF Magazine: Summer 2017What climate change and receding sea ices mean for the people, wildlife, economy, and politics of the far North. -
US permanently protects some of the Arctic's most important marine areas
December 20, 2016Just one week after scientists warned of unprecedented change brought on by warming in the Arctic, President Obama announced permanent protection for 115 million acres of federal waters in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. Including previous presidential withdrawals, today's action protects nearly 125 million acres in the offshore Arctic from future oil and gas activity.
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US drilling plans spare Arctic’s federal waters
November 18, 2016America’s Arctic will be free of new offshore oil and gas drilling, at least for the next five years, and that’s good news for people and wildlife. WWF and 225,000 of our activists opposed drilling in the Arctic’s Beaufort and Chuckchi seas due to the tremendous risk to indigenous communities, wildlife, and their environment.
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Update: Belize suspends oil exploration near threatened World Heritage site
October 17, 2016Officials in Belize agreed to suspend the seismic portion of offshore oil exploration after an outcry from concerned citizens, national civil society groups and international conservation organizations—including WWF—and their supporters.
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5 ways to help the Arctic as the planet warms
October 12, 2016The Arctic—home to diverse wildlife and many cultures—is changing faster than any other part of the planet in the face of climate change. But there’s still time left to help the Arctic and the impacts of climate change. Experts agreed on five important ways we can take action.
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Exploring the inner-workings of the Northern Great Plains
WWF Magazine: Summer 2016