September 12, 2005

The 2006 US Budget contains language to open Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. The Reconciliation Vote on the Budget is predicted for mid-to-late October 2005.

Time is of the essence!

This decision holds the future fate of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, the arctic ecosystem and the Gwich’in Nation which relies upon this herd. For over 27,000 years, the Porcupine Caribou Herd have migrated thousands of kilometres to give birth on the Arctic Coastal Plain. Now the U.S. government is willing to allow oil drilling in this sensitive area. The relentless urge to find every drop of oil on the planet should not casually trump well-considered plans for the preservation of landscapes and ecosystems.

Canadians who care about wilderness protection have a very real and direct stake in this decision, and should be active in helping to save the Refuge. Take a look at the sites and resources below for ways to get involved.

See also:

• Minister of the Environment Stephane Dion’s statement

• Prime Minister Paul Martin’s recent statement
  (Acrobat [PDF] file)

Photos of the Porcupine caribou herd by Karsten Heuer

Online Action and Resources

	CPAWS Action Centre On this site, you can: Take action to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Send letters in support of key boreal forest campaigns. Join up to receive regular action alerts. Submit a photo of the boreal you love or offer some words that have inspired you to action. Find links to more information about the wildlife, waters and wild places of Canada’s vast boreal region. … and more!
	Arctic Refuge Action Day Go to the Demonstration for the Arctic Refuge in Washington, DC on September 20, 2005. 10,000 people are needed! You could be one of them!
	Being Caribou Through this site, you can: Learn more about the astonishing migration of the Porcupine caribou herd and the precious environment in which they exist. Purchase the film or schedule a screening of the award-winning Being Caribou for your school or other community venue. Find out about the extensive coalition of organizations defending this region … and gain some insight into the pro-development thinking that is driving the exploitation of ANWR. Click on Take Action, then click on Send a Fax to your politicians and customize the opening paragraph to tell them what you want them to do. … and more!
	World Wildlife Fund “Do Not Drill” ANWR Petition This special campaign site of the World Wildlife Fund of Canada features a devastatingly satirical TV ad with the punchline “There are over a hundred species of birds with soft downy feathers, perfect for soaking up oil spills.” After viewing the TV ad video, you can: Sign an online petition to Prime Minister Martin encouraging the Canadian government to take action. Learn more about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Watch rare footage of the Porcupine Caribou.
	Canada/U.S. Agreement on the Conservation of the Porcupine Caribou Herd An agreement between the governments of Canada and the U.S. has been in place since 1987 on the conservation of the Porcupine Caribou herd. It is a good agreement with clear intent that is not being acted upon. Read it here.

Send a letter to the oil companies. Visit ga4.org/campaign/boycott

For more information on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge visit www.cariboucommons.com

Recent Media Coverage

March 17, 2005 ANWR opponents say fight isn't over CBC North OLD CROW, YUKON - Opponents to oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, say the U.S. Senate vote in favor of opening up the area to oil drilling, has delivered a major blow to their cause. The vote, 51 to 49, is an indication of just how sharply divided the Senate is over the issue of drilling in ANWR. "It's a sad day in history ... a really important decision has been made and with a very close vote. I wouldn't say that it's the end of the story by any means, as much as the door has been opened. It's still a question of whose going to walk through it and how things are going to proceed from here," said Theresa Gulliver, of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. Click here for the complete story.

Senate Budget Amendment May Hinder Conference, Arctic Drilling
Environment & Energy Daily, Friday, March 18, 2005
By Darren Samuelsohn and Ben Geman
The Senate yesterday dealt a blow to prospects for reaching a final conference agreement on a fiscal year 2006 budget resolution, potentially hampering the Bush administration’s plans to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration.

Martinez Scrambles to Clarify “Deal” Behind ANWR Vote
Environment & Energy Daily, Friday, March 18, 2005
By Ben Geman
Following his vote in favor of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) on Wednesday issued a statement claiming he’d done so in exchange for an assurance from the White House that a moratorium blocking development off Florida's coast would be extended. But the freshman senator is now feeling some heat as environmentalists and some congressional staffers say Martinez overstated his claim.

A Tradeoff for Nothing? (editorial)
Lakeland Ledger, Friday, March 18, 2005
Did freshman Florida Sen. Mel Martinez give his vote for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in return for the mere reaffirmation of an administration concession made years ago?

Thanks a Lot, Sen. Martinez (editorial)
St. Petersburg Times, Friday, March 18, 2005
When the first oil rig is erected in the eastern Gulf of Mexico off Florida’s coast, it should bear this plaque: “Thanks, Mel.” Florida's freshman U.S. senator, Mel Martinez, cast a deciding vote in favor of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Despite his assurances, the 51-49 vote could leave the Florida coast more vulnerable than ever to drilling.

Public Leans Against Oil Exploration in Arctic Reserve
Gallup News Service, Friday, March 18, 2005
By David W. Moore
The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday on a budget resolution that could pave the way for Congress to authorize oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska. With the issue now treated as a budget matter, the likelihood for passage appears greater than in recent years, when the issue was brought up separately and opponents were able to filibuster the Senate to block passage.

Church Fights Alaska Drilling
Chicago Tribune, Friday, March 18, 2005
By Kevin Eckstrom
The bishops of the Episcopal Church, concerned about oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, dispatched an emissary to the U.S. Senate with a simple message: Leave our people – and their caribou – alone.

Into the Wilderness (editorial)
San Francisco Chronicle, Friday, March 18, 2005
AS A political power play, it was brilliant. As an element of the nation's energy policy, it was shortsighted. As a measure of this nation's duty to preserve natural resources for future generations, it was shameful.

Fading Hope on the Arctic (editorial)
Boston Globe, Friday, March 18, 2005
THE OIL industry took a step closer to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Wednesday when the Senate rejected a bill, 51-49, that would have protected the Alaskan home of caribou, bears, and snow geese. That tally lets senators who favor drilling place a green light for ANWR exploitation in the congressional budget resolution, where it cannot be blocked by a filibuster, which requires 60 votes to end. Still, there will be at least one more Senate vote on drilling, and defenders of the refuge should use the coming weeks to turn the narrow margin around.

Oil Crazy (editorial)
Los Angeles Daily News, Friday, March 18, 2005
Finding the right moment to strike, the Bush administration pushed again this week to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil exploration.

ANWR Provision Should be Deleted From Final Budget (editorial)
South Bend Tribune, Friday, March 18, 2005
The U.S. Senate's approval of a provision in its budget resolution to permit drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was a mistake. The provision should be excluded when the House and Senate confer on the budget.

On Energy, Congress Just Doesn't Get It (editorial)
St. Paul Pioneer Press, Friday, March 18, 2005
It's hard to overlook the juxtaposition of the U.S. Senate voting to invade the Arctic National Wildlife Refugee for a piddling bit of oil on the same day that Minnesota's Gov. Tim Pawlenty rallied supporters to lobby for his proposal to double the amount of ethanol content in gasoline. The 51 U.S. senators who approved a maneuver for new Arctic drilling have their heads stuck in a dangerous backward position. What the Bush administration and its congressional leadership in Washington don't know — or don't care about —- can hurt the country, not just the fragile ANWR. Encouraging wind and biofuels, as the governor and the U.S. senators from Minnesota and Wisconsin do, will make economic, environmental and national security sense.

The Arctic Refuge, Sacred No More (letters to the editor)
New York Times, Friday, March 18, 2005
The Senate's decision by a vote of 51 to 49 to allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska is a sad reminder that, as the saying goes, environmentalists live in a world of wounds.

One Yukon, One Chance

Download the CPAWS Yukon “One Yukon, One Chance” ad (Acrobat [PDF] file, ~3.6 Mb)

This recent ad from CPAWS Yukon lays out the stark facts and figures that lay between the Porcupine Caribou Herd and multinational oil and gas companies.