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ABC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
'Drill, baby, drill' in Alaska ticks Trump's boxes but critics urge him to 'think, baby, think'
The phrase "drill, baby, drill" was coined by a Republican back in 2008 before Donald Trump had even switched his political affiliation from the Democratic party. Appropriated by the US president for his 2024 campaign, the slogan has become a policy, which his administration is wielding like a cudgel for its conservative, nationalist agenda. This week, officials hawked its centrepiece, a plan to open up oil and gas drilling within a 52,000 km2 expanse of Alaskan wilderness, about four-fifths the size of Tasmania. This would scrap executive orders last year by Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, aimed at preserving "special areas" on the Alaska North Slope, where the federal government holds a national petroleum reserve created for the US Navy more than a century ago. On paper, it wasn't a complete lockout. Companies had to prove minimal impact at ground level to get the green light. But Mr Biden spoke of the need to protect "natural wonders" in the form of Arctic habitats for grizzly and polar bears, caribou and migratory birds. This was a bridge too far for Alaska's biggest oil company ConocoPhillips, a regional government dependent on its revenues — and notably, Alaskan Native groups — who all sued the federal government. This week, Nagruk Harcharek, an Iñupiat representative who supports allowing resource projects because of their local economic benefits, said the Trump administration had treated "our communities and people as partners, not a check-the-box exercise". "Too often, federal decisions that affect our homelands are made without the engagement of the North Slope Iñupiat, the people these decisions will affect the most," he told the New York Times. In a bit of political theatre on Monday, Alaskan Republican senator Dan Sullivan tore up and tossed Biden's executive orders like confetti for the cameras, declaring there was "a new sheriff in town". It represents a supersized jump on a move by Mr Trump in his previous White House stint to open up oil exploration on 5,200 km2 of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. And it follows a blueprint laid out by Project 2025, the so-called right-wing wish list hatched by conservative US think tank the Heritage Foundation for Mr Trump to hit the ground running in his second term. US interior secretary Doug Burgum — a one-time software investor who chaired Australian tech giant Atlassian — said the government was "bringing an energy renaissance that utilises Alaska's resources instead of burying them under red tape". His department, which last year said the protections struck a balance between oil and gas development and protecting a "globally significant intact habitat for wildlife", this week said they were "unnecessary barriers to responsible energy development". It claimed an internal review found the protections were at odds with 49-year-old laws around navy fuel reserves, meaning its own officials had "overstepped legal limits" by enforcing them. Republicans denied the move cleared the way for desecrating America's last great wilderness, including Alaskan senator Lisa Murkowski, who said "world-class environmental standards" would be upheld. Environmentalists cried foul, accusing the Trump administration of pandering to corporate interests through a reactionary push for more decades of carbon pollution under the guise of shoring up US energy security. Earthjustice lawyer Erik Grafe said the government was trying to "grease the skids for oil companies intent on industrialising even the most sensitive areas in the western Arctic in pursuit of dirty oil that can have no place in our energy future". Mr Trump's plan not only ticks an ideological box of riding roughshod over environmental concerns voiced by left-wing opponents. It also serves as a diplomatic carrot alongside the stick of US tariffs. A conga line of officials and industry players from Japan, Taiwan and South Korea toured Alaska this week at the invitation of the US, which is touting investment opportunities in liquefied gas export projects as a quid pro quo for tariff concessions. Along with the goal of doubling oil production in Alaska after a steep decades-long decline, Mr Trump wants a major new natural gas project as what US energy secretary Craig Wright called a "big, beautiful twin". The administration's proposed new rules on Alaskan oil and gas projects will be open for comment by the US public for the next two months before they take effect. On the campaign trail last year, Mr Trump invoked the siren song of cheaper petrol prices for voters with his "drill, baby, drill" mantra. Big oil and gas, faced with putting their money where the president's mouth is, could prove more difficult to woo. The sector has applauded his changes but has hardly been champing at the bit for what was already on offer in the Alaskan wilderness. One exception was Australia's own Santos, which proposes to develop the huge Tikka oil field on Alaska's North Slope. But its plan involves counteracting its emissions by storing carbon underground, a practice that has been decades in development but its viability remains in question. Alaska-based analyst Mark Foster last year told local media that new Alaskan oil and gas proposals were dogged by doubts about their cost and performance. In January — after Mr Trump took office but before Mr Burgum took over the interior department — its auction on oil and gas drilling leases in the Alaskan Arctic refuge fell flat on its face, receiving no bids. All nine leases sold in the previous auction had been cancelled, two of them at the request of proponents. Outgoing deputy secretary of the department, Laura Daniel-Davis, said at the time that the "lack of interest from oil companies" was telling. "The oil and gas industry is sitting on millions of acres of undeveloped leases elsewhere," she said. "We'd suggest that's a prudent place to start, rather than engage further in speculative leasing in one of the most spectacular places in the world." The man who coined the "drill, baby, drill" slogan, former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele, has suggested Mr Trump throws around the phrase with "very little appreciation or understanding of the current US energy position". "It is strong and it is driven by robust oil and gas production here at home, making us the top producer of oil and natural gas, thereby reducing our reliance on foreign imports," he said in March. "It also is driven by our expanding renewable energy capacity, advancements in energy storage and efficiency, and our ability to meet the challenge of grid modernisation, supply chain vulnerabilities, as well as other geopolitical uncertainties. "So, when I hear Donald Trump say 'drill, baby, drill', maybe it should be 'think, baby, think'."
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
AK lawmakers claim ‘victory' as feds begin reversal of ‘illegal' Biden rule restricting ANWR oil and gas
Alaska's congressional delegation praised President Donald Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum for starting the process of rescinding a Biden-era rule that restricted oil and gas exploration in the resource-rich Section 1002 of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Sen. Dan Sullivan said Burgum announced the move at a town hall in Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow) at the northern tip of the vast state, where local natives applauded because they "understand better than anyone" why responsible oil production is key to their communities' livelihood. Sullivan called the Biden-era rule "illegal" and said it turned vast swaths of an area originally intended for domestic energy production into "de facto wilderness." "Responsible resource development has transformed the lives of the Iñupiat people, supporting the construction of clinics, gymnasiums, water infrastructure—basic amenities most Americans take for granted," Sullivan said. Alaska Senator Literally Tears Up Biden's Energy Orders, Boosts Wh Efforts To Leverage Arctic Lng Asia Trade Burgum said his agency determined the 2024 rule exceeded the federal government's bounds under a 1976 petroleum reserve law and also creates "unnecessary barriers to responsible energy development in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska." Read On The Fox News App "Congress was clear: the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska was set aside to support America's energy security through responsible development," he said, adding the prior rule "prioritized obstruction over production." Rep. Nick Begich III called the decision a "major victory" and said that he will work with Trump to ensure responsible resource development. Alaska Outraged At Federal Oil Lease Sale Setup As A 'Fitting Finale' For Fossil Fuel-averse Biden Presidency "This is a victory not only for those who support responsible development, but also those who believe in the rule of law," added Sen. Lisa Murkowski. "The 2024 management rule clearly violated the law, establishing restrictions and a presumption against development as part of the last administration's effort to turn the North Slope into one giant tract of federal wilderness," she continued. "Repealing the rule will not weaken our world-class environmental standards, but it will enable Alaska to produce more energy as Congress intended. The result will be good jobs for Alaskans, more affordable energy for America, and significant new revenues for government." In January, Gov. Mike Dunleavy told Fox News Digital that a final, congressionally-mandated sale of land for development in ANWR was set up to fail – characterizing it as a parting shot by the last administration toward the Last Frontier. "These leases should be executed in good faith along the established historical processes. And obviously, the Biden administration in the past four years has just been brutal on Alaska," he said at the time, envisioning that the Trump administration would do just as Burgum announced this week. At the time, Murkowski also said that a now-former Interior official "openly admitted" during a working group that the process with which the restrictions were set upon ANWR was done in a way to intentionally circumvent the Congressional Review Act. That law was what allowed other Senate Republicans to undo several Biden-era EPA actions last month with a simple floor article source: AK lawmakers claim 'victory' as feds begin reversal of 'illegal' Biden rule restricting ANWR oil and gas
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists stunned after documenting eerie new behavior in Arctic waters: 'Now it's fairly common'
As global temperatures continue to rise, the Arctic is seeing non-native species — like salmon and humpback whales — moving into its waters. KTOO recently reported on the convening of researchers, hunters, and fishermen in January at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium. Up for discussion were the migration patterns of fish and whales that have been shifting due to the warming climate. Fishermen, whalers, and scientists have been seeing salmon and humpbacks in the Arctic. Salmon was considered a rare catch in Kaktovik, Alaska, just a few years ago. According to KTOO, resident Robert Thompson said that catching salmon was once so unusual that people would talk about it when someone did catch one. "Now it's fairly common," he said. And scientists are studying what fishermen have been experiencing. Graduate student Elizabeth Mik'aq Lindley has worked with other researchers to monitor temperature changes in the region. The Alaska public radio station reported that she said, "Salmon are spawning in the Arctic, and it does seem like it's thermally survivable, thermally possible and plausible that they can incubate and emerge at the right time, given these temperatures." Behavioral changes among whales have also been observed. Clarissa Ribeiro Teixeira has studied delayed migration among bowheads and its possible relation to the warming world. The marine ecologist said that "the reduction in the sea ice cover" may have changed the availability of food sources for the bowheads, causing them to search out new areas and prey types. Meanwhile, whalers like Michael Donovan are concerned about new movement patterns of humpbacks into the Utqiaġvik area of Alaska — rarely a home to humpbacks and more regularly where bowheads roam. Per KTOO, he said, "They're an invasive species … . They come in and eat the same food that our bowheads eat." According to the World Wildlife Fund, the average temperature in the Arctic has "already risen at a rate of almost four times the global average." As for the behavior changes this may be prompting in marine species, Teixeira said, "It shows how resilient these individuals are, right?" But naturalists and researchers like Teixeira continue to consider the ongoing implications of these changes for ocean life and for life on land as well. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Changing migration patterns of marine animals in the Arctic can impact Indigenous communities. For example, according to a 2024 report from Mongabay, the Iñupiat in Utqiaġvik "rely on whaling and subsistence hunting for the bulk of their diet." Shifts in regional migration can make hunting and fishing more difficult there. They can also impact global seafood supply and prices as the Arctic has been "home to several of the world's largest fish stocks," per the British Antarctic Survey. Migration shifts also have the potential to disrupt local environments. Humpbacks and salmon frequenting the Arctic could impact delicately balanced ecosystems and pose risks to native species. Utqiaġvik whaler Donovan pointed to the possibility that humpbacks invasive to the area might outcompete native bowheads for krill and copepods. In addition to disturbing ecosystems in Utqiaġvik, should bowheads make changes to cope — shifting their own migration or exploring new prey, potentially — what other ecosystems might be disrupted as a result? According to 2025 news from Mongabay, "the past nine years have been the warmest on record in the Arctic." As temperatures rise, marine animals may continue frequenting the region. Scientists are advancing studies on species that are increasing their presence in the area. Kate Stafford, an oceanographer and professor at Oregon State University, has said, per KTOO, that hunters' knowledge has added to her research. Collaborations will continue to be key to addressing rising global temperatures and their effects. But you don't have to be located in the Arctic to help. Reducing heat-trapping pollution can cool down the planet. And individuals can contribute by learning about climate issues and taking action themselves — such as by considering a switch to an electric vehicle, improving the energy efficiency of home appliances, and advocating for more eco-friendly policies. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Akima Promotes Jon Stringfield to General Manager of Arctic Peak
HERNDON, Va., March 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Akima, a premier provider of products and services to the federal government, is proud to announce the promotion of Jon Stringfield to general manager of Arctic Peak, an Akima subsidiary specializing in construction services for government and commercial clients. In his new role, Jon will oversee Arctic Peak's strategic initiatives, drive operational efficiencies, and expand the company's public sector and commercial construction services. "Jon's extensive expertise in federal contracting and his deep understanding of construction industry complexities make him the ideal leader to guide Arctic Peak into its next chapter of growth and success," said Chris Jenkins, President of Akima's Construction and Security Solutions Group. "His proven ability to deliver exceptional results for Arctic Peak's clients gives us full confidence that, under his leadership, the company will continue to excel and reinforce our commitment to providing top-tier construction services." Jon has been a valued member of the Akima team since 2011. In his previous role as Director of Program Excellence, he spearheaded numerous Executive Program Management Reviews (EPMRs), which were instrumental in the successful execution of projects across the Akima portfolio. This leadership transition underscores Akima's dedication to continuity, operational excellence, and the professional growth of its employees. By promoting proven leaders like Jon, Akima reaffirms its commitment to delivering exceptional value and maintaining the highest standards of service for its government and commercial clients. About Arctic PeakArctic Peak, an SBA-certified 8(a) company wholly owned by an Alaska Native Corporation, specializes in construction, renovation, and demolition projects. With extensive experience in providing crucial construction solutions, Arctic Peak ensures the efficient housing of operations and the security of information. For more details, visit Arctic Peak. About AkimaAkima is a global enterprise with 10,000 employees, delivering solutions to the federal government in the core areas of information technology, facilities & ground logistics; aerospace solutions; protective services; systems engineering; mission support; furniture, fixtures & equipment (FF&E); and construction. As a subsidiary of NANA, an Alaska Native Corporation owned by more than 15,000 Iñupiat shareholders, Akima's core mission is to enable superior outcomes for our customers' missions while simultaneously creating a long-lived asset for NANA consistent with our Iñupiat values. In 2024, Akima ranked #29 on Washington Technology's Top 100 list of government contractors. Learn more at View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Akima
The Guardian
25-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘Protect our future': Alaskan Indigenous town fights ‘destructive' uranium mine project
For generations, the people of Elim have subsisted off the forests and waters of north-west Alaska: hunting caribou and bearded seals in the late winter, gathering bird eggs and wild greens from the tundra in early spring, and fishing the salmon run in the late summer. The Iñupiat community of 350 people lives on one of the state's most productive and biodiverse fisheries, an inlet of the Bering Sea called the Norton Sound. They refer to their land as Munaaquestevut, or 'the one who cares for us'. 'We depend on the land to put food on the table, to keep our tribe healthy. We have a subsistence economy with a cash overlay,' said Emily Murray, a resident of Elim and vice-president of Norton Bay Watershed Council, a non-profit tribal organization focused on regional water quality. 'We've been doing this for generations upon generations.' Now, an intensifying global competition for critical minerals and the priorities of a new administration threaten to put their land, their fishery and their lives at risk, members of the community say. This summer, the Canadian mining company Panther Minerals is set to start exploration for a uranium mine at the headwaters of the Tubuktulik river, adjacent to Elim's land. David Hedderly-Smith, a consultant to Panther and the owner of mining claims for the property, has said the site could become the 'uranium capital of America'. The people of Elim have opposed the mine since last May, when Panther Minerals announced its intention to apply for exploration permits. In interviews, they said they feared for their health, and spoke of the cancer and contamination that followed uranium mining on Navajo land in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. 'If [the river] becomes contaminated, it will have an impact on the whole Bering Sea. That's the way I see it,' said Johnny Jemewouk, a resident of Elim. Last summer, Elim successfully pressured the Bureau of Land Management, which manages a small portion of the claim, to deny Panther Minerals' exploration permit on the land. In December, a regional tribal consortium passed a resolution 'categorically' opposing the mine. However, Alaska's department of natural resources (DNR), which manages most of the land, has so far refused Elim's requests for a consultation – and brushed aside over a hundred comments from the community over plans for the mine. In October, they granted Panther Minerals a four-year exploration permit, which will allow the company to start drilling wells and taking uranium core samples this June. Elim has appealed against the permit. But with time running out, the community has gone one step further, protesting against the mine using the largest international forum available to them: the Iditarod, Alaska's grueling annual sled dog race, which passes through their village on its way to Nome. As musher Jesse Holmes approached Elim's checkpoint and the 1,008th mile of the race, more than 70 students and community members waited for him in the Arctic night. They held signs saying 'Protect our future', and 'Keep the uranium in the ground.' It was their chance to tell the world what their way of life means to them. 'I want to protect our future,' said Paige Keith, an eighth-grader from Elim. 'If they go through with this, it's going to affect our animals and our water. I want to help try to stop the mine.' As global competition for critical minerals intensifies, the Trump administration is eyeing Alaska. An executive order issued on Trump's first day in office calls on the US to 'fully avail itself of Alaska's vast lands and resources'. The order was applauded by the state's mining industry. The order reversed a number of Biden-era protections for Alaskan land, opening oil and gas drilling in the Arctic national wildlife refuge and ending restrictions on logging. Several of these reversals put the administration at cross purposes with the Native communities that subsist off Alaska's land. For example, one of them enables plans for a mining access road in Alaska's Brooks Range, which a tribal network has called 'one of the biggest and most destructive' projects in the state's history. 'We're in an age of green transition. We're looking for other forms of energy. And, with the new administration, there is this push to mine domestically,' said Jasmine Jemewouk, an activist from Elim. 'It's a race for resources and they're looking at Alaska.' The coming years are likely to see continued conflicts between Alaska's powerful mining industry and Native communities – especially as the US seeks to onshore its critical mineral supply chain. And while Panther Minerals' exploration permit is up to the state of Alaska, and not the federal government, advocates and community members said the Trump administration may further embolden Alaska's DNR to brush aside Elim's concerns. Alaska's governor, Mike Dunleavy, has welcomed Trump's executive orders, saying: 'Happy days are here again.' Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion 'The current administration in Alaska is very industrial extraction driven,' said Hal Shepherd, an attorney and water rights advocate based in Homer, Alaska. 'Trump and Dunleavy basically are partners in developing Alaska.' 'Our current governor is pretty much a typical Republican. If it ain't nailed down, sell it,' said Robert Keith, president of the native village of Elim. Alaska's DNR did not respond to multiple requests for comment. In interviews with local media, Hedderly-Smith, the project's consultant, has said the people of Elim have 'been misled and they're spreading mistruths', regarding the dangers of the uranium mine. Robert Birmingham, Panther Minerals' president, did not respond to queries regarding Elim's health concerns, saying the company had yet to finalize its mining plans and could not comment. 'We are positive about the uranium opportunity in Alaska, as it has been underexplored,' he wrote, and said the company would 'continue outreach and the conversation with the Elim community' once its plans were finalized. Hedderly-Smith has also said the company would 'like to be friends' with Elim if it develops the mine. But while Birmingham said the company had made an attempt to contact Elim in early 2024, Keith, the president of Elim, said that Panther Minerals had never come to their village or attempted to contact the community since they first applied for the permit. For Elim, the plans for the mine raise a history of state and federal failures to safeguard native communities from the harms of mining. In 2008, the community successfully rallied against another Canadian company, Triex Minerals, which had started to explore for uranium near their village. While organizing their opposition, the students of Elim researched the effects of uranium mining elsewhere in the US. They taught the community about the example of the Navajo, and the cancer risks and health problems that came after they allowed uranium mines on their land. Should a mine be built in Elim, Panther Minerals has said it would probably use in situ leaching to extract uranium – a technique said to be less disruptive than conventional methods to mine the material, including those used on Navajo land. Shepherd and the community, however, have said that the project's proposed use of groundwater threatens to contaminate the fishery and ecosystem. Keith said the community had a reason to be cautious about government promises. Closer to home, he gave the example of Moses Point, a fishing village next to Elim which hosted a military airfield during the second world war. The military had buried or left a lot of material at the site, he said, including thousands of drums of high-octane fuel. 'Most of those people where the concentrations of drums were, including my mother – the majority of them survived or died of cancer,' he said. 'So we're kind of sensitive.' Jasmine Jemewouk, the activist, added: 'What they're not realizing is that the community bears the burden. Whatever they leave behind, whatever is contaminated in the process … We're not being consulted at all.' Her grandfather, Johnny Jemewouk, agreed. He said the time to act is now. 'People, the way I see it here, they don't realize what the future holds for them once they start getting sick. Either they start getting sick, or the food they can't eat, or the water they can't play in,' he said. 'When that starts taking effect, they'll want to say, 'let's do something.' But that's too late.'
