On October 11, Typhoon
Halong slammed into the coast of Alaska. Houses glided away off their foundations, roads were demolished, power lines and communication lines toppled, and sanitation systems destroyed.
Many communities still have no access to electricity or safe, clean water - even weeks later. More than one thousand people and entire towns have been displaced.
All this was made worse by rapidly-intensifying climate change.
Yet Trump's administration just finalized its decision to allow oil and gas drilling in the unsoiled, protected lands of the Alaskan Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.Sign the petition to demand the administration reverse this devastating oil and gas expansion!Experts are saying that it may take 18 months or longer for towns to be safe for residents to return to. This is partially because the brutal winter conditions of Alaska are fast approaching, meaning ice and cold will hamper efforts to rebuild.
But even once these typhoon-impacted towns are rebuilt, they will simply face the next wave of climate-induced threats - and residents can't simply continue rebuilding forever.
Climate change is not only rapidly changing the world, but it's specifically changing Alaska. Much of the state's ground has traditionally been permafrost, or land that remains frozen throughout the year. But now, that land is thawing, reeking havoc on both the ecosystems there and even on human construction.
With the thawing comes significant erosion, which will cause entire communities to have to relocate. And as this continues to build on itself and worsen over time, the entire state will become more and more vulnerable to climate-induced damage.
In light of this, one might think it's obvious that we need to fight climate change - and that we specifically need to protect Alaskan lands. Instead, Trump's team is re-opening sections of the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Native tribes hold these lands as sacred and are demanding continued protections for the area.
Drilling would disrupt wildlife and the environment by way of human construction, noise and light pollution, and the use of toxic chemicals. It would not only
lay waste to beautiful portions of this irreplaceable Refuge, but it would also
further commit the U.S. to dirty energy sources - which cause and worsen climate change.This latest typhoon and the devastation it brought should make it clear that we must prioritize people above profits. We must oppose oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and demand a workable, enforceable plan to fight climate change! Sign the petition now!