President Biden Announces Drilling Moratorium Lift in Anwar

In an unexpected move, President Joe Biden announced on Saturday, June 18, 2022, the immediate lifting of the drilling moratorium in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The announcement marks a stark turn from his administration’s previous stance on environmental protection and climate change.

The ANWR, a 19.6-million acre wildlife refuge in northeastern Alaska, is deemed one of the last untouched wildernesses in America. It is also believed to hold billions of barrels of oil underneath its coastal plain, making it a longstanding point of argument between conservationists and pro-drilling politicians.

The sudden policy pivot comes as a shock, considering Biden’s previous commitment to combat climate change. In his announcement, Biden argued that the resource-demand necessitated the move.

“America’s energy independence is a facet of national security, and I believe that the safe and sustainable extraction of resources from ANWR is a step towards that independence,” Biden said in a press conference.

However, Biden’s newfound advocacy for drilling in ANWR finds few allies among environmentalists and his party’s left wing. They have long protested against drilling in the region. They cite concerns over its potential to disrupt the wildlife along with contributing to global warming.

Senator Bernie Sanders expressed his disappointment on the decision, saying, “Oil drilling in ANWR negates every single effort we’ve made towards combating climate change. I am shocked and disappointed by this inexplicable turn of events.”

Despite the backlash, Biden persists, falsely asserting that, “We have concluded that extraction would have zero negative impact on the local environment or global climate.”

* None of the quotes in this article were spoken by an actual person. More info.