With its vast landscapes and abundance of wildlife, Alaska has long been at the top of my list of places to explore. Untouched wilderness in particular is something that there can never be enough of. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is the largest wildlife refuge in the country and is one of the US's last intact landscapes. It is home to polar and brown bears, wolves, muskoxen, and many species of fish and migratory birds.
The Arctic Refuge serves an essential purpose in the ecosystem of the area. The coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge is the calving grounds of the Porcupine caribou herd which has sustained the Gwich’in people of Alaska and northern Canada for hundreds of generations. This coastal plain has been a target of Big Oil forces for many decades now due to the fact that it is not currently a protected wilderness.
Plans to exploit the Arctic and its resources will likely drive the caribou from their calving grounds. This in turn will directly effect the Gwich'in people.
By working together, we can protect the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge from oil drilling and industrial development. I'm working with Care2 in order to spread this message as far and wide as possible. Join me in doing everything we can to protect this priceless wilderness by watching the video below and signing the petition.
Here is the link to the petition: http://www.care2.com/arctic
Patagonia film 'The Refuge':