OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS EXTRACTION IN THE ARCTIC IS BAD FOR AMERICA AND BAD FOR OUR CLIMATE

The document asserts that Arctic offshore drilling is too risky due to extreme conditions and a total lack of emergency response infrastructure on the U.S. Arctic coast. It highlights that the U.S. government estimates a 75% chance of major oil spills in the Chukchi Sea, while noting that no proven technology exists to clean up oil in the Arctic marine environment. Furthermore, it argues that leaving these hydrocarbons under the seafloor is essential for the U.S. to meet its international climate commitment of limiting temperature rise to 2°C.

• The U.S. Arctic coast lacks the necessary infrastructure for emergency oil spill response, with zero ports and zero Coast Guard bases located on the coast. The nearest port, Dutch Harbor, is 1,300 miles away by sea, and the closest Coast Guard base on Kodiak Island is 1,000 miles away by air or 2,000 miles by sea.
• Cleaning up oil spills in the Arctic is hindered by extreme conditions, including sea ice that can choke the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas from November to June, darkness in October, and the fact that common response methods like dispersants, booms, and burning lose effectiveness in the cold.
• Major oil spills are considered a near certainty for Arctic drilling, with the U.S. government estimating a 75% chance of one or more major spills if development proceeds in the Chukchi Sea, yet no proven technology exists to contain or clean up such spills in the Arctic marine environment.
• New Arctic Ocean oil and gas leases would release millions of tons of CO2, making it imperative to leave these hydrocarbons under the seafloor for the U.S. to achieve its international climate commitment of limiting temperature rise to 2°C.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS EXTRACTION IN THE ARCTIC IS BAD FOR AMERICA AND BAD FOR OUR CLIMATE. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/586/5u685eww8u_WWF_ArcticOil_v10.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS EXTRACTION IN THE ARCTIC IS BAD FOR AMERICA AND BAD FOR OUR CLIMATE. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/586/5u685eww8u_WWF_ArcticOil_v10.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS EXTRACTION IN THE ARCTIC IS BAD FOR AMERICA AND BAD FOR OUR CLIMATE |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/586/5u685eww8u_WWF_ArcticOil_v10.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndoffshore, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS EXTRACTION IN THE ARCTIC IS BAD FOR AMERICA AND BAD FOR OUR CLIMATE}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/586/5u685eww8u_WWF_ArcticOil_v10.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }