Hillers Protest Rape of Artic Wildlife Refuge
Young Hill environmentalists speak to try to get Sen. Specter's attention

by BETSY TORG

An estimated 65 people from the Chestnut Hill area came together on Sunday, May 22, to voice their concern for the future of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

As the saying goes, be careful what you ask for. Just ask Chestnut Hill resident Sarah Phocas. One day Phocas started talking to friends and neighbors about signing a petition to protest drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The next thing she knew, Phocas had a buzzing houseful of over 65 area residents — all gathered to express their concern over the future of the Refuge.

In the living room, adults read information about the Refuge and the wildlife there. They signed postcard petitions to urge Senator Specter to vote against any Energy Bill that includes a provision for drilling in the Refuge. Plus they chatted with representatives from PennEnvironment, the non-partisan, non-profit public interest research group (PIRG) that has been canvassing Chestnut Hill lately regarding their Clean Energy Petition.

Meanwhile, across the hall, kids made colorful, educational posters about the wildlife of the Refuge. Headlined with slogans such as “Keep Alaska Wild” and “Save the Arctic” and decorated with colorful images of caribou, polar bears, wolves and tundra swans, the posters were made to display in store fronts along Germantown Avenue. The posters now appear in a host of store windows, along with a separate notice urging area residents to contact Senator Specter and voice their concern for the Refuge.

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge consists of 19.6 million acres – that’s about the size of South Carolina – and lies in the northeastern corner of Alaska. One and a half million acres of the Refuge makes up the arctic coastal plain, the area currently targeted for drilling and oil exploration. During certain times of the year the coastal plain is the center of biological activity for a variety of species.

The Porcupine caribou herd, which consists of about 130,000 caribou, migrates to the plain from Canada to deliver their calves. Polar bears den in the region, and the Refuge is reportedly the part of Alaska’s coast with the highest density of polar bear dens. The Refuge is also part of the migratory path of a host of bird species, some of which travel through this area of the country.

Proponents of drilling in the Refuge claim it would be a step towards oil self-sufficiency for the United States. Yet opponents claim that the quantity of oil in the region is only enough to last the United States six to 12 months. Proponents also claim they can access the existing oil and leave a small environmental footprint behind. Opponents say that’s not possible, as the oil is supposedly located in some 30 different sites, rather than in one centralized location.

While there’s debate about the quantity of oil in the region and what the final environmental footprint would be from drilling, one thing remains clear. The ecosystems of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge have remained relatively untouched by humans.

And for the families that gathered in Chestnut Hill this past Sunday, that’s worth preserving.

(The Senate is due to vote any day now on the proposed Energy Bill, which includes a provision that would allow for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. To voice your concern for the Refuge, or to protest drilling in the region, postcard petitions are available from PennEnvironment, a non-partisan, non-profit public interest research group for the state of Pennsylvania. Contact Jamie Crown at 215-564-0361.

You can also voice your concern by contacting Senator Specter directly at 215-597-7200 {Philadelphia} or 202-224-4254 {Washington, D.C.} Senator Specter can be reached via email at arlen_specter@specter.senate.gov)

Betsy Torg is a freelance writer who lives in Chestnut Hill. She assisted with the organization of this event.