Gwich’in Arctic Village Resident Matthew Gilbert is Blogging on the Arctic Refuge for the NRDC Action Fund to stop drilling for oil. A resident of the Alaskan community which borders the Arctic Refuge, Gilbert is speaking out against the House and Senate “budget resolution” to begin the process of drilling for oil in the Arctic Refuge.
Gilbert’s blog, NRDC Action Fund states:
“The fact that it’s even a question whether we should drill in a pristine place like the Arctic Refuge, the breeding grounds of Polar Bears, the Porcupine Caribou Herd, and many bird species, is an ethical travesty of our time. The world is realizing fossil fuel is becoming more and more scarce and its costs to the earth more expensive. We Gwich’in of Alaska pay $5.00 a gallon and are getting hit the hardest, but we know our environment is far more important. Even in a time of energy shortage, we stick to our belief: complete protection of the Refuge’s Coastal Plain to ensure the survival of the Porcupine Caribou Herd.”
Gilbert’s passion is to help local natives play a more “important role in documenting climate change” and working together as a team with the various agencies to protect the Arctic Refuge. He is interviewing the elders about the traditional knowledge that may be lost once the US government moves in.