A big part of the Arctic is in danger ⚠ The US state of Alaska is auctioning off a Netherlands-sized area of arctic territory to oil and gas producers. All unleased state-owned land and sea on the Arctic North slope will be up for grabs covering roughly 3.24 million hectares in total. The available leases include 364,000 hectares in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea (photo). If the land is successfully auctioned, it will lead to an expansion of oil and gas production in the Arctic. Why is Alaska leasing land for oil and gas production? The oil industry is a huge source of revenue for the state. The Arctic Alaska province produces about 1.5 million barrels of oil per day and accounts for nearly 25% of all current US daily oil production. In June 2021, President Joe Biden suspended oil drilling licences in Alaska’s Arctic national wildlife refuge. This reversed Trump administration-era policies that allowed drilling. But the land up for auction this month - until 3 November - is owned by the state of Alaska, not the US federal government. “The State of Alaska remains open for business,” said Alaska’s Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy. Even if this business is destroying the planet. “While we’re frustrated that the federal government is limiting exploration on federal lands in Alaska, the State is committed to making millions of prospective acres in Alaska available for lease.” The government’s press release announcing the sale makes no mention of the environment. 🤡 https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/10/21/arctic-drilling-alaska-could-auction-a-netherlands-sized-area-to-oil-and-gas-companies