Alaska Governor wants to drill for oil in protected lands – because of climate change

Alaska has suffered from the falling price of oil as it gets 90 per cent of its expenditure from levies on the production of oil and gas

Alaska Governor Bill Walker during a meeting of the National Governors Association at the White House in Washington (JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

The Governor of Alaska has said that he wants to drill for oil in protected lands to pay for the damage caused by climate change.

Bill Walker wants to “urgently” drill in the protected lands of the Arctic National Wilderness refuge.

“We have villages that are washing away because of the change in the climate. I don’t see anyone putting together contribution funds to help move Kivalina,” Mr Walker told the BBC.

When asked if he thought Alaska should be allowed to continue to drill for oil to meet some of the costs of climate change, Mr Walker answered, “absolutely”.

Alaska has suffered from the falling price of oil as it gets 90 per cent of its expenditure from levies on the production of oil and gas.

The price of crude oil has halved in the last year alone. As a result the Trans Alaskan Pipeline, built to transport 2 million barrels a day, is only running at 25 per cent capacity.

Remote communities like Kivalina have to be completely relocated as climate change means their homes are eroded. Without income tax, Alaska is dependent upon oil revenue to meet these costs.