Advocates push to preserve wildlife

  PRIYA SHARMA/Daily Bruin Journalist Lenny
Kohn speaks about the need to preserve the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge.

By Michelle Kroes
Daily Bruin Contributor

With national debate over the preservation of Alaska’s
wilderness showing no signs of abating, UCLA students gathered
together on Monday to hear a journalist speak about keeping the
land free from oil and gas drilling.

After 14 years of visiting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,
a 1.5-million-acre coastal plain, Lenny Kohn told students that
there will be dire environmental consequences if this land is lost
to multinational oil companies.

“The refuge is the most unique, productive place
I’ve ever seen,” Kohn said. “It is an ecosystem
in its entirety, with many diverse plants and animals.”

Involved in preserving the refuge for the past four years, Kohn
has toured nationwide to raise awareness about the issue. After
completing his tour of the Northeast, Kohn’s first stop in
the West is UCLA.

“Some students might ask, “˜Why I should care about
Alaska when I live in Westwood?'” Kohn said. “But
you should care … you own it. The refuge is public land and each
of us owns a 16-foot square of it. Do you want oil wells in your
piece of land?”

Advocating preservation, CalPIRG asked Kohn to speak to students
and help kick off Earth Week for UCLA.

“It is important to have someone with first-hand
experience and knowledge of the refuge to educate students on the
importance of protecting it,” said Nick Lazarini, a CalPIRG
staff member.

The refuge was created in 1980 and is the only conservation area
in the nation that provides a complete range of Arctic ecosystems
balanced with a wide variety of life. It is also the only part of
Alaska’s northern slope that has not been subject to oil
drilling.

But oil companies, led by Beyond Petroleum and ExxonMobile are
seeking to open the refuge for drilling, which may lead to a
greater amount of potential domestic energy.

Kohn focused his speech on the effects that drilling will have
on the environment and the native people of the land, and what he
deems the truth about oil companies.

Through a series of photographs of the refuge and its
inhabitants, Kohn provided students with a glimpse of the beauty
that exists in the wilderness, contrary to the popular
misconception that it is a wasteland.

Some students said they were influenced to take part in the
campaign after watching Kohn’s presentation.

“It seems to be something worth fighting for,” said
Jaqueline Ordanez, a first-year history student.

CalPIRG, along with environmental organization EcoPledge, has
focused its efforts on protesting BP.

After Kohn’s speech, students signed a pledge sheet to
boycott BP.

“Oil and gas drilling in the coastal plain of the arctic
will not solve the nation’s energy problems and will greatly
damage America’s arctic,” CalPIRG’s Web site
said.

BP defends its attempt to bring development to the refuge.
According to BP’s Web site, “social progress depends on
economic progress which, in turn, rests on energy.”

Since fossil sources still account for more than 80 percent of
the world’s energy use, BP argues that drilling in the refuge
will offer the U.S. a new source of domestic gas.

More so, BP says drilling can be done without negatively
affecting the environment.

The fate of Alaska’s wilderness ultimately lies in the
hands of Congress, but this does not negate the impact students can
have on environmental and social change, said Benjamin Prochazka,
Western States Field Organizer for Ecopledge.

“By talking about issues and figuring out real solutions,
students can effectively influence corporations,” Prochazka
said.