Environmental Issues: Wildlands

Wildlands Main Page

All Documents in Wildlands Tagged drilling

Environmental Risks with Proposed Offshore Oil and Gas Development off Alaska’s North Slope
Issue Paper

In August 2012, Royal Dutch Shell Oil (Shell) plans to begin exploratory drilling in the Arctic Ocean off Alaska's northern coast. This paper argues that drilling and related industrial activity would create an unacceptable risk of irreparable damage to this unique part of the planet and should be postponed until comprehensive research can be performed and a credible system for responding to spills is put into place.

Arctic Wildlife Refuge: Why Trash an American Treasure for a Tiny Percentage of Our Oil Needs?
Drilling for oil in America's premier wildlife sanctuary would deface the pristine landscape and threaten Alaskan wildlife.
News

Drilling for oil in America's premier wildlife sanctuary would deface the pristine landscape and threaten Alaskan wildlife.

Protecting New Yorkers’ Health and the Environment by Regulating Drilling in the Marcellus Shale
Fact Sheet

With rising energy costs and fears of more volatility in the future, the natural gas industry is now searching for additional fuel sources. One such source is the natural gas-rich Marcellus Shale, an ancient rock formation that spans 600 miles and four states, including New York. While there may be benefits to drilling this large natural gas reserve, doing so without the proper monitoring and regulation by state and local officials will present a number of serious threats to human health and the environment in New York State. NRDC is therefore working with leaders across the state to ensure that if drilling in the Marcellus Shale occurs in New York, it will be done responsibly and only in appropriate areas. This fact sheet includes recommendations for action you can take to help ensure that gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale does not proceed in New York without full protections for New Yorkers’ health and the environment.
Get document in pdf.

Don't Drill Away the West
Vast stretches of the Western United States are threatened by oil and gas development
Overview

The American West is known for its stunning landscapes, abundant wildlife, rich history and outdoor recreation. But from Montana down to New Mexico, many of these cherished areas are at risk from oil and gas development.

Drilling Down
Protecting Western Communities from the Health and Environmental Effects of Oil and Gas Production
Report

Oil and gas production releases pollution that can have serious impacts on people's health and the surrounding air, water, and land. Although these operations are frequently located near homes, schools, and other community resources, the oil and gas industry enjoys numerous exemptions from provisions of federal laws intended to protect human health and the environment.

The Drill in the Backyard
Photo Album

Domestic oil and natural gas production has soared in recent years as our demand for energy continues to rise. Much of this growth is occurring in the Rocky Mountain region, where well pads, waste pits and giant compressors mar the legendary western landscape of wide vistas and soaring peaks.

Safeguarding Alaska's Arctic Wilderness
Index

Oil and gas drilling, coal mining and invasive development are combining with global warming's effects to wreak havoc on Alaska's vast, remote Arctic landscape. NRDC is working with Alaskan Native communities to protect this wilderness area and the whales, bears and other diverse wildlife that depend on it.

Arctic Refuge 101: Fact Sheets
Overview

Get informed about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's extraordinary wilderness and wildlife, the damage oil development has caused in neighboring areas of Alaska's North Slope, and better ways we can meet our energy needs.

For additional policy documents, see the NRDC Document Bank.
For older publications available only in print, click here.