Biden to suspend drilling leases in Alaskan wilderness
US President Joe Biden's administration will suspend oil and gas leases in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge pending an environmental review.
The move reverses former President Donald Trump's decision to sell oil leases in the refuge to expand fossil fuel and mineral development.
The giant Alaskan wilderness is home to many important species, including polar bears, caribou and wolves.
Arctic tribal leaders have welcomed the move but Republicans are opposed.
Covering some 19 million acres (78,000 sq km), the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is often described as America's last great wilderness.
Michael Gerrard is director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School.
Photo shows: Protests in Washington DC to protect Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Credit: Getty Images
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