Keri Russell, Darren Aronofsky, and more To Join Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune
San Francisco, CA –(ENEWSPF)–June 26, 2015. Today, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune, joined by Academy Award-nominated director Darren Aronofsky, Golden Globe-winning actress Keri Russell, veterans advocates Genevieve Chase and BriGette McCoy, and author Rebecca Solnit depart for a weeklong trip along the Kongakut River in the Arctic.
The trip comes as Shell obtains the final permits to begin drilling in the Chukchi Sea this summer. While advisers for the Obama administration have warned that any drilling in the Arctic carries a 75 percent chance of a “major oil spill,” Shell and the Chukchi Sea remain on a collision course.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to return to Alaska and explore the Arctic wilderness,” said Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune. “This trip offers a rare opportunity to witness some of our country’s most beautiful landscapes and wildlife. Sadly, both are fighting for their lives from the dual threats of our rapidly changing climate and the push to industrialize America’s Arctic in search of oil.
“During the course of this trip, I hope to raise awareness of the consequences of climate disruption, and the immediate impacts it is having on the Arctic. Some places are too valuable to turn over to the oil industry. The coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge and the Arctic Ocean are at the top of that list.”
On their trip to the Kongakut, the group will travel from the Brooks Range mountains to the Arctic Ocean, and spot Arctic wildlife such as caribou, grizzly bears, wolves and more. Despite being in one of the world’s most wild and pristine regions, the team will experience the effects of climate change (this past May was Alaska’s hottest in 91 years — 7.1°F above average temperatures), and learn about the dangers we face from the threat of oil exploration and development.
Source: www.sierraclub.org
