Biden wants more protection

Oil and gas drilling banned in parts of Alaska

The US government announced a ban on oil and gas drilling in parts of the state of Alaska on Friday. More than 5.2 million hectares of land will be protected in future, the US Department of the Interior announced.

The ban, which has been criticized by Republican senators, is intended to help combat the effects of global warming, which is threatening the permafrost and changing the habitat for native wildlife, it said.

The measure affects the federally owned National Petroleum Reserve. In large parts of the region, which is home to polar and grizzly bears, caribou and hundreds of thousands of migratory birds, the government had already banned new oil and gas projects in September.

Biden: "Natural wonders demand our protection"
"Alaska's majestic and rugged landscapes and waters are among the most remarkable and healthy landscapes in the world," said US President Joe Biden. "These natural wonders demand our protection."

Ahead of the presidential election in November, Biden is keen to burnish his green image. His administration's decision to give the green light to a controversial oil extraction project in northern Alaska, despite warnings from environmentalists, had earned the president criticism.