Supporter,

For decades, the pristine wilderness of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has been targeted by oil and gas companies for development. And the Trump administration would be all too happy to see them succeed.

Donald Trump and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt are trying to open the Refuge to exploitation, disregarding Indigenous rights and public wishes, and prioritizing oil and gas interests over people and wildlife. We can't only wait for Congress to fend them off with permanent protections. So we must appeal to the American banks and companies backing these ventures to join us. Three major U.S. banks have already signed on, but we're still working on Citibank, Bank of America, and Morgan Stanley.

We are tirelessly working to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and all of our public lands from disastrous drilling and spilling. We're mobilizing our grassroots and going to the banks to stop funding oil and gas drilling. We're simultaneously campaigning to protect lands in Congress. And your support is vital to all of this work:

Help save the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—and its precious wildlife and sacred sites—from dirty, dangerous oil and gas drilling Become a monthly donor to the Sierra Club today and snag your FREE insulated tote. Our campaigns need 500 new monthly donors to sign up by Earth Day!

In 2019, hundreds joined Gwich'in Nation leaders at the annual shareholder meetings of major banks and oil companies. Many more of you helped amplify the message online, or took action to tell big banks not to destroy this special place. And it's working—since last spring Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo have committed not to finance drilling in the Arctic Refuge.

There are so many reasons to oppose oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Refuge. It would threaten Indigenous rights, along with local recreational and tourism interests. It would hasten climate change, which would in turn exacerbate sea level rise and imperil the habitats of birds, polar bears and other species.

It's also bad business. Given the determination among many in the global community to combat climate change, drilling in the Arctic Refuge is an expensive—as well as short-sighted—risk. Even investors are starting to sound the alarm that any company supporting oil and gas operations in the refuge will face enormous public backlash.

For all these reasons and more, the Sierra Club is actively lobbying the United States' largest banks to respect nature and indigenous heritage in a way the Trump administration has not—by rejecting funding for toxic drilling in the Arctic. Will you help us continue our aggressive advocacy on the Arctic Refuge's behalf with a gift to the Sierra Club now?

Help us convince more of America’s Big Banks to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by refusing to finance oil and gas drilling on the coastal plan with your monthly gift to the Sierra Club now and claim your FREE insulated cooler bag.

Once upon a time, financial institutions could quietly support toxic, dangerous—but lucrative—projects without consequence.

Those days are over. The public is watching and tracking where banks and investment firms put their money. It's our job as a Sierra Club community to continue shining a light on banks that continue to invest in drilling—along with coal mining and other fossil fuel exploration—and hold all of the country's major financial institutions accountable.

As always, we're so grateful for your commitment to protecting our last wild, wonderful places—and for your generous support of the Sierra Club today.

With determination,

Michael Brune
Executive Director
Sierra Club