Friend — this is big. After an extensive pressure campaign led by the Gwich'in people and our environmental allies to protect the Arctic Refuge, we have some major news:

Goldman Sachs just announced they will no longer finance drilling or oil exploration in the Arctic.

Here's why this matters: Other major banks, including Barclays and the Royal Bank of Scotland, have already pulled out of financing Arctic drilling — Goldman Sachs is the first US bank to do it too.

This could turn into a domino effect, but we need to move quickly while we have momentum to pressure other banks to do the same. If no one's willing to finance the work, we could stop drilling in the Arctic, even if President Trump approves it.

We need your help. The end of the year is just a couple weeks away, and it's a major fundraising deadline here at LCV. What we can raise by the end of the year tells us just how big we can go with campaigns next year — and right now, we're still $45,000 away from our funding goal.

We're asking every LCV supporter to chip in before the 12/31 deadline to help us add to the pressure on this critical fight. Please, contribute what you can — even if it's just $5 — and your donation will be triple matched »

The stakes here are huge. Drilling in the Arctic Refuge would destroy land that is sacred to the Gwich'in people and that they have relied on for millennia. And even the Trump administration's environmental impact statement admits that drilling "may result in extinction" for nearly six dozen species of birds.

Goldman Sachs pulling out of Arctic drilling was only possible because of years of organizing. LCV is proud to have stood in solidarity with other environmental organizations, activists, and the Gwich'in people — who met with Goldman Sachs multiple times.

But there's still more work to do.

If we can change the conditions on the ground and keep up the momentum, then even if President Trump approves drilling leases, no company would want to move forward. This could be a make or break moment for drilling in the precious Arctic Refuge. As one news report explained, Goldman Sachs "may not be the last" bank to pull out.

Every dollar you pitch in to power our Arctic campaign and other environmental fights will immediately TRIPLE in impact, until the December 31 deadline — don't miss out on a chance to stop drilling in the Arctic »

There's a lot happening right now — from holiday preparations to the historic impeachment votes. It's the exact kind of news environment that often allows corporations to avoid public pressure and for pro-polluter policies to go unnoticed.

That's why it's so critical that LCV keeps up our campaign to protect the Arctic Refuge — something we can only do with your help. Please, make your gift of just $5 or more today and every dollar will TRIPLE for the environment »

Thank you for standing with us during this critical fight.

Sincerely,

Gene Karpinski
President
League of Conservation Voters