Dressed in Arctic-themed Halloween costumes, student and community activists rallied in Bethlehem to press Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation to oppose oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Organizers said more than a thousand Pennsylvanians have taken action this fall by signing petitions, writing letters, and calling lawmakers. They encouraged more residents to join.
The group warned that recent federal moves could open the coastal plain to drilling and that some lawmakers are weighing a Congressional Review Act measure that would roll back protections. They named Sen. John Fetterman and Rep. Ryan Mackenzie as key decision makers.
“We’re telling Congress loud and clear that the Arctic Refuge is no place for drilling,” said Lehigh University student Samantha Ortiz, one of the event’s organizers. “It’s not just about protecting wildlife. It’s about protecting the people, cultures, and climate that depend on these lands staying wild.”
Advocates emphasized the Refuge’s ecological and cultural significance, describing nearly 20 million acres of wilderness that support polar bears, large caribou herds, and millions of migratory birds. The area is also sacred to the Gwich’in and other Indigenous peoples. “These are some of our last remaining untouched public lands,” said organizer Matt Docalovich, who warned of accelerating threats without swift action.
Lehigh University students helped lead the effort, inviting neighbors to call their representatives and post “Why is Arctic drilling scary?” on social media. Costumed volunteers carried signs reading “Congress: Protect the Arctic” and “Arctic Drilling is Scary.”
The event was part of the Arctic Defense Campaign, a coalition formed in 2023 to oppose destructive oil and gas development across America’s Arctic and to defend Indigenous rights and Arctic ecosystems.
For more information about the coalition and ongoing efforts to protect the Arctic Refuge, visit defendthearctic.org/our-coalition.
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