Polar bears are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. As we lose Arctic ice mass, oil industry giants like Exxon Mobil gain access to more oil deposits and continue the exploitative activities that have put our climate and Arctic ecosystems at great risk.
Oil drilling in the Arctic, an area with tricky topography and unpredictable weather conditions, carries a high chance of oil spills. The remote and inaccessible nature of the Arctic makes it very difficult to mount a fast and effective response to an oil spill, which means any spill is likely to have large and widespread effects. Oil pollution is devastating to polar bears and other Arctic wildlife, and spill fires cause further deterioration of the ice landscape.