Biden administration, in its last days, proposes new protections for Arctic Alaska land

Lakes and connecting streams in the northeastern part of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, June 2014.

Four days before President Joe Biden is set to leave office, his administration recommended that about 3 million more acres in Alaska's western Arctic be protected from development and issued a guideline, effective immediately, requiring additional protections for traditional Native subsistence harvests of fish, caribou and other resources.

The new recommendations and guidance, which apply to the 23-million-acre National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, run counter to President-elect Donald Trump's expressed plans to expand oil drilling in the Arctic and elsewhere and to overturn Biden administration environmental policies more broadly.

The recommendations for additional land to be protected as part of what are termed "special areas" and the guidance for elevating the importance of subsistence and tribal consultation could be ignored or scrapped by the incoming Trump administration.

The northeastern part of the reserve is the area considered most likely to hold oil and where development has spread in recent years. There is already production in that area, and the most notable production expected in the future is from ConocoPhillips' Willow project. Willow won Biden administration approval in 2023. Production is expected to start by the end of the decade and peak at 180,000 barrels per day; current production from all North Slope fields amounts to less than 470,000 barrels per day.

Like the existing Teshekpuk special area, which holds important habitat for caribou, fish and migratory birds, the village of Nuiqsut is in the general area of the reserve's northeastern corner, where new oil development has occurred. Nuiqsut is so close that oilfield infrastructure can be seen from the village. 

Pipelines extend across the landscape outside Nuiqsut, Alaska, May 2019.

"But at the same time, I think we and our partners have also made it abundantly clear that we're going to keep fighting, and keep fighting for protections in the Western Arctic," she said.

(From ROSEN, Yereth. Biden administration, in its last days, proposes new protections for Arctic Alaska land, Alaska Beacon, January 17, 2025. In alaskabeacon.com/2025/01/17/biden-administration-in-its-last-days-proposes-new-protections-for-arctic-alaska-land/, accessed on February 19th, 202

Biden administration, in its last days, proposes new protections for Arctic Alaska land

Lakes and connecting streams in the northeastern part of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, June 2014.

Four days before President Joe Biden is set to leave office, his administration recommended that about 3 million more acres in Alaska's western Arctic be protected from development and issued a guideline, effective immediately, requiring additional protections for traditional Native subsistence harvests of fish, caribou and other resources.

The new recommendations and guidance, which apply to the 23-million-acre National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, run counter to President-elect Donald Trump's expressed plans to expand oil drilling in the Arctic and elsewhere and to overturn Biden administration environmental policies more broadly.

The recommendations for additional land to be protected as part of what are termed "special areas" and the guidance for elevating the importance of subsistence and tribal consultation could be ignored or scrapped by the incoming Trump administration.

The northeastern part of the reserve is the area considered most likely to hold oil and where development has spread in recent years. There is already production in that area, and the most notable production expected in the future is from ConocoPhillips' Willow project. Willow won Biden administration approval in 2023. Production is expected to start by the end of the decade and peak at 180,000 barrels per day; current production from all North Slope fields amounts to less than 470,000 barrels per day.

Like the existing Teshekpuk special area, which holds important habitat for caribou, fish and migratory birds, the village of Nuiqsut is in the general area of the reserve's northeastern corner, where new oil development has occurred. Nuiqsut is so close that oilfield infrastructure can be seen from the village. 

Pipelines extend across the landscape outside Nuiqsut, Alaska, May 2019.

"But at the same time, I think we and our partners have also made it abundantly clear that we're going to keep fighting, and keep fighting for protections in the Western Arctic," she said.

(From ROSEN, Yereth. Biden administration, in its last days, proposes new protections for Arctic Alaska land, Alaska Beacon, January 17, 2025. In alaskabeacon.com/2025/01/17/biden-administration-in-its-last-days-proposes-new-protections-for-arctic-alaska-land/, accessed on February 19th, 202

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Jobs and Professions

    As has been the case for many years, jobs, or forms of employment wherein employees perform a service or duty in exchange for financial compensation, play a prominent role in society. Furthermore, all jobs — even those of seemingly little significance — are important, as they simply wouldn't exist if their specific responsibilities weren't of value to employers (companies or persons that pay others for their work), customers (individuals who pay money for a product or service), and the economy generally.

    Teachers, or educational professionals tasked with helping students understand certain subjects and topics, are especially crucial today. In short, teachers help their students to become qualified for their future careers.

    Doctors, or medical professionals who specialize in providing health-related assistance to patients, are some of the most respected individuals in America and the world. It's the responsibility of doctors to help those who feel less-than-stellar to determine the underlying health issue(s) and recommend an effective treatment (or remedy to a disease, disorder, or condition).

    There are quite a few types of specialty doctors in America (besides MD, which simply means "medical doctor"), all of whom can be referred to simply as "Doctor (Name)." Dentists (mouth/ teeth doctors), dermatologists (skin doctors), and psychiatrists (mental-health doctors) are just a few examples of the many different types of doctors.

    Additionally, nurses are medical professionals who help to administer doctor-ordered treatments to patients.

    Police officers are law enforcement professionals whose job it is to protect citizens, solve crimes, and assure that rules and regulations are followed. Similarly, firefighters serve the public by responding to fires (and other emergency situations) and using high-tech equipment to extinguish these fires, while bringing any individuals who're in danger to safety.

    Farmers maintain fields of crops (or vegetable/fruit plants) and/ or collections of animals with the intention of selling these products as food.

    Chefs/cooks prepare meals in professional settings, including restaurants, cafeterias, and other venues wherein food and drink are sold, for customers. Chefs are generally experienced in cooking and managing kitchens.

    Waiters bring menus, beverages, meals, and ultimately, the check (or a bill of the foods and drinks purchased in a transaction) to tables in restaurants and other establishments that serve food.

    Artists produce art, or works of creative significance, including music, paintings, drawings, poetry, writing, and more.

Fonte: https://pdfcoffee.com/meeting-5-basic-english-for-academic-porposes-pdffree.html. Acessado em 25/08/2025

Read the following text to answer questions

 Effective communication is central to the clinicianpatient encounter. When the patient’s needs and concerns are well understood through a biopsychosocial formulation, then a comprehensive care plan can be mutually agreed on. Communication skills training (CST) has become one vehicle to build skills that optimally advance the clinical agenda, alongside promoting professionalism and excellence of care. Good communication skills have been linked to higher patient satisfaction, greater patient adherence to treatment, better patient health outcomes, fewer physician malpractice claims, reduced patient anxiety, increased recall, and improved understanding.

Patients with cancer report unmet communication needs for information about the extent of disease, prognosis, and treatment options, intent, and adverse effects. This is consistent with earlier studies on communication in clinical encounters. When the clinician is responsive to patients’ needs, their anxiety levels have been significantly reduced.

In this article, we propose the establishment of a universal CST curriculum for fellows of all cancer specialties that builds their professionalism and sustains effective clinician-patient communication throughout their careers.

(https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3341141/. 06.08.2025. Adaptado)

Space power: The dream of beaming solar energy from orbit 

(Available at: www.bbc.com/future/article/20251029-the-beam-dream-should-we-build-solar-farms-in-space– 

text specially adapted for this test). 

Are Some Sugars ‘Less Bad’ Than Others?

        Q: I’m trying to limit sugar, but I love sweets. Are “natural” sweeteners like honey and agave syrup healthier alternatives to table sugar?

         You probably know that the sugars in fruits, vegetables and other plants are far better for you than the added sugars often found in processed foods like sodas, candy bars and many baked goods.

         But in that category of added sugars, there’s an array of sweeteners that are often seen as more “natural” or healthier than others. Honey, maple syrup and agave nectar, for instance, are commonly touted as “better for you” swaps for regular sugar, such as in many health-focused baking recipes and on social media.

        Is that right? We asked three nutrition experts to help us sort it out. 

Source: 

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/well/eat/health-

effects-honey-maple-syrup-agave.html 

Read the text below and answer question

Plan to test Liberian schoolchildren for drugs blocked

October 17th, 2025

By Moses Kollie Garzeawu

Monrovia, Liberia, Africa

Liberia's Education Ministry has blocked controversial plans to introduce mandatory drug testing in all of the country's schools.

Speaking to local media, the interim head of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), Fitzgerald Biago, said school testing would help address the growing problem of drug abuse.

The announcement sparked a mixed response. Some thought it would help tackle the scourge of drugs, while others saw it as an invasion of privacy, or feared it would cost too much.

Last year, President Joseph Boakai declared drug and substance abuse a national emergency and a recent EU-backed report estimated that one in five young Liberians take drugs.

However, the Education Ministry said it was not aware of any plans to test students and added that such a decision needed to be based on concrete evidence and properly thought through.

Assistant minister in charge of students Sona Toure-Sesay told the BBC that this kind of plan required proper research. "Let's assume we are made aware of the proposed initiatives by the LDEA, it will require us to conduct research and review case studies from other countries where this has been successful," she said.  

Toure-Sesay also noted that testing could affect students. "What happens to students who test positive? What are the social services in place for them? Some of them might be bullied even after returning, and it may affect their overall educational performances."

She added that a multi-sectoral committee on drug and substance abuse had been set up, headed by the Health Ministry. Along with strengthening health clubs in schools, she said that this would help to reduce the prevalence of drugs among students.

President Boakai dismissed the leadership of the LDEA in August this year, and recently appointed Biago, a former senior police officer, as interim head of the agency.

Taken from:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0mxz3x1lr7o