Shell Cancels Plans to Drill in Arctic (Success!)

Shell announced that they’ve cancelled their plans to drill exploratory wells in the Arctic in 2011 due to lack of confidence that they would meet the standards to get the required permits,” Oceana (and plenty of others) enthusiastically reported yesterday.

Of course, there is no known method of successfully cleaning up oil spills in the Arctic, and Shell is smart not to risk such an incidence.

“The continued slate of faulty environmental analyses and permit applications are further evidence that we are not ready to move forward with oil and gas activities in the Arctic, especially in light of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy,” Oceana said. “We lack basic science, preparedness, and any way to ensure accountability.”

This decision by Shell, which continues a self-imposed moratorium on Arctic drilling from last summer, during the BP oil spill, “buys more time to ensure that any drilling, if it happens at all, does not go forward without needed environmental analyses and controls,” The Wilderness Society, which brought a lawsuit last year “demanding that Shell meet strong environmental protections before drilling in Arctic waters” said.

And Greenpeace noted that it came “just days after BP said that they were delaying their insane Liberty Island project until at least 2013.”

There are many unique species living in the Arctic. Other than being threatened by climate change, oil drilling there could cause them significant harm.

Check out a nice slideshow of some of the beautiful animals living in the Arctic over on The Wilderness Society.

Also, to advocate for a ban on ALL Arctic drilling, send a short email to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar requesting this.

And to ask President Obama to “commit to making management decisions based on adequate science, not politics or profits,” visit Ocean’s action page for this.

Related Stories:

1. Greenpeace Stops Arctic Drilling, Activists Under Arrest [Video]
2. Help Protect Arctic Polar Bears, Whales, Walruses, & Seals from Offshore Drilling

Photo Credit: Ansgar Walk

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