OP/Ed: Obama’s Arctic Decision Undercut His Own Legacy
On December 20, 2016, in an 11th hour unilateral action designed to cement his environmental legacy, President Obama withdrew 3.8 million acres in the north and mid-Atlantic Ocean and 115 million acres in the U.S. Arctic Ocean (including the entire Chukchi Sea and a significant portion of the Beaufort Sea) from future oil and gas leasing. Unlike the five year moratoria announced by Canada, President Obama touted these closures as “permanent.” Not only does this short-sighted decision threaten the economic lifeline of Alaska, U.S. energy leadership and U.S.
Shell's US Arctic Policy an 'Ongoing Gamble': Greenpeace Analysis
The analysis considers that the US Arctic Ocean presents almost a perfect storm of risks: a requirement for a long-term capital-intensive investment for uncertain return; a remote and uniquely challenging operating environment; ongoing court challenges; a lack of extraction and spill response infrastructure; and the spotlight of the world’s environmental organisations, the US political community and international media. Royal Dutch Shell stands at a strategic crossroads. Its response…
New Report Recommends Offshore Energy 'Arctic Standards'
A new PEW Charitable Trust report entitled: 'Arctic Standards: Recommendations on Oil Spill Prevention, Response, and Safety, has just been released. Arctic OCS standards would provide consistent requirements on how to design, build, install, and operate equipment to safely explore and develop oil and gas resources and respond to accidents in the region using best Arctic science, technology, and practices. Arctic standards should account for the area’s remote location, lack of infrastructure…
Pew Disappointed by Chukchi Sea Drilling Approval
The federal Minerals Management Service gave the green light to Shell Oil's plan to drill exploratory wells in the waters of the Chukchi Sea off Alaska's northwest coast next summer. "We are very concerned because drilling for oil runs the risk of devastating spills in a sensitive marine ecosystem already stressed by dramatic climate change," said Marilyn Heiman, director of the Pew Environment Group's U.S. Arctic program. Shell purchased a swath of oil leases in the Chukchi Sea in 2008 when the previous administration opened up 30 million acres for drilling. Beginning in July 2010, Shell plans to drill three exploratory wells - the first time in 19 years that drilling will be allowed in the Chukchi Sea northwest of Barrow.
