Tell Obama To Keep Shell Out of the Arctic-Join the #ShellNo Movement

Shocked and disappointed comes close to describing the way I felt when I learned that the Obama administration had tentatively approved a plan to allow Shell Oil to drill in the pristine Chukchi Sea this summer.

I’ve long known that this president, for all of the great things he has done, is not environmentally friendly. This first came to light, when, during his first few months in office he was toying with the idea of lifting the ban on whaling.  Fortunately this bizarre plan was leaked and some powerful organizations stepped in to dissuade the new president from doing something so stupid.

Unfortunately for America’s wolves, however, there were no leaks and folks woke up one day to learn that President Obama had ordered the protected status of America’s wolves removed, with the additional amendment that bypassed any legal challenge.  As a result of this insensitive and wrong-headed plan thousands of our beautiful wolves have been slaughtered by the guns and traps of bloodthirsty hunters.

Sadly, our president is once again ignoring certain threats to our environment and is prepared to issue final executive approval for drilling in the Arctic.  You can help stop it by signing the petition.

From the Sierra Club:

The Obama administration inched a little closer to disaster yesterday when it issued almost-but-not-quite final approval to Royal Dutch Shell to drill in the Chukchi Sea this summer. Because Shell’s capping stack (a critical piece of emergency response equipment) is currently on its way to Portland, Oregon, aboard a damaged icebreaker that requires repairs, the oil company is allowed to drill only part way into the seafloor — stopping short of where the oil is. If and when the capping stack gets to the proposed drilling site, Shell could then reapply for permission to resume drilling the rest of the way.

Last week, I wrote about why letting Shell into the Arctic makes no sense. It’s a case of taking huge risks to get something we don’t need. In fact, not only do we not need that oil and gas — we can’t even afford to use it if we want to meet the urgent imperative to limit climate disruption.

So why has the administration allowed things to go this far? If this were a wedding with a reluctant bridegroom, we’d be listening to the minister clear his throat and gaze out over the congregation. I don’t know. Maybe, even though they know this is a bad idea, they just don’t have the guts to call it off.

But you know what? That’s the wrong analogy. What’s about to happen in the Chukchi Sea is more like a blind date than a shotgun wedding. Even if Shell manages to get its act together with its exploratory drilling this summer, it will still need approval for commercial drilling, and it will be even harder to make a case that such drilling can be done safely. Shell would also need to install hundreds of miles of pipeline, both on the seafloor and dry land. The process could take a decade or more, and every step along the way, we have opportunities to make the case that clean energy is better for our country and our planet. And the longer this drags on, the more obvious it will be that drilling in Arctic waters is an unnecessary invitation to disaster.

When Shell’s damaged ship arrives in Portland, we’ll be there. When Shell cuts corners or takes dangerous risks, we’ll be there. When this or any other administration flirts with selling more oil leases in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas, we’ll be there, in the courts and on the streets. We’re in this for the long haul, along with the hundreds of thousands of Americans who’ve already joined the growing #ShellNo! movement. We’re in it for the Arctic, for the wildlife, for the Native Alaskans, and for the climate. And we’re in it to win.

We will not rest until President Obama cancels all drilling and future leases and protects the Arctic Ocean.   Please click the link to let our president know how you feel about this environmental threat, and don’t forget to share this important article.

Read more from the Sierra club.