Mass of sea ice forces drilling to halt, raises doubts about spill cleanup
Chukchi Sea, Alaska. (Florian Schulz / visionsofthewild.com)
Shell’s vice president of Alaska operations was quoted last Saturday as saying "Happy, happy, happy." Then the ice showed up.
Hours after Shell began drilling in the Artic, operations were forced to shut down to accommodate a drifting 30-mile by 12-mile hunk of sea ice, moving at a rate of a mile every 30 minutes. That’s what ice does in the Arctic—it is unpredictable, unforgiving and moves in with the high winds just in time to ruin a happy day.
A week ago, the Department of the Interior approved drilling in “non-oil-bearing zones” and Shell immediately began drilling its first exploration well in the Chukchi Sea, off the coast of Northern Alaska in the early morning hours of Sunday. The drilling lasted only a few hours before the company took a “precautionary” move and disconnected the drilling rig from the seafloor anchors and temporarily moved the vessel off the well site. One wonders what would happen if such an ice mass moved in while Shell was trying to respond to a major oil spill.
The window for Shell to strike oil this season is rapidly closing as Shell is approved only until Sept. 24 for drilling into the oil-bearing zones. The company has asked for an 18-day extension but Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said that extension decisions won’t happen until after the final permits to drill deeper have been issued.
Drilling deeper this year has not been possible so far because of challenges with the Arctic Challenger, the oil spill response and containment barge, which had been undergoing retrofitting and testing in Washington State for months. Until Shell gets Coast Guard and various agency approvals of this vessel and moves it in place in the Arctic, Shell can’t drill for oil.
The Arctic Challenger left Bellingham, Washington in the middle of the night last week and hasn’t been seen since. Sea testing? On its way to the Arctic while undergoing sea testing? We don’t really know, even though the administration and Shell both promised the communities of the Arctic and the rest of us—transparency.
The latest government approvals to Shell’s ever-changing set of standards, specifically the air pollution and sea-worthiness of vessels, have been made without any public process and in some cases the official documents have only been released to the public after repeated requests. The public has yet to see Shell’s official request to extend the drilling season. That’s about as transparent as the gooey waters of an oil spill.
Earthjustice continues to represent its clients in challenging flawed and unlawful oil-spill response plans, air pollution permits and leases. Our aim remains to protect the pristine American Arctic waters from harmful industrial activities in the short term with a long-term focus of conservation based on best available science.
The implications of a failed Arctic ecosystem will affect us all through the rapid effects of climate change. And there’s nothing “happy, happy, happy” about that.
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I'm confused...What is Shell's purpose for drilling in "non-oil bearing zones?" They don't drill just for the heck of it! And why would our government give permission for non-oil-productive drilling in the first place? What am I missing here?
The "non-bearing zones" are above the oil layers. They are drilling the top part of the hole that will eventually tap further into the bearing zone.
Go to www.thrivemovement.com and watch the free online movie "Thrive". It is a documentary made by one of the heirs to the Gamble side of Proctor & Gamble, and explains the reason why our government is in bed with the oil companies. It also tells why we don't even need oil, and how FREE ENERGY is available to every single person on this planet.
There must be something that someone like me can do, such as sign a petition demanding an end to all exploration for oil. Why aren't we spending money in further development of solar panels and more mass transportation. How much oil do we consume just mowing grass all over the nation?
I couldn't agree more!
Shell has been an enemy of the earth and a friend of Saudi Arabia forever!
I truly, truly hope that with the re-election of President Obama, one of the changes he will make is the removal of Secretary Salazar, to be replaced with someone who really understands that the EPA is supposed to PROTECT the environment. In my opinion, the job of Secretary of the Interior is, in some ways, just as important as the job of Secretary of State... sometimes more so. It would be interesting to see how many old Bush appointees are still filling the seats in the Department of the Interior, even though secretary Salazar vowed to "clean house". He never did. Certainly, many decisions that have come from the DOI are simply rubber stamps on policies put in place, or recommended by, Bush appointees. The record of Obama's environmentalism is dismal, indeed, and mostly caused by his disastrous appointment of Ken Salazar as Secretary of the Interior. All that said, we need to re-elect Obama, AND a Democratic Congress, or we will face even MORE disastrous consequences with a business friendly Republican administration. The present Congress has turned the Endangered Species Act on its ear, and has stood in the way of energy reform. We need a committed Congress, and an earth friendly Secretary of the Interior. That job should not be handed out as a political reward.
I agree with you totally: Secretary Salazar is an enemy to this country's environment and should be replaced by someone who will preserve America's wilderness areas and animals, not be intent on destroying them and siding with corporations to decimate the environment for their own short-term gain. Again, BIG MONEY wins and the people of this country have no say in what they think is important.
Secretary Salazar doesn't oversee the EPA, he's the Secretary of Interior, and EPA, while technically not a cabinet-level organization, is treated like one, just like Interior. EPA's Administrator is essentially the same organizational level as Salazar.
That said, I agree that Salazar should go, but for any number of other reasons.
You are tilting at windmills.
Petroleum and gas development, 'tho delayed at no small cost (see below) by the Environmental Movement (which I supprt muchly) and government bureaucracies, (which I totally mistrust) will happen sooner or later. Toptal energy independence is impossible but it is a most worthy goal and should be pursued 'cause every little bit helps.
I'm unhappy that my donations are wasted on fighting the inevetable rather than vigorously promoting the possible--nuclear energy. It has zero atmospheric emissionas. It certainly won't be cheaper, but if there's more of it, maybe it will and we'll be able to have nonpolluting (and mechanically simpler) personal and public transportation.
You are tilting at windmills.
Petroleum and gas development, 'tho delayed at no small cost (see below) by the Environmental Movement (which I supprt muchly) and government bureaucracies, (which I totally mistrust) will happen sooner or later. Toptal energy independence is impossible but it is a most worthy goal and should be pursued 'cause every little bit helps.
I'm unhappy that my donations are wasted on fighting the inevetable rather than vigorously promoting the possible--nuclear energy. It has zero atmospheric emissionas. It certainly won't be cheaper, but if there's more of it, maybe it will and we'll be able to have nonpolluting (and mechanically simpler) personal and public transportation.
How is spent fission material non-polluting? We have yet to declare a permanent site for disposal. For the same reasons of cost we have not upgraded our existing plants for decades, a great number of which are being operated beyond their longest projected lifespan. Nuclear energy has costs we must account for beyond the expense of building and operating. With Japan & Europe's new caution around the energy source, the monetary costs will be further prohibitive. Let's look elsewhere, & consider how to use less energy overall.
Humankind must stop playing "Ostrich" and get our heads from under the Corporate Machine wing; simply because our past, present, and future proposed industrial sins are rising around us like a tempestial flood. We can all stand their with our heads stuck in the sand (not ) or under the wing pretending that nothing is happening and business is as usual (DRILL BABY DRILL); just be aware that when the flood surge catches up with us (very soon by scientific evidence) we will all be washed away. Catastrophe has no conscience (like GREED) and will not save anyone or anything; we will all reap what has been sown; both the guilty and the innocent. We must all fight to correct the mistakes of our actions.
The most important step that must occur is : GLOBALLY BAN THE USE OF 10,000,000 YEAR OLD DEAD PLANT AND ANIMAL SQUEEZINS' AND GASEOUS BYPRODUCTS AS OUR PRIMARY ENERGY FUEL SOURCE. This course of action is pumping unprecedentd volumes of carbon into the planet's atmosphere and pushing the natural planetary cycles toward hyperspeed. CONGRATULATIONS ! This is humankind's greatest collective achievement in our history; normally the major cycles take 1,000; 10,000; 1,000,000; 10,000,000 years to occur; we will achieve the next probable ice age in less than 500 years; are we not smart ?
The planet will reboot and regenerate as it always has; unfortunately ; the human race; and many other lifeforms; will not survive the process as a civilization. There is still time for us to stop this current global trend of insanity; and at least slow the cyclic process.
Can anyone find any evidence that domestic production actually lowered gas prices? And even if it did, the trillions in climate damage and the millions of deaths, are they worth 10 cents less a gallon?
God really ought to kick our asses for being so careless with Creation. Unfortunately the innocent must suffer as well.
May Mr. Happy rot slowly.
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH. There will be no peace, nor clean oceans, nor any wilderness left if the human race does not learn to control and reduce its' numbers. Anything less will result in massive, long-term suffering and finally, annihilation of our species. Yet, our numbers continue to grow out of control. Apathy, helped by superstition (some higher power will magically appear one day and save us from ourselves) is still the rule.
I just re-read the Ishmael series of books (Ishmael, My Ishmael, The Story of B) by Daniel Quinn. They make the case that it isn't a matter of doing less of what we're doing, but in living differently. Our culture is inherently unsustainable. Quinn uses the analogy that the direction we're headed is like a river, and "programs" such as (my words) recycling, driving smaller cars, buying local food, etc are like sticks in the river bed that might cause some small changes, but don't change the direction. We need to change the direction. Not much for answers, admittedly, but I think it's a more realistic view of the seriousness of the problem.
Amen.
Yes, there is a lot more we can do individually. We can organize our communities to cut way down on cars, to grow our food locally in our yards and community gardens (a HUGE amount of fossil fuel is needed to operate industrial scale agriculture, for both the fertilizer and the poisons used in massive amounts), stop buying food from Australia, South America, etc. so that we are not encouraging fossil fuel shipping everything around the world, take public transportation or bike or walk, form and join completely green energy co-ops (there is a very large and profitable solar energy co-op in Washington, DC), use cloth shopping bags, always buy naked items (not wrapped in plastic, etc.), make your own yogurt so you won't accumulate so many plastic containers (my trash shrank to 1/3 of a grocery bag a week when I stopped buying those things and started making yogurt in glass jars), develop and patronize local business so that the finances of our communities are not siphoned off to pay distant and filthy rich CEO's of huge corporations, really get fierce about demanding protection of our water including the ground water which we may need for the gardens, demand clean air partly so that we will have clean rainwater in the future, etc. We can start doing MOST of these things right now, without waiting for government. When the cultivated slavery to oil is dismantled, it may cost a fortune to buy anything related to oil, but by then we will be happily living without it. We will have kiwis growing on our back fence and won't need New Zealand kiwis. And, with our communities so much more knit together and independent, even our finances will be much more resilient to distant financial crisis. We can take bigger risks in refusing to be manipulated. We might just have a much larger roar to our voice for the government actions. We'll probably have a much higher voting turnout. Happy, happy, happy?
Thanks, Rita. Your suggestions will be going out to my sphere of influence. Jenny from Tacoma
Right on, Rita!
Very well stated!! I whole heartedly agree.
They will not be happy until our waters are full of sludge and kill every creature out there. Shell had better wake up and smell the Oceans before there is nothing left to smell, touch and enjoy.
Dear Earth Justice,
Thank you for the information. I emailed the text to President Obama. I think he is a great President, who got the wrong advice to make the decision to allow Shell to drill in the Arctic Ocean (as there isn't a land mass).
I hope environmentalists/conservationists and the Green Party vote for President Obama in the 2012 election as he is a great President in my opinion -- for others, please realize that he is the only choice. Please don't sit out the vote or vote for someone you know cannot win.
I am a Democrat, a Christian, and a hard scientist - I think the Lord God and Jesus Christ intervened. We know less about the oceans than outer space, and the amount of drilling in the ocean floor may be contributing to the warming of the earth.
Thankful regards,
Wow... you are a Democrat, a Christian and a hard scientist?
How is this possible?
You think being a democrat you would understand the evils of Christianity, and its blatant disreguard for human life, free will, logic, etc....
You would then think that being a "hard scientist" that you would understand the absolute ridiculousness of the basis of christianity, that the true function of religion is to control people through the means of a promised "Salvation".
You are not a scientist.
You are probably barely a Christian.
You sound lost, confused and scared.
I can't believe you would have the audacity to call your self a Christian Scientist and end with a statement like " I think the Lord God and Jesus Christ intervened"!
That is the most unintelligent thing you could have possibly said...
Slap you self in the face and then give your self a big pat on the back for being a first class American Dumb-ass...
Dear Earth Justice,
Thank you for the information. I emailed the text to President Obama. I think he is a great President, who got the wrong advice to make the decision to allow Shell to drill in the Arctic Ocean (as there isn't a land mass).
I hope environmentalists/conservationists and the Green Party vote for President Obama in the 2012 election as he is a great President in my opinion -- for others, please realize that he is the only choice. Please don't sit out the vote or vote for someone you know cannot win.
I am a Democrat, a Christian, and a hard scientist - I think the Lord God and Jesus Christ intervened. We know less about the oceans than outer space, and the amount of drilling in the ocean floor may be contributing to the warming of the earth.
Thankful regards,
What a gaff! As an editor I should be checking my spelling. It's billionaire. (haha)
Thank you Earthjustice for all your work on this issue. Keep it up. Is there any kind of petition that we could sign to be sent to Congress, Shell, or?? As a concerned citizen of Planet Earth we all have a stake in what happens to any and all parts of the environment. Let's don't drop the ball on this issue.
What a gaff! As an editor I should be checking my spelling. It's billionaire. (haha)
I am a medical technical writer and editor. I don't think that anyone needs to be shunned on the basis of his/her religion. I am Progressive and am going to vote for President Obama. The alternative is more ravaging of the earth and plundering of the poor. I encourage you to vote locally and not support the banksters and bllionaires. They only seem to care about what the earth can do for them and not as though we all have biological origins.
Mother Earth has figured out the devastation she stands to suffer from the GOP policy of "You're On Your Own" which is gaining strength now that corporations are recognized as people and money is speech. . She realizes that she must intervene herself because so much of mankind is too greedy, too dishonest, and too uncaring...and the rest of us are too slow, too poor, too uninformed, or too hoodwinked to do what we should in time to save her..
I do not understand how people/the government can support Arctic drilling. The only reason Shell is doing it is pure greed. It should be obvious to everyone what disaster is awaiting us with anyone drilling up there. Exxon already screwed up Alaska and reports are that it is still an ongoing problem. BP has ruined every part of the gulf by its spill, then further poisoning the waters with their brilliant "dispersant". Animals die daily, deformations, oil showing up in restaurants inside clams and shellfish on consumers plates. Why there is any seafood industry left in the US, I do not understand. Any sea life in those waters are filled with oil and poison. This latest hurricane proved that there has been no clean up. It brought all the oil back to the surface. The Japanese have turned tuna into swimming nuclear waste. The Russians have admitted to dumping their nuclear waste into the ocean. Has no one learned ANYTHING about trying to protect the oceans? The northern seas are the most dangerous and treacherous of all of them and yet the most relied upon by sea life. Many species, whales, polar bears, seals. Once they are gone, they are gone. How is someone going to get oil off a polar bear? The last clean ocean. When did our wildlife and resources become so expendable that no one cares about anything but money? Money will do no good when all our waters are poisoned, wildlife dead, fisheries and crabbing is gone. Fracking is poisoning our freshwater wells and helping the pipelines poison wildlife. It is all GREED - led by the Kroch's. You can't tame or control the northern seas. Heck, oilers could not even handle the Gulf. The north makes the gulf look like a pond in spring. Shell is NO WAY able to safely drill and will have no clue how (or probably even care) to clean up a spill - just like Exxon. Only with Shell there is a heck of a lot more at stake. I believe the only ones who really understand and care about this is the Coast Guard. But how is Shell drilling without their clean up rig at the ready? It is still docked. As usless at it will be. Our own government won't even help clean the gulf let alone force an oil company to clean up their mess. Any fines that BP paid had to be fought over and legislated to try to get the funds to the gulf for clean up (after 2 years). What can happen in the Arctic in that time frame? Death and destruction. As far as God being the problem - it's not him - it is humans creating the disasters. But I believe he gave up on humans a long time ago.
The world is a little more complicated than "them and us".
Shell is not doing it for "pure greed". At least no more than anybody else does anything for money. What about you? When you ask for money in return for things you do, is it "pure greed"? Does it make you evil to expect a return on your capital or labour?
We need oil and gas to survive. That is a fact. What do you want to do? Stop using gas and oil today? Okay then. You go and try to do that. See how far you get using only solar, wind and wave. You yourself personally benefit from Shell's efforts to supply the market with energy. You do not live in a bubble! If you think that there is a better alternative then start a company to supply energy to the market using your alternative, and do it without a government subsidy.
It's easy to criticise "Big Oil", but *somebody* has to get the oil out of the ground and deliver it to your laptop so that you can write your comments!
Shell is greed - and it looks like your dander got ruffed up. Yes it is greed to knowingly drill where you have NO control of your environment and NO ability to clean it up. Your tantrum needs to calm down to the issue. The oil and car companies oppose cleaner better mileage cars. Ford (among other makes) has had cars in Europe for years that can run 60+ mpg. Why are they not here? Why is the government supporting this oil fiasco and not supporting in home solar or intelligent solar any where? Yes, we are unfortunately dependent on oil. Then drill from Texas, drill out North Dakota just to name a couple that already exist. The point being drill where it is already proven, approved, accessible and safe. Obvously you must live in a bubble to not realize or accept the possiblity of alternatives or reduction of dependence or are you an oil company stalker? The ORIGINAL point here was that they can't drill safely in the ocean and the Arctic is ludacris to even attempt. YES, it is pure greed to lie and say "oh, sure no problem, we can clean an Arctic spill" knowing all the species you will kill when the well fails and they sit there with their thumbs in the air saying "duh, don't know what to do"...JUST LIKE BP. I worked for Shell so I DO KNOW their mentality.
As far as I'm concerned, they have said El Nino has kept storms in the Pacific for most of the summer.
I believe God is repsonsible for flooding and heavy rains my siblings in Philippines have to go through every year
This is a good sign. Mother nature herself may take care of Shell. We can only pray.
This is a good sign. Mother nature herself may take care of Shell. We can only pray.
A massive ice flow has stopped the drilling, albeit temporarily; now that is Happy News.
Instead of spending So Much Money to drill for oil in a fragile location, why not use the money to Research and Develop Alternate Fuel Sources!?!!
This might be a Win/ Win for All, including our Planet Earth and the Plants and Animals that call this our Island Home!!!!
We already have alternative resources. Read about "Free Energy" sources and educate yourself about how we are being deceived about the need for fossil AND alternative fuels. Paul La Violette, PhD and Ted Loder, PhD are two scientists who write and speak extensively on this topic. You can also watch "THRIVE: The Movie" for free at www.thrivemovement.com.
Educate yourselves about the hoax that we have been sold regarding the need for oil. God created a self-sustainable planet. Everything we need is here, and it doesn't require oil. The only reason oil is still being used is because it is the basis for the world economy.
Yeah, like Shell cares about the planet, plants, animals or even people. They care about one thing only..Profits. Their greed knows no bounds.
This is all because of Alaska's love for money and greed over what is left of it's pristine lands. We can thank the drill baby drill bitch for this making money over nature a Media event.
Get rid of Shell once and forever. They are bad news. It is high time for alternative sources of energy to made use of. They are out there and these oil companies know that very well. Vested interests keep the pot on the boil and the world is held to ransom just to maintain said interests; everyhting from Irag to the Arctic is about filthy oil. Murderers!
This will continue to happen until we are less dependent on oil.
"Happy, happy, happy," said Pete Slaiby, Shell's vice president for Alaska. He gave a series of interviews Saturday to reporters from around the country following Shell's difficulties and progress.
Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/09/08/2617150/shell-on-verge-of-beginning-arctic...
When these guys are happy it's time for the human race and the animal kingdom to duck and run for cover. These people don't give a damn about anything but their bank accounts. And they're too stupid to understand that they children and their children's children will have to 'live' with the destruction. Just like the rest of us.
It was supposed to say 'their children'.
Get Shell the hell out of the arctic before they turn it into a massive oilpigsty. Oink oink.
Ban this inhumane company that destroys land everywhere it goes.If I run out of gas I'd rather walk 5 miles or more past a Shell to another gas station.We need to pull together and ban Shell, they are doing nothing more but killing us slowly.
Don't ban only Shell...BP also. I am so disappointed to see people actualy purchase their gas from BP. Corporate greeed is as bad as war on our country...it leaves us all devistated.
Thank-you Earth Justice! But people who blame god or corporations need to wake up to the fact we are overpopulating this planet and our government is no longer for the people or by the people. We will need to support good organizations and organize to throw the liars out of office. That's a huge undertaking. Although President Obama has not been able to single-handedly change the world, with public support he can and has made progress. If we work to stay informed of the facts, expose liars and distorters whenever possible (such as Paul Ryan - Wow that guy has no conscious, Charles Grassley and other Republicans who read the same talking points memos). Speak out! and VOTE!!
Oil drilling in the Gulf was a disaster despite the "friendlier" waters. Why was it assumed that oil drilling would be a easy task in the even more unfriendly Arctic?
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