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.
"A Bad Call on Shell" - the latest from @bruneski: http://t.co/4AdXigRyLA #ShellNo pic.twitter.com/23wvqzN0O5
— Sierra Club (@sierraclub) July 23, 2015
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.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Obama Administration Grants Shell Final Permits to Start Drilling in Arctic Ocean
Hillary Dodges Questions on Climate, Keystone and Fracking in Facebook Q&A
10 Awesome Tweets From #ShellNo to Arctic Drilling Day of Action