Shell’s $7bn Arctic folly is at odds with global action
WWF-UK LETTER PUBLISHED BY THE FINANCIAL TIMES
August 16, 2015
Sir, We are profoundly alarmed at Shell commencing drilling into oil-bearing rock in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska. Drilling in this fragile habitat is riddled with risks for local communities and for the environment, including species that depend on the sea ice, such as polar bears and bowhead whales. The reckless pursuit of hydrocarbons is also incompatible with tackling climate change.
There is no reliable technology for the effective containment, recovery or clean-up of oil spilt in ice-infested waters. Shell has not published the results of the testing of its safety capping stack and containment dome, undertaken after its failed Alaska operations in 2012. Therefore the public cannot be sure that the environment would be protected in the event of a blowout. Meanwhile, at Hanna Shoal, near the drill sites, thousands of walrus haul out on to sea ice — a reminder of the environmental stakes for the Arctic.
The TRUTH will set you FREE.
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