Kayaktivists confront the Polar Pioneer in Seattle. Photo by Alex Garland.
In a stunning confirmation that protesting does make a difference, Shell Oil announced that it is withdrawing from the Arctic, where it had spent more than $7 billion in exploratory drilling. The official announcement made Sept. 27 emphasized that the exploratory well in the Chuchki Sea did not have enough oil in it to make it worth continued effort. The oil giant also mentioned the “challenging and unpredictable federal regulatory environment in offshore Alaska.”
Left out of the official announcement was the massive and diverse mobilization of environmentalists, Native communities and others who are fighting to stop catastrophic climate change. “Kayaktivists” blocked Shell oil rigs headed for the Arctic in Seattle and Portland.
Reference to the “unpredictable federal regulatory environment in offshore Alaska” is an oblique nod to the power of a movement to shift not only public opinion but to make real change. Shell feared that this movement would ultimately lead to the federal government feeling the pressure and instituting new regulations on offshore oil drilling in the Arctic. Let there be no doubt: protest does make a difference.
