Shell’s ill-fated 2012 assault on the Arctic nearly ended in disaster. Now they want to do it again.

Drilling in the Arctic seas is outrageously reckless. Motivated by greed, it would put some of America’s most fragile unspoiled wilderness and the wildlife that call it home at grave risk.

Help us stop this assault on the Arctic by making a generous gift to The Wilderness Society today.

A Fierce and Fragile Landscape

The Chukchi Sea is prone to some of the most violent weather imaginable. Fierce winds and monster waves are common. Huge, free-floating icebergs can bear down on a moored drilling rig at any time. In the event of a major spill or blowout, most emergency response ships are hundreds of miles away.

A major spill here would have tragic ecological consequences for the pristine shores of the Western Arctic Reserve, also known as the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Endangered polar bears den here. Vast caribou herds graze on tundra vegetation. The sea is rich with bowhead whales, walrus and other marine wildlife.

Shell’s Arctic Operations Were Appallingly Incompetent

Shell’s attempts to drill the Arctic in 2012 ended in near tragedy when the Kulluk drill rig broke its towline in 20-foot waves and went adrift December 27, 2012. Violent weather — common in the North Pacific — prevented rescue of the crew for four days. After repeated attempts to regain control of the ship, the Kulluk ran aground on the rocky shores of Kodiak Island, Alaska.

The Kulluk incident was the capstone of a lengthy stream of errors and missteps. Shell’s Noble Discoverer drill ship slipped its mooring while stopped in the Aleutian Islands on its way north for the 2012 season. The only test of a blowout containment dome — essential to stopping the gushing flow of thick crude into the area’s pristine waters — ended in abject failure. And Shell revealed that the drilling effort would pollute the air far more than the company had originally promised.

The Wilderness Society — at the Forefront of Arctic Preservation

For decades, The Wilderness Society has been at the forefront of efforts to preserve America’s largest and grandest wilderness. Our scientists have helped to map the most wildlife-rich landscapes. Our researchers have reported on Big Oil’s spotty safety record on Alaska’s North Slope. And our legislative team works every day to hold Washington accountable in the face of gargantuan oil industry lobbying efforts.

We have stopped drilling in these pristine waters before, and you have our promise we won’t stop now. We need your support today to protect the Arctic’s fragile ecosystem. Do not let Shell turn this treasure into an industrial wasteland.

© NOAA

Protect the Arctic Now

Please help today.

Sincerely,

Jamie Williams

President