Shell Downplays Crude Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico (Video)

On May the 12th Shell claims that its offshore Brutus platform spewed 88,200 gallons of crude (2,100 barrels) into the Gulf of Mexico. The spill in Shell's Glider field created a 13 mile long by 2 mile wide oil slick in an area 97 miles south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana. Shell offered the standard commentaries as dictated by their post-spill public relations protocols. The incident has been contained the said and "cleanup operations are underway." Shell spokesperson Kimberly Windon added, "no release is acceptable, and safety remains our priority as we respond to this incident."

Greenpeace Stalls Arctic Drilling by Blocking Shell's Ice Breaker (Video)

Late in July an icebreaker that is crucial to Shell's drilling operation in the Arctic sea was turned back by Greenpeace activists in Portland, Oregon. Activists spent almost 2 days suspended from St. Johns Bridge, while others took to kayaks in Willamette River below. However they managed to block Shell's icebreaker, the MSV Fennica from leaving the city on July 30th. The emergency equipment on-board the Fennica is essential for Shell's drilling activities in the Arctic.

Infographic - Fracking Accidents

Video - Ice Ride: The Global Bike Ride to Defend the Arctic

As the Arctic sea ice reaches another historic low, thousands of us will take to the streets to challenge big oil.Grab some wheels, hit the streets and join the global movement to defend the Arctic. Ice Ride is a free and fun day of action happening in cities and towns all over the world.

Ice Ride: Critical Mass for the Arctic

On September 15, 2013, people across Canada are going on an Ice Ride for the Arctic. Join us in helping to build a critical mass of support for the protection of the Arctic. Whether you bike, roller blade or skate board, get involved this Sunday September 15th and bring your family and friends in a ride for the Arctic. This is but one of many events taking place for the national event known as "A Day of Arctic Action."

A Day of Arctic Action (September 15, 2013)

The Arctic is a precious and fragile ecosystem that regulates the climate of the entire planet. Sadly it is under siege from melting polar ice caps due to global warming and a growing invasion of companies seeking to exploit its fossil fuel reserves and mineral deposits.

To date there 36 countries participating, 106 events and over 14,000 people all trying to help raise awareness about the need to protect the Arctic from companies like Shell. 

Ecuador to Drill for Oil in the Amazon Rainforest

Ecuador has abandoned a UN backed conservation plan that would have paid the country not to drill for oil in the 10,000 sq km (3,860 sq miles) Yasuni National Park located in the Amazon rainforest. According to President Rafael Correa, the plans to drill in the area are the result of rich nations failing to live up to their commitments.

"The world failed us," explained Correa, "It was not charity that we sought from the international community, but co-responsibility in the face of climate change."

Video - Sandra Steingraber Shines a Spotlight on the Problems of Fracking

After serving 10 days of her 15-day sentence for trespassing during a protest against fracking, activist Sandra Steingraber was released from the Schuyler County jail last week in Watkins Glen, N.Y. The day before she was imprisoned, she talked with Moyers about her fight to stop fracking and the release of toxins contaminating our air, water and food.

Promised Land: A Review by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Written by costars Matt Damon and John Krasinski, this Gus Van Sant film shows how farmers hit hard hit by recession must decide whether they are going to take the money offered by gas companies that want to employ hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on their lands. In this article Robert F. Kennedy Jr. offers his comments on the movie.

A December 2012 Siena College poll shows that upstate New Yorkers oppose fracking by an astounding margin of 45-39. Those numbers surprise New York politicians who can generally count on the support of upstaters for virtually any industrial or commercial enterprise that promises even the faintest chance of economic development for New York’s impoverished rural communities.

Matt Damon and John Krasinski’s new film Promised Land answers the question of why even the poorest rural communities are standing up against fracking. Damon and Krasinki both co-wrote and star in the film. At a screening Tuesday night, Matt told me why the pair undertook this enterprise:

Anti-Fracking Movie Trailer Promised Land (Video)

The Cost of Oil: BP Barred from Doing Business with the US

BP has been barred from doing business with the US government for its role in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon rig disaster and oil spill. Although BP is currently one of the largest holders of federal oil leases, the company will not be able to bid on any new federal oil leases, until they meet the EPA's standards.

In November, BP pleaded guilty to more than a dozen felony counts related to the disaster in the Gulf, including 11 counts of manslaughter over the deaths of 11 workers. The company also pleaded guilty to felony obstruction of justice for lying to Congress over the amount of oil spilling into the ocean.

Shell's Game with the Future of the Arctic

Questions are being raised about Shell's ability to manage its oil and gas drilling operations in the Arctic Ocean. The company is reneging on its emissions commitments and is already having trouble with the ships tasked to locate fossil fuels.

Right before it begins its drilling operations in August, Shell is trying to change the terms under which it was granted permission to drill. In an application to the agency, dated June 28, Shell said they cannot meet the requirements for emissions of nitrogen oxide and ammonia of an air permit granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in January. Shell has asked the EPA to loosen air pollution requirements for its Discoverer drill rig and to a lesser extent its Kulluk drill ship. “This is a classic bait-and-switch.”

Lawsuit Protecting the Arctic from Oil and Gas Drilling

A coalition of conservation groups filed a lawsuit on July 16th to protect the Arctic Ocean from Shell's exploratory drilling scheduled to get under way in August. The legal papers filed in U.S. District Court in Anchorage challenges the oil spill cleanup plans for Shell Alaska's upcoming operations in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas. Shell claims it has already spend $4 billion on the drilling operation. The suit invokes the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, a tough law passed in the wake of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. This act imposes strict standards on companies in the Arctic Ocean involved with oil and gas drilling and transport.

Russia Lining Up Investors for Arctic Drilling

In April Russian President Vladimir Putin made public his plans to attract foreign investment to Russia’s Arctic. As reported in Oil Change International, Putin has set his sights on exploiting Russia's Arctic oil fields while their is still a demand for oil.