Polar Bears – Thank you Mr. President For Stopping Shell Oil From Killing Us

In a huge victory for the Arctic’s endangered species, today Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and President Barack Obama announced that Shell Oil company won’t be allowed to drill for oil in Alaska’s Beaufort and Chukchi seas this year. Shell was scheduled to begin drilling in just 34 days. The win comes in response to intense protests and court challenges by the Center for Biological Diversity and its allies, and the incredible outpouring of emails from our supporters to Obama calling to stop the drilling. Thank you for your unflagging commitment to protect the Arctic.

“We applaud the Secretary’s decision and hope that he permanently ends all new offshore oil drilling in Alaska” said Kierán Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity. “Drilling for oil in icy Arctic waters is like playing Russian roulette. There is no way to clean up a spill there, and endangered species such as polar bears, whales, walruses, and seals are already under too much stress.”

Of note, on Tuesday, just days before this major announcement to stop Shell’s drilling, Center staff and polar bear mascot Frostpaw greeted President Barack Obama on his visit to San Francisco with an urgent plea to heed the clear risks: Don’t let Shell drill in the Arctic this summer. Apparently, the president listened.

Check out our statement on the suspension of Shell’s drilling and our call for stronger regulatory measures, and read more about Obama’s San Francisco visit in the San Francisco Chronicle.