For those of you who missed any of the drama from Shell’s season in the Arctic, the finale revealed-SPOILER ALERT-that 2013 Arctic drilling is a no go. While Greenpeace welcomes this news with a “hip hip hooray”, it’s not a huge shocker when looking back at a year of Shell’s mishaps. Greenpeace will continue to campaign for the Arctic Council and President Obama to establish the Arctic as a refuge, safe from drilling from any company.
Catch up below on all the drama from #Shellfail.
FEBRUARY 2012
Greenpeace activists join actress Lucy Lawless as they climb Shell’s drilling rig the Noble Discoverer, or as Lawless calls it “an aging rust bucket, calling attention to Greenpeace’s Save the Arctic campaign.
MARCH 2012
Shell is granted a legal injunction from Greenpeace as result of our February action that will stay in place until October 2012, and Shell sends its fleet of Arctic destroyers to the top of the world.
APRIL 2012
London insurance form calls Shell’s spill response plan “unique and hard-to-manage risk” to the fragile ecosystem.
JUNE 2012
Greenpeace teams up with the Yes Men to spoof the ludicrous Arctic drilling plan with “Arctic Ready”, a giant Internet hoax.
JULY 2012
US authorities announced that a key part of Shell’s oil spill response fleet hadn’t been allowed to sail to the Arctic because it did not meet US Coast Guard safety standards.
On 15 July Shell’s drill ship, the Noble Discoverer, ran aground in the sheltered and relatively calm Dutch Harbour, Alaska, in a 35mph wind.
SEPTEMBER 2012
Shell announces it’s retreating from the Arctic and will try again in 2013.
NOVEMBER 2012
Arctic sea ice melt reported larger than US, according to UN weather agency.
In November the engine of the drill ship, the Noble Discoverer, caught fire as it returned to Dutch Harbour, Alaska, and had to be put out by specialist fire crews.
DECEMBER 2012
Shell’s oil rig, the Kulluk, ran aground off the coast of Alaska while being towed back to harbour in Seattle.
FEBRUARY 2013
Shell announces it will not drill in 2013.