Mixed messages (Image: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

THE debate on global warming is heating up in Alaska.

US president Barack Obama embarked on a trip around the state this week, observing the impact of climate change and calling for solutions. But last month his administration granted Shell permits to drill for oil off Alaska’s coast, risking calls of hypocrisy from environmental activists.

In 2013, Shell was forced to suspend activity in the Arctic after technical difficulties, including an offshore drilling barge that ran aground, narrowly avoiding an environmental disaster.


Despite protests and proposed counter-legislation, the company was granted permits to resume drilling in the Chukchi Sea on 17 August. Obama defended the decision on Saturday, saying it was a necessary measure while the US looks toward renewable energy. “Even as we accelerate this transition, our economy still has to rely on oil and gas,” he said.

US government officials and Shell have stated that they are committed to high safety standards. Earlier this year, the Obama administration also asked Congress to protect 5 million hectares of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

But some environmental activists are concerned about the impact the drilling will have on polar bears, walruses and other animals that live in the area. Leah Donahey of the Alaskan Wilderness League says there’s no guarantee that the region won’t see a spill in the future.

This article appeared in print under the headline “Drilling to start in Alaska”