Stranded polar bears on Cross Island outside Prudhoe Bay. Oil giant Shell recently received permits from the US government to operate two drilling rigs in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas starting in 2012. Environmentalists are concerned that if Shell is allowed to go ahead and open up these icy seas to its oil rigs, this untouched wilderness will be irrevocably tarnished. Cleaning up an oil spill in Arctic waters has not been proven possible, despite this Shell still claim that they will be able to clean up 95% of any oil spilled.
