Save Endangered Whales from Big Oil

Sakhalin Island, sometimes called “The Edge of the Earth” lies off the coast of Russia and just north of Japan and looks out onto the vast Pacific Ocean. The beautiful island is already home to two large-scale oil extraction projects led by Exxon, Shell, and Gazprom, with highly detrimental effects on the ocean and wildlife … Read more

RAIPON Reinstated: “A Collective Achievement”

Rodion Sulyandziga was able to breathe a sigh of relief last week when Russia’s Ministry of Justice announced that the country’s leading indigenous organization would be allowed to operate again. For Rodion, an indigenous Udege from the Russian Far East, the Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, or RAIPON, represents a life’s work fighting … Read more

Solar Power in Rural Siberia

Thanks to Oksana Engoyan, traditional shepherds now carry solar cells instead of diesel generators to their summer pastures in Altai’s mountains. Sandwiched along the border with Mongolia and China, Altai is a remote mountainous region in southern Siberia populated largely by herders and small farmers who have to deal with heating and electricity shortages on … Read more

Ship Traffic Threatens Arctic

Climate change is melting the Arctic ice cap at an alarming rate. As the ice recedes, it gives way to new new sea routes—setting the stage for a dramatic increase in ship traffic that threatens the subsistence lifestyles of indigenous peoples and the health of the Arctic environment. Why should we care that more oil tankers, cargo … Read more

The Curse of Crude

At least since the beginning of the financial crisis in 2008 it’s been a common refrain throughout the world that countries must crank up resource extraction projects to stimulate economic development. It’s an easy argument – more resources equal more money which creates better economic conditions – and it’s also wrong. A New York Times … Read more

Russian NGOs Challenge “Foreign Agents” Label

  Since late last year, Russian NGOs that receive support from abroad are required to register as “foreign agents” under new legislation aimed at discrediting NGOs by labeling them with a term loaded with negative connotations left over from the Cold War. Russian NGOs, including Pacific Environment’s partners, have largely ignored the vague and contradictory … Read more

Courage Trumps Fear

Aleksey Gribkov did not back down when Russia’s state security agencies harassed him and his organization to drop a lawsuit that ended up becoming a landmark legal victory for Russia’s environmental movement. But before I tell you Aleksey’s remarkable story, I’ll introduce you to one of the people who has helped build the foundation for … Read more

Taking the Temperature of U.S.-Russia Relations

You’ve heard the news: Non-governmental organizations in Russia that receive funding from abroad must now register as “foreign agents.” An American presidential candidate considers Russia to be America’s “number one geopolitical foe.” The Cold War may be over, but U.S.-Russian rivalries are alive and well. On November 15, I will participate in a livestream discussion … Read more

Siberian Tiger Family Killed in Primorye, Russia

Eight Siberian tiger skins, including those of little tiger cubs, were recently seized from a resident of Arseniev town in Primorye in the Russian Far East. The culprit is well-known to the local police. He has been buying illegal wildlife products since the 1990s and had already been arrested several times. He allegedly bought the … Read more

Russian Community Seeks Resettlement and Just Compensation from Royal Dutch Shell and UK Banks for Damages Caused by Sakhalin II Oil and Gas Project

Today, residents living adjacent to a highly polluting liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) plant and oil and gas export terminals on Sakhalin Island, Russia, filed a complaint against Royal Dutch Shell and three of the largest UK banks: Royal Bank of Scotland (“RBS”), Standard Chartered, and Barclays, for their failure to adhere to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (“OECD”) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (“Guidelines”). The enormous LNG plant and the export terminals, called the Prigorodnoye Production Complex, are part of Sakhalin II, one of the world’s largest integrated oil and gas projects, operated by the Russian Sakhalin Energy Investment Company (“SEIC”).

Russian Environmental Hero Dmitry Lisitsyn Wins Goldman Award

Pacific Environment is pleased to announce that Dmitry Lisitsyn has been awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize – one of the most prestigious environmental awards in the world. Lisitsyn is one of six recipients awarded for his work and leadership to protect one of Russia’s most critically endangered ecosystems from large-scale petroleum development, located on Sakhalin Island, Russia.

Royal Dutch Shell Drops Offshore Oil Drilling In Beaufort Sea for 2011

Peter Voser, CEO of Royal Dutch Shell, today announced that the oil giant has abandoned plans for exploratory drilling in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea in 2011. Despite the lack of infrastructure and cleanup technology that make oil spill response in the Arctic unfeasible, Shell intends to resume drilling plans for the Beaufort Sea in 2012.