Shell's Arctic exit energizes environmental activists

Environmentalists who battled Arctic oil drilling by paddling kayaks, dangling from bridges and climbing onto rigs at sea have claimed a high-profile success against Shell and aim to funnel the resulting enthusiasm into other fights against fossil fuels, Alaska Dispatch News reports. 

Shell is abandoning its long crusade to find crude in the waters north of Alaska after disappointing results at a critical test well in the Chukchi Sea. While the company cited financial reasons for the pullout last week, the move nonetheless has emboldened environmental activists to fight against everything from Atlantic drilling to oil exports to additional activity in the Arctic.