Shell's Arctic drilling rig, the Polar Pioneer, attempts to break a kayak blockade in Seattle.
Alex Garland/Demotix/Corbis
Brilliant Blue Arctic 'Melt Ponds' Captured in Photos
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A NASA aircraft captured the sparkling turquoise melt ponds that appear in the Arctic every summer.
NASA Earth Observatory
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We check out the dire state of perhaps the most interesting and diverse part of our planet.
DCI
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Melt ponds are sprinkled across the Arctic landscape every summer and they range in size and shape.
NASA
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Oil giant Shell has been given final permission for an exploratory drilling project in Alaskan waters, a setback for environmental groups that have strongly opposed the controversial project.
The drilling, already underway with a temporary permit, is the first of its kind since Shell's 2012 Arctic drilling project was plagued by problems.
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The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement announced the permit Monday.
"Activities conducted offshore Alaska are being held to the highest safety, environmental protection, and emergency response standards," said director of the bureau Brian Salerno in a statement.
President Barack Obama angered environmentalists by authorizing Arctic drilling projects in May.
Environmental groups including Greenpeace have strongly protested the drilling, even blocking the exit of Arctic-bound offshore rigs from west coast ports.
At the end of July, Shell resumed its exploratory drilling after one of its icebreakers was delayed for nearly two days by protesters.
Shell isn't the only one looking to tap into the warming Arctic.
The potential energy bonanza alone in the Arctic is mind-boggling. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that about 30 percent of the world’s undiscovered natural gas and 13 percent of its oil are located north of the Arctic Circle. Those deposits could be worth a staggering $17.2 trillion dollars -- about the same amount as the entire present U.S. economy.
In addition, scientists believe the Arctic seabed contains a lucrative horde of minerals as well. A 2009 article by two Russian geologists describe abundant deposits of gold, tin, zinc, and manganese, a metal that’s an important ingredient in stainless steels and other industrial alloys.