Recently Asked Questions Where is Sakhalin Island? Sakhalin is an island north of Japan, east of mainland Russia. Who is Sakhalin Energy? What is Shell Oil's relationship to Sakhalin Energy? Sakhalin Energy is the operator of the Sakhalin II project. Shell Oil holds the majority of stock in Sakhalin Energy, and so Sakhalin Energy has the position of a Shell subsidiary company. Are the whales dying off because of other things besides Sakhalin II? It is not known exactly why the whales are not producing young (and in particular female offspring) that survive to maturity, but the development of Sakhalin II has been shown to have a significant, negative impact on their population. Sakhalin II is certainly not the only thing affecting the whale's ability to recover its numbers-- numbers which we do not know because of a lack of data. It is possible that this population of whale has always been small. It is nonetheless worthy of protection, and the greatest known threat to its survival is Sakhalin II. Can't the Sakhalin II project be built without harming the whales? No. Are Russians opposed to this project, or just foreign environmentalists? Russians are opposed as well as non-Russians. Shell is a big, profitable oil company, and this is a profitable-looking project. Why are they going to taxpayer money coffers like the US Ex-Im Bank to fund this project? They want risk protection.
Isn't it the job of the Russian government to protect the environment on Sakhalin? Why not lobby Russian officials instead of Shell and the banks that are financing this? The Russian government is already under pressure by Russian environmentalists, and some Russian officials are now taking public stands against Sakhalin II. Some NGO demands have been met by Shell. Hasn't Shell improved the project enough already? Why continue to attack their reputation? The improvements made so far by Shell have been half-measures that do not adequately ensure the protection of the environment. What is the Siberia-Pacific Pipeline? The Siberia-Pacific Pipeline goes by a few names, including VSTO ("Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean"), Transneft, and Taishet - Perevoznaya. If built, it would be about 2,565 miles (4,130 kilometers) long and cost more than USD $15 billion. More than three times longer than the Alaska pipeline, it is surrounded by controversy.
This is one in a series of pipelines planned to export resources out of the fragile Baikal region to East Asia. Previously, a BP gas pipeline was planned to go south of Lake Baikal (from Kovykta) through the Tunka Valley -- and its National Park -- to China. While this was still in development, a Yukos oil pipeline was planned to go the same route, and was stopped by environmental activists. In 2002, a plan for another pipeline, this one by Transneft and going north of Lake Baikal, failed to pass a state environmental impact assessment because it was too close to the lake; Transneft moved it further north, to a safer distance from the lake, but into a high seismic zone. On New Year's Eve 2005, Russia's government made a new commitment to an oil pipeline to Japan (rather than China). The Japanese Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) a Japanese export credit agency - has shown interest in backing this pipeline. Now, Transneft claims that it will fund the project itself. Construction of a rail station, possibly to be followed by an oil export terminal, began in the winter of 2004-2005 in pristine Perevoznaya Bay on the Sea of Japan.
When will the Siberia-Pacific Pipeline be built? Building has already begun, possibly in violation of the law. Who is backing the Siberia-Pacific pipeline? The Russian government and possibly Japanese and other private banks. Who is operating the Siberia-Pacific Pipeline? Transneft, Russia's state oil pipeline monopoly. Who is opposing the Siberia-Pacific pipeline? Environmental NGOs, zoological societies, maritime groups... Why is the Siberia-Pacific Pipeline a "Pipeline to Extinction" (and not just to more oil dependency, pollution and climate change like other oil pipelines)? The only habitat of one of the most endangered big cats in the world, the Amur leopard, is in the way of this pipeline. There are only estimated to be about 30-40 animals left, and any further encroachment on their habitat is likely to have a devastating impact on an already decimated population. Other species are also threatened by the pipeline, but the Amur leopard is now at the "critically endangered" stage, and considered to be on the path to extinction (according to the IUCN).
What can people do to help save leopards from extinction? The quickest and easiest way for people to help save leopards from extinction is to take part in campaigns to help protect critical leopard habitat. You can join us in pressuring the Russian government to change the Siberia Pacific pipeline route by sending a letter to President Putin, which is available in the action alerts section our website. Besides taking direct action by sending a letter today, you can also help by spreading the word about the threats faced by the beautiful Amur leopard. Please send our action alert to your friends and family. The more international outcry we generate, the more likely the Russian government will be to change the pipeline route! Why is it so important to have an environmental movement in China? China is quickly emerging as a global economic and political superpower. Due to its rapid development over the past two decades, the natural environment has been severely strained: desertification is growing, urban air quality is extremely poor, water resources are more and more limited and natural habitats are disappearing.
The environmental future of the Pacific Rim, and the world, depends on how China balances development with environmental concern. Pacific Environment believes that the Chinese public must be at the forefront of an effective response to China’s environmental challenges. Currently, China’s environmental movement is organizing conservation efforts, leading education programs, and engaging community members in volunteer work. Chinese environmental organizations also have a unique opportunity to work with the government to implement environmental regulations and achieve environmental achievements nationwide. How does Pacific Environment help China enhance its environmental movement? Pacific Environment is working to strengthen China’s environmental movement by providing small grants, capacity-building support and networking opportunities to many grassroots Chinese groups. We work with dozens of community-based NGOs across China to support their locally led environmental campaigns. How many non-governmental organizations exist in China today? China recognizes the role that environmental degradation plays its ability to industrialize and develop. Some reports show that environmental problems cost China as much as 10% of its annual GDP. To capitalize on its human resources and get help protecting the environment, China passed a law allowing NGOs to officially register and operate in 1994. Today, there are over 2,000 environmental NGOs, and thousands of student initiatives, promoting environmental awareness in China. How do environmental issues in China affect the social climate? In 2005, the government reported over 87,000 cases of social unrest, many included concerned citizens that were demanding their right to a clean environment. Also, almost 300 million migrants are leaving their rural home towns in search of work opportunities in bigger cities, overcrowding them even further. What are some of the most pressing environmental issues China faces? China is facing many issues that need to be addressed immediately. The marine ecosystems along the eastern seaboard, where much of the development has taken place, are suffering. Also, the level of water pollution is staggering: Over 70 percent of lakes and rivers are polluted, with 40 to 60 billion tons of wastewater and sewage being dumped into them annually. As a result, hundreds of millions of China’s residents don’t have access to clean drinking water. Urban air quality is among the worst in the world. Finally, the sale and exchange of wild animals and plants as delicacies and handicrafts, while largely illegal, has put many species, such as the sea turtle, in grave danger. What types of environmental challenges does Alaska face? Despite a nationwide commitment to protecting the rich Alaskan environment, the negative impacts of oil drilling, gold mining and industrial fishing are all on the rise. If you combine that with the threat global warming poses to the Arctic, it is easy to see that the Alaskan environment is in danger. What is Pacific Environment’s role in helping protect the Alaskan environment? We’re working with partners in the native, fishing, environmental and scientific communities to confront threats. We’re working to safeguard critical habitat, including areas important for the world’s largest salmon run, polar bears, North Pacific right whales, bowhead whales, yellow-billed loons, as well as the world’s most biodiverse old-growth cold-water coral habitats and areas essential to community subsistence. How is Pacific Environment responding to threats to the Bering Sea, such as industrial fishing and marine pollution? Pacific Environment is working with communities to create marine protected areas, to ensure adequate oil spill prevention and response capabilities for the tankers and cargo ships traveling the heavily used Aleutian Island route between North America and Asia, and to protect habitats essential to endangered species. How is Bristol Bay being threatened today? A community that is supported by local commercial fisheries, small-scale sport-fishing tourism and subsistence lifestyles, residents of Bristol Bay are now being threatened by multinational corporations who are pushing to build North America’s largest gold mine at the headwaters of the area and to begin offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling in some of the world’s richest fishing grounds. What are the potential impacts of offshore drilling in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas? Offshore oil development directly harms polar bears and Pacific walrus in numerous ways, including disturbance by vessels, aircraft, and drilling platforms, impacts on walrus and the seals that bears prey upon from seismic surveys, and the risk of oil spills. There are no proven technologies for cleaning up an oil spill in the icy waters of the Arctic. A large spill, estimated by the Department of the Interior as having a 40-percent chance of occurring as a result of proposed development in the Chukchi Sea, would be catastrophic for polar bears and Pacific walrus.
Oil spills and disturbances to whale populations would destroy the subsistence lifestyles of Alaska Native communities that have been living along the coast of Alaska’s Arctic for thousands of years. What is liquefied natural gas? Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is a technology that compresses the volume of natural gas, making it possible to move it overseas. Natural gas would be drilled from far-off gas fields in places like Russia, Peru, Indonesia, and the Middle East, and then supercooled until it reaches liquid form in specialized “liquefaction” plants. After being chilled to -260 degrees Fahrenheit, the gas turns into a liquid that takes up a small fraction of the space as the gas. The LNG is then loaded onto a huge, specially designed tanker, and shipped thousands of miles to coastal terminals. Upon reaching its destination, the LNG is reprocessed to its original gaseous form at a regasification terminal. Is liquefied natural gas (LNG) safe, clean and reliable? No. Highly combustible LNG terminals are a significant public safety hazard. The natural gas originates from pristine ecosystems in Russia, Indonesia, and Peru that are already feeling the ecological impacts of gas exploration and extraction. LNG is far from clean - the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of LNG can be comparable to those of coal. The high investment costs of LNG also undermine California’s commitment to renewable energy sources. What percentage of Californians support investment in renewable energy? Over 70 percent of Californians support investment in renewable energy, and say that they would be willing to pay extra for it. What is “community choice” energy purchasing? It is a plan which allows cities to become independent from the utility monopolies. Has the state of California set any clean energy initiatives? Yes. State law requires a 20 percent renewable mix by 2010, and Governor Schwarzenegger has called for a 33 percent renewable mix by 2020. But at the same time, his administration is quietly easing the way for LNG by passing regulations that will force California’s ratepayers to foot the bill for LNG infrastructure. The utilities are behind on their 20 percent goal, and now say it is unlikely they can meet it. What steps can Californians take to save energy in their own homes? Some examples of things Californians can do to save energy in their homes are weather-stripping and installing CFL lightbulbs. But there are steps that need to be taken outside of our homes. Many of California’s gas-fired power plants are decades old, and are hemorrhaging gas on a large scale. If these older plants were replaced with state-of-the-art technologies, they would save about the same energy per year as would come through one LNG import terminal. Most importantly, let your representatives know that you support and expect the government to invest in renewable energy. What is the Responsible Finance Campaign? Pacific Environment’s Responsible Finance campaign holds public and private banks accountable to taxpayers, citzens and project-impacted communities for the environmental, developmental and social impacts of oil, gas, mining and other harmful projects they finance. Because much of the world’s easily accessible natural resources have already been exhausted, big multinational corporations are racing to the far ends of the earth to instigate even more environmentally and financially risky extractive schemes. Pacific Environment’s goal is to block financing for the most environmentally unsound projects, to condition financing for other projects on highest environmental and social safeguards, and to promote the financing of more environmentally beneficial activities including alternative energy. What steps does Pacific Environment take to achieve these goals? By linking local groups with international campaign networks, we watchdog harmful projects and call on banks to halt or condition financing on environmental reforms. For example, we are a leader of an international campaign that blocked billions of dollars in financing for the harmful Sakhalin II oil and gas project in the Russian Far East.
We also campaign for the establishment and strengthening of environmental and social policies for public and private banks. For example, we were a founder of ECA-Watch, an international network of non-governmental organizations which successfully campaigned for the establishment of first-ever environmental and social policies for most of the world’s export credit agencies. We also led successful efforts to reform the policies for US Government finance agencies such at the Export-Import Bank and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), including reforms for OPIC that were heralded by President Bill Clinton in 1997 at the United Nations.
What is an export credit agency?
Export credit agencies, commonly known as ECAs, are public agencies and entities that provide government-backed loans, guarantees, and insurance to corporations from their home country that seek to do business oversees in developing countries and emerging markets. Most industrialized nations have one ECA. In the last fifteen years ECAs have dramatically increased their support for extractive and energy projects, providing far more financing for these harmful projects than all other public banks combines (including the World Bank Group). Why do these public banks exist? Isn’t this a form of corporate welfare? Why can’t corporations get financing from private banks, instead? Public banks, such as ECAs and multilateral banks such as the World Bank Group exist for a variety of reasons, including to promote positive economic and development impacts in risky countries and regions. By financing these projects, these banks shift much of these risks from the private to the public sector. Pacific Environment believes that these public banks therefore have a public duty to ensure that this financing does not result in harmful impacts to the environment and, moreover, should be directed to support environmentally and socially desirable uses such as alternative energy. What, then, is the responsibility of private banks? Private banks provide hundreds of billions of dollars of financing for potentially harmful projects world-wide, often in collaboration with public banks. Private banks therefore are societal actors whose impacts on the public interest are no less than those of multinational corporations. It is therefore necessary to hold private banks to account for the negative impact of their financing and to press them to redirect their support for environmentally responsible outcomes. Pacific Environment is a member of BankTrack, an international NGO which seeks to improve the environmental and social policies and practices of private banks worldwide. | 
