The Obama administration has granted Shell conditional approval to begin offshore oil drilling in the Arctic this summer, despite protests by environmentalists and a spate of safety problems. Shell was previously allowed to begin Arctic drilling in 2012, but its attempts were beset by mishaps, including an oil rig which ran aground. The Interior Department found the company “screwed up,” failing on a number of basic tasks, including supervision of contractors. But the department will now allow Shell to drill in the pristine and highly remote Chukchi Sea, off the coast of Alaska, an area roiled by extreme weather which would be extremely difficult to reach in an emergency. Environmentalists soundly condemned the government’s decision. Rebecca Noblin of the Center for Biological Diversity said, “Scientists tell us that if we want to avoid the worst effects of climate change, we need to keep Arctic oil in the ground. Arctic drilling gives us a 75 percent chance of an oil spill and a 100 percent chance of climate catastrophe.”