Royal Dutch Shell has applied for a permit to drill in the shallow waters of Alaska’s Beaufort Sea next year and unveiled plans for an improved oil spill response system for the Arctic. more »

Representatives from Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and the United States set up a new Arctic Regional Hydrographic Commission on Oct. 6 in Ottawa to develop better nautical charts and improve safety in Arctic waters. more »

This September, Arctic sea ice extent was the third-lowest in the satellite record, falling below the extent reached last summer, says environmentalresearchweb.org The lowest- and second-lowest extents occurred in 2007 and 2008. Satellite data indicate that Arctic sea ice is continuing a long-term decline, and remains younger and thinner than it was in previous decades. more »

According to msnbc.msn.com, politicians, environmentalists and oil executives: Man your battle stations! The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), the pre-eminent environment-energy issue during the George W. Bush administration, is back. more »