In August 2012, Royal Dutch Shell Oil (Shell) plans to begin exploratory drilling in the Arctic Ocean off Alaska’s northern coast. If Shell finds oil, it and other oil companies will return to the Arctic for additional exploration in the future. Within ten years, we could see the beginning of oil production that could last for several decades in the Arctic region. This paper argues that drilling and related industrial activity would create an unacceptable risk of irreparable damage to this unique part of the planet and should be postponed until comprehensive research can be performed and a credible system for responding to spills is put into place.