Thirteen Greenpeace activists are currently dangling off the St. Johns Bridge in Portland, trying to block Shell's search for Arctic oil. This morning, the protesters forced Shell's icebreaker, the Fennica, to turn around. Now a judge is fining Greenpeace $2,500 for every hour the activists continue to block that ship. Meanwhile, Shell can't drill for oil until that icebreaker is able to leave Portland.

Back in June, a group of Seattle kayaktivists attempted to block the Polar Pioneer, one of Shell's Arctic drilling rigs, as it left Elliott Bay. Before daybreak, a dozen Greenpeace kayakers stretched a line across the mouth of the Duwamish Waterway in the hopes of containing the vessel. Law enforcement quickly confiscated that line, and afterward, all the activists had left were their own bodies and boats. As more kayaktivists arrived and tried to swarm the rig, the US Coast Guard started detaining protesters and hauling in their kayaks, one by one. Seattle City Council member Mike O'Brien was briefly detained with his ombré kayak, too.

Despite months of hype and a big water-based protest in May that made international headlines, Seattle activists couldn't stop the Polar Pioneer. Today, the rig that Seattle failed to block is now waiting for the icebreaker in Portland to begin its drilling. Except that Portland—Portland—has successfully halted that icebreaker.

We're not offended. But we are wondering...