Scenic waters of the Shell Arctic drilling fleet winter homeport. (If the Port of Seattle decides to reapply for a permit needed to host the vessels.)
The scenic waters around the Shell Arctic drilling fleet's new homeport. (That is, if the Port of Seattle decides to reapply for a permit needed to host the vessels.) Stephen Griffith/Shutterstock

Two pieces of Monday port news: First, the Seattle city council just unanimously passed a piece of legislation that asks the Port of Seattle to reconsider its decision to host Shell in Seattle. Blam!

Second, Joel Connelly over at Seattlepi.com reports that port commissioner Bill Bryant (of "five dead polar bears" fame) will not be seeking reelection.

Bryant, perhaps the most vocal pro-Shell official on the port commission, also told Connelly earlier this year that he's considering a run for governor. If he's running, it's not official yet. But declining to run for reelection to the port would be a logical first step toward declaring a gubernatorial candidacy.

Meanwhile, back to the city council's anti-Shell resolution: all nine members supported it, including new council member and former port administrator John Okamoto. Mike O'Brien, Kshama Sawant, and Nick Licata all gave rousing speeches in support of the resolution, though that much was to be expected. (It should also be noted that Licata framed the imminent threat of climate change in a Game of Thrones reference: "Winter is coming.")

Okamoto, however, directed his statement to commenters who had traveled from Alaska (including the mayor of Wainwright, Alaska) to warn council members about the economic impacts their decision could have on Alaska's North Slope:

"I know every job is important in every community, but I also know that one of the lessons I've learned from my indigenous friends is every decision we make should be looked at its impact seven generations down the road. I believe that this is one of those very difficult decisions where it does have implications not just seven generations down the road, but for my child, my grandchildren, for people around the world and in communities where they don't have the means to protect themselves from the changing climates, particularly the poor in our world."

Okamoto's comment stood in stark contrast to Bryant's reasoning; Bryant has often argued that rejecting Shell in Seattle would amount to nothing more than symbolism at the expense of family wage jobs.

But here's what the PI's Joel Connelly has to say about Bryant:

Bryant has taken some abuse in The Stranger of late as a supporter of Shell Oil using Terminal 5 at the Port of Seattle as home port for its Arctic drilling fleet.

This is true. We have also abused taken to task the four other elected port commissioners for their short-sightedness and hypocrisy.

And here's some of what Connelly has to say about Bryant's problematic environmental record:

He has admitted to being “conflicted” about the Shell home port. Bryant is a conservationist of the breed that created the state’s wilderness areas and national parks. He’s a Theodore Roosevelt admirer and in the tradition of such state Republicans as ex-Gov. Dan Evans, and U.S. House members Joel Pritchard and Sid Morrison.

Here's the thing: Connelly has cited Teddy Roosevelt before—at least 14 times since 2008—and he's used the Roosevelt connection repeatedly when it comes to Bryant's "conservationist" bent, despite the fact that Teddy Roosevelt's primary environmental influences would also likely be considered racist and classist in 2015. Roosevelt's conservationist policies were profoundly impacted by naturalist John Muir, whose brand of 19th century environmentalism, critics argue, was largely concerned with preserving "wilderness" for the pleasure of the white and privileged classes. Muir remains an important figure in the environmental movement, but he was also a product of his time: He was not a student of climate change, nor the social justice issues attached to it. So if Bryant is a conservationist in this sense of the Muir-Roosevelt lineage, it's not exactly a compliment—or what we need most right now.

Anyway, people running for Bryant's position have until Friday to file for their candidacy. Two people, Delta board member Ken Rogers and "economic development professional" Marion Yoshino, have already submitted applications for his position. Port commissioner Courtney Gregoire is also up for reelection this year, but no one has filed for her position thus far.