A Study in Community Organizing and Activism

Dmitry "Dima" Lisitsyn is relentless. From the moment he wakes up in the morning until the moment he falls asleep, he is constantly moving, constantly asking questions, and constantly pushing those around him to try harder and perform better. After just three days in the field with Dima, I am more convinced than ever that we should clone him. Well, not really, but you get the point. Whether addressing us, shopkeepers along the road, or construction workers on the Sakhalin-2 pipeline route, Dima has this uncanny ability to disarm and charm, while extracting critical information with measured precision.

Sakhalin Island was once a prison destination turned Chekov muse. Today, the island is crisscrossed by oil and gas pipeline infrastructure and the capital city, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is a boomtown like none other. A two-room apartment in the city can be rented for a mere $1600/month, food prices are among the highest in Russia, and pimped out luxury SUVs can be counted by the dozens. For the average local, this boom for few has meant certain bust for most.

Rachel, Dima, and I were particularly captivated by comparing Shell's practices on Sakhalin and in the Alaskan Arctic. This company is rotten. Shell could easily write a textbook on how to break promises, give and take bribes, buy off scientists, divide and conquer local opposition, and emasculate environmental assessment processes. It is a dirty, unsettling business.