President Barack Obama defended his decision to allow Royal Dutch Shell to drill for oil in the Arctic Ocean under what he said were rigorous standards, despite criticism by environmental groups. It highlights inherent contradictions in his climate and energy policies. While Obama pushes the world to wean itself from fossil fuels, he says that the US economy needs oil and gas until it makes the "transition" to renewable energy and should count on domestic fossil fuels rather than imports. Environmental groups argue that Arctic drilling will expose whales, walruses and polar bears to risks of spills, and will expand the kind of energy production blamed for climate change.