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Our oceans are being blasted every 10 seconds and it's killing marine life. Click here to tell Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell to stop deafening the whales in search of oil.
Friend,
Earlier this month, Belize declared an official ban on oil exploration and drilling in areas along the Belize Barrier Reef and in seven World Heritage Sites. By banning offshore seismic surveys and oil drilling, Belize is taking a big step towards protecting its economy, ocean, reef, fish and marine mammals.1
And then there's us: The United States. I would like to believe that we, also, value our wild ocean. And I know that I am not the only one. In fact, 89 East Coast municipalities, along with more than 600 federal, state and local elected officials up and down the Atlantic coast, all publicly oppose seismic testing for oil -- and the number keeps growing. We all know the potential harm to our economy, environment and way of life.2 Over 85 communities and local governments have passed anti-drilling resolutions, including major coastal cities like Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Savannah and Wilmington.3
Offshore drilling has proven to be dirty and dangerous. The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico shocked the world. Yet oil giants continue to push for expanded oil drilling and the Obama Administration is marching towards opening the Atlantic to drilling. In fact, the Obama administration is expected to finalize a plan by early spring that could allow oil and gas development off the coasts of four Southeastern states: Virginia, North and South Carolina and Georgia.4
Let's show the world that we value our oceans and permanently remove the Atlantic from all future oil and gas exploration and development. Click here to protect marine life, stop new oil exploration, prevent another oil spill and tell Sec. Sally Jewell to stop off-shore seismic surveys -- and tell your friends too!
Offshore drilling is poised to put presidential candidates in the hot seat next year, especially when the primaries reach South Carolina. South Carolina hasn’t voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1976, but opposition to offshore drilling is increasingly looking like it could be bipartisan issue. Both Republican and Democratic voters, especially along the coast, are opposed.5
Many of the Republican candidates haven’t come out one way or another on offshore drilling. Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley are opposed to any new offshore drilling, and Hillary Clinton recently said that she is “skeptical” of some of the new leases off of the southern Atlantic coast.6
More than 400 businesses last week asked South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) to oppose offshore drilling. It's all part of a growing movement to oppose offshore drilling, after the federal government included four southeastern states in its five-year plan for energy development off the Atlantic coast.5
It’s not even clear how much oil and gas there is off the Eastern seaboard where seismic testing might be used. Industry studies and the region’s own governors ignore the fact that there is already an existing economy along the Atlantic coast, a $15 billion-a-year ocean economy that is built on things like tourism and fisheries. All of that would be put in jeopardy by oil and gas development.4
We need to raise our voices and stop it! The expanded use of seismic airguns could devastate marine life, harming fisheries and coastal economies. Click here to stop seismic testing and share with your online network through social media or / and email.
Thank you for everything you do,
Sally and the Save the Whales and Our Oceans Team at Environmental Action
1. Ramos, Adele. Belize beats UNESCO deadline to ban offshore exploration. Amandala. December 5, 2015.
Fretwell, Sammy.Small businesses ask Haley to join fight against oil and gas search. The State. December 16, 2015.
2. Ouzts, Elizabeth. Atlantic Coast leaders urge Obama to drop offshore drilling plans. Environment America. November 19, 2015.
3. Weaver, Sierra. Risks of Offshore Drilling in the Atlantic. The New York Times. November 20, 2015.
4. Warrick, Joby. As decision nears, opposition builds to offshore drilling along Atlantic Coast. The Washington Post. December 20, 2015.
5. Page, Samantha. How Offshore Drilling Could Become A Bipartisan Issue. Think Progress. December 18, 2015.
6. Parks, MaryAlice. Democratic Presidential Candidates: Where They Agree and Disagree on Climate. ABC News. December 17, 2015.
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