The Trump Administration wants to open up vast areas of the the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic oceans for oil extraction, including California’s precious marine sanctuaries. Though legislation was passed years ago to protect these areas of the outer continental shelf permanently, they’re now at risk of being reopened and sold off to oil giants.
Jeux De Vagues is a member of the Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast, and we’re committed to doing what it takes to prevent new offshore drilling from devastating our coasts. We hope you’ll join us as we rise up and resist.
We’ve all seen images of the devastation that oil spills cause — the miles covered in toxic slick, the lives lost — and there’s no reason to think this won’t happen again. Even during “business as usual,” offshore drilling has severe impacts. In addition to large disasters, around 880,000 gallons of oil are leaked into the ocean annually by U.S. drilling operations alone. There are numerous other environmental problems associated with offshore drilling at every stage of the process, including harm done to marine animals during seismic surveys of drilling sites, air and water pollution as a result of the machinery operations, and damaging infrastructure for transporting and processing the extracted oil. These are unacceptable standards.
Offshore drilling puts at risk the livelihood of everyone who depends on the coast — marine animals, surfers, fishers, ocean lovers, and anyone involved in our vibrant coastal communities. It’s time to stand up and protect what we love. We need to invest in clean, renewable energy, and leave destructive fossil fuels in the ground. Thankfully, many of our California representatives in Sacramento and Washington are on our side.
Here’s how you can back them up and TAKE ACTION:
- Submit comments to the Bureau of Ocean Management, the agency responsible for the proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, by the March 9th deadline. They want to hear from the public before moving forward! Click on the ‘Comment Now’ link in the upper right-hand corner. You can view the Surfrider Foundation’s sample letter here for inspiration.
- Contact your federal leaders and tell them why protecting the ocean is important to you. Oceana’s #ProtectOurCoast page makes it easy.
- Attend a Hands Across the Sand event on May 19. Thousands of people across the globe will gather at their local beaches, joining hands to say no to filthy fuels and yes to clean energy!