It's estimated that there are only about 50 Rice's whales left in the entire world. That number basically signals that if we don't do everything in our power to protect them,
we will lose this entire species forever. Once an animal is extinct, there's no bringing it back.
So what are Republicans in the US doing? Trying to make it harder to protect Rice's whale habitat in the Gulf of Mexico.
Of course.Sign the petition to tell House Republicans: stop threatening Rice's whales to benefit the fossil fuel industry!You see, the Gulf of Mexico isn't just critical habitat for this threatened species -- it's also leasable acres for oil and gas extraction.
This is the only place that Rice's whales can live, have babies, and feed, but represents only a fraction of the area available for oil and gas leasing. It would be a drop in the bucket if oil and gas companies gave up this area so that these whales could live for generations to come --
but the greed for fossil fuel profits knows no bounds.Unlike most whales that migrate from area to area during different seasons, the Rice's whales live in US waters year-round. This should be highly motivating for US lawmakers.
This animal is ours to protect, and we are the ones that stand to lose it. So why are Republicans so insistent on passing HR 6008 that would basically ban protections for the Rice's whale?
HR 6008 would make Endangered Species Act protections impossible for the Rice's whale, even though they are clearly a species that needs to be protected.
It would leave these intelligent creatures that are often found near the surface of the water incredibly vulnerable to ships colliding into them, along with suffocating oil spills and disruptive seismic blasts.The oil and gas industry's presence in the Gulf of Mexico means
torture and death for Rice's whales. We must bring our voices together and demand that House Republicans come to their senses and protect these aquatic mammals before it's too late.
Sign the petition to stand against HR 6008! 