As we learned from Exxon Valdez accident 20 years ago, oil has dire long-term impacts on marine ecosystems. It is nearly impossible to effectively clean up an oil spill in the oceans and the icebreakers, pipelines and other infrastructure necessary for oil development would further stress ocean wildlife.
Twenty years after the Exxon Valdez, more than 70 million acres of the U.S. Arctic Ocean have been made available for oil development, which would put already stressed ecosystems in further danger. Arctic peoples and animals rely on these ecosystems, and allowing offshore drilling in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas is a recipe for disaster.
Tell the Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, that offshore drilling in the Arctic is not the answer to our energy woes and that we need a science-based precautionary approach to protect the Arctic Ocean. Urgent: The comment period ends on March 30!
Dear Secretary Salazar,
I'm writing to urge you to put a stop to oil and gas activities in the Arctic until a science-based, precautionary approach is put in place.
The Arctic Ocean is home to polar bears, walruses and whales, and many indigenous peoples have relied on Arctic Ocean ecosystems for millennia. Meanwhile, the region is at the forefront of climate change - sea ice is rapidly melting, putting ecosystems under great stress.
The rush to drill for oil in the Arctic Ocean is an incredibly risky proposition. As we learned from Exxon Valdez accident 20 years ago, oil has dire long-term impacts on marine ecosystems. It is nearly impossible to effectively clean up oil in the oceans, particularly in icy Arctic waters, and the icebreakers, pipelines, and other infrastructure necessary for oil development would further stress our oceans.
[Your comment here]
Also, offshore oil drilling would have little if any impact on gas prices. Figures from the U.S. Energy Information Agency show that even at peak production, increased drilling offshore would produce less than one percent of the current energy demand in the U.S.
Thank you for your commitment to consider the public's input as you make decisions and for slowing down hasty offshore drilling initiatives.
In setting your new strategy, please consider that the Arctic is a fragile, vital region to our planet, and offshore drilling will only endanger it further. Please place a halt on oil and gas activities in the Arctic.
Thank you.
