Tell Secretary Salazar to Act Now to Stop Off-Shore Drilling in the Arctic

It appears we learned nothing from Valdez. When are they going to make a serious effort to wean the world off oil? Please join me in opposing off-shore drilling in the Artic. Herewith: Another Wavemaker activism alert from Jim Ayers of Oceana:

As I write this on the 20th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, more than 70 million acres of the U.S. Arctic Ocean are slated to again be offered for sale to oil companies, which would threaten local cultures and put already stressed ecosystems in further danger. Oceana recently celebrated the decision to prevent commercial fishing from entering the Arctic. Please help us score another win for the Arctic by telling the Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, that offshore drilling in the region is not the answer to our energy woes and that we need a science-based precautionary approach to protect the Arctic Ocean.

Say No to Offshore Drilling in the Arctic »

Oil leases have already been sold in the Arctic’s Chukchi and Beaufort seas, and if we do not change course, the peoples and animals of the Arctic may soon be forced to share their home with oil platforms and huge tankers.

The choices to make these areas available were made without adequate science or public process, but we now have a chance to make our voices heard.

Thousands of Arctic peoples rely on Arctic Ocean ecosystems as central to local economies, nutrition and a subsistence way of life that has existed for millennia. The Arctic Ocean is also home to some of the world’s iconic animals species, including polar bears, walruses, and whales. 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, 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.

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.

Please join us in calling for the immediate halt of all oil and gas activities in the Arctic until a science-based, precautionary approach is put in place.

For the oceans,
Jim Ayers
Vice President, Pacific
Oceana