From The Nation – EarthJustice
Because The Earth Needs a Good Lawyer
Take Action! Protect our oceans from off-shore oil drilling.
Trip Van Noppen, President Earthjustice
President Obama’s permanent withdrawal of the vast majority of the Arctic Ocean and important parts of the Atlantic from new offshore oil and gas drilling is under attack by President Trump and his dirty-energy allies.
On April 28, 2017, Trump issued an order attempting to reverse the Arctic and Atlantic offshore drilling bans and calling for expanded drilling in our oceans. The attempt to jettison Obama’s historic protections for our oceans is unlawful, and we’re challenging it in court.
Earlier this year, Trump went a step further by proposing a new five-year plan for offshore leasing that would expand drilling to every coast of the United States. This plan puts wildlife, coastal communities, and our climate at risk for the sole benefit of Big Oil, and it takes us in exactly the wrong direction.
For years, Earthjustice has been instrumental in preventing risky and rushed oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world, putting tremendous strain on the Arctic’s diverse wildlife and people. Experts agree that an oil spill in the Arctic would be catastrophic and could not be contained in the remote, icy, and stormy seas.
Drilling in the Atlantic could harm unique and critical habitat for whales, swordfish and sea turtles, and threaten the region’s vibrant fishing and tourism industries. Public opposition to Atlantic drilling is strong and growing.
The Gulf of Mexico—already debilitated by drilling and spills—could bear even more of a burden under this proposed plan. The Pacific coast may also be facing federal offshore leasing for the first time in decades.
Opening new waters and expanding existing areas to oil and gas drilling is dangerous and just not worth it. Tell congressional leaders they should condemn Trump’s attempt to open our oceans to new exploration and drilling. Urge them to add their voices to the majority of Americans who support permanently protecting these sensitive and irreplaceable waters.