Pombo's at it again, as
Land Of Enchantment noted yesterday! We need immediate action on this issue NOW and often so we can stop this in the Senate. Here's the basic story from
msn.com, although I urge you to read the full article and to vote in the poll...those in favor of drilling are currently on top with 52%.
Follow me for more...
The article begins:
"WASHINGTON - The House voted Thursday to end a quarter-century offshore drilling ban and allow energy companies to tap natural gas and oil beneath waters from New England to Alaska.
Opponents of the federal ban argued that the nation needed to move closer to energy independence and insisted the gas and oil could be taken without threatening the environment and coastal beaches. They said a state choosing to keep the moratorium could do so.
The measure was approved 232-187...
Many lawmakers fear that energy development could despoil coastal beaches, should there be a spill, and threatens the multibillion-dollar recreation and tourist economies of states where offshore energy development has been barred since the early 1980s."
The good news is that Florida's Senators have "vowed to filibuster any legislation that would allow drilling within 125 miles of Florida's coast". The other bit of good news is that other Senators from other coastal states don't think that lifting this ban is a good idea. The bad news is, with some modification (like a promise to drill outside of that 125 miles off the coast of Florida), this bill has a chance of passing.
Basically, we need to make some noise, we need to make it now, and we need to make it every day. The louder we are, the harder it will be for them to vote for another Big Oil/Pombo giveaway!
Find your Senators and write them letters from here.
Here are some talking points you can include in your letters (from SaveOurEnvironment.org):
--- Drilling off our nation's coasts will only produce just a few months of oil and will take until the middle of the next decade before we could even start producing a drop of it.
--- We should be focused on developing new technologies, slowing oil consumption, and reducing the global warming pollution it causes.
--- Expanded oil and gas drilling would create mercury and other toxic discharges that can kill sea otters, manatees, and other marine wildlife. It would also bring land-based construction that would industrialize our coasts, damaging vital shoreline habitat.
--- A catastrophic oil spill -- one that could spoil the ecology and economic value of a coastline for generations -- is a real possibility.
Let's protect our coastlines!
In addition to this action item, I have another one related to Big Oil...
Fellow Kossack, Stafford, from Environmental Action put up a diary the other day, "Tell Presidential Candidates to Sign Declaration of Energy Independence." An exciting campaign. Check out his diary which explains the idea...and then take some quick action:-)
Update: With a big thanks to Silence for the reminder, donate what you can to Pombo's challenger Jerry McNerney!
