Even in the wake of the recent Gulf oil spill -- the worst
environmental disaster in U.S. history -- the federal government
is contemplating opening vast new areas in the Arctic, Atlantic,
and Gulf of Mexico to offshore oil exploration. Just weeks
before the BP disaster, President Obama justified offshore
drilling expansion by saying that, "oil rigs today generally
don't cause spills." Now, in light of the Gulf catastrophe, it's
painfully obvious that new drilling is too risky and jeopardizes
the fate of the marine environments, our coasts and the
communities that depend on them. Right now, the government is
accepting public feedback as it prepares an environmental review
of its offshore oil and gas program for 2012-2017. That means
YOU have an opportunity to tell the Obama administration that
what's needed right now is a permanent moratorium on new
offshore drilling. I am writing to urge the federal government
to stop risky offshore oil drilling that threatens our marine
ecosystem, coasts and the communities