Actor and ocean advocate Ted Danson has launched a White House Petition asking President Obama to cancel planned seismic airgun testing for oil and gas in the Atlantic Ocean. The goal: to collect 100,000 signatures by May 15 to compel the President to provide an official response on the issue.
Last year, the Department of the Interior proposed conducting seismic testing off the coast of the Mid and South Atlantic to assess oil and gas resources. The surveys would employ employ loud and damaging technologies, causing major impacts to marine wildlife and the ecosystem. According to the Department’s own estimates, seismic exploration would injure upwards of 130,000 whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals over the next eight years.
Furthermore, offshore drilling is inherently polluting and dangerous, and it will not solve our nation’s energy needs. According to the Department of Energy, fully developing all of our recoverable offshore oil reserves would lower pump prices by only 3 cents. Such a tradeoff is not worth the risk to our coastal economies, including tourism, recreation, and commerical fishing, which generate billions of dollars in annual revenue on the Atlantic coast.
Surfrider is proud to be working with Oceana, NRDC, Clean Ocean Action, Sierra Club and many others to reach the goal of 100,000 signatures! Please sign the petition so we can get this issue on President Obama's desk!
To sign the petition click here
To read Surfrider's comment letter click here
To read DOI’s official announcement click here