Because We Care!

Huzzah! The following email was found in my inbox recently. Read on, hope, pray and smile my friends. If you took action, thank you and good for you! If you didn't, it's okay. Life gets in our way sometimes, and we can always sign all of the petitions that need attention. This one got through and it's moving along! Don't worry, little (and large) marine animals, we're on our way to keep you safe!

Thanks for signing our petition to stop oil and gas drilling in the Arctic wilderness. It will show President Obama that people all across America are watching.

We have to do everything possible to stop Shell Oil from spewing thousands of tons of pollution along Alaska's pristine coast. I'm pleased to announce that the Center for Biological Diversity and Native Alaskan groups have just filed suit in federal court to stop Shell before it starts revving up the oil rigs.

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Shell is rushing forward to get its oil rigs onto the ice as soon as possible because it knows that once the rigs are set up, it's nearly impossible to remove them. Federal wildlife agencies have not even finished assessing the impacts on endangered bowhead whales, polar bears, and seals, yet Shell has pressured the Minerals Management Service to approve its drilling plan.

Help us stop this short-sighted, destructive plan before it's too late.

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It's not just wildlife at risk. The thousands-year-old subsistence way of life of Alaskan Native coastal communities is also threatened by Shell's industrialization of the Arctic.

The risks are far too great to rush oil drilling in the Arctic for the sake of Shell Oil profits.

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Sincerely,

Kierán Suckling Executive Director Center for Biological Diversity

P.S. Here's a recent news story about our suit. I'll keep you posted as it progresses:

Environmental, Native groups file suit over Chukchi drilling
by Christine Kim (KTUU)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Several environmental and Alaska Native groups have filed a lawsuit against the Minerals Management Service over the MMS approving Shell Oil's permit to drill in the Chukchi Sea next summer.

The Center for Biological Diversity says the plan doesn't comply with environmental laws and was approved without analyzing the potential impacts to the sea.

But Shell says it believes the MMS was thorough in its assessment of the plans, which the company says incorporated the concerns of the North Slope…

"Right now we don't have enough information to know the impacts of their activities on the ecosystem and on the marine mammals there so we know not now. As for the future it depends on what we find but we still need to do a lot more research about what's out there," said Rebecca Noblin with the Center for Biological Diversity.

A challenge to the approval of Shell's plans to drill in the Beaufort Sea was also filed in December.

All of the spots where I inserted ellipses are were the email was soliciting for donations. I think it is a valid request. However, I think it best to provide a link to the organization's website so that, should you decide that your are able and willing to donate, you can.

Here you go, guys! http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/

Go get 'em! And thanks.