Don't let Big Oil destroy the Arctic

Article Contributed by Friends of the Earth | Published on Tuesday, February 14, 2017

House Republicans want to re-open protected areas of the Arctic for oil and gas drilling. At the same time, they want to gut safety protections. Their plan would endanger beluga and bowhead whales, walrus, and ice seals. It would greatly increase the chances of an oil spill in this remote and fragile region. And it would contribute to climate chaos.The Senate can still stop this from happening. But we need you to write to your Senator NOW!

Tell your Senators: Don’t re-open protected areas of the Arctic for oil and gas drilling!

Oil companies have been trying to drill in the Arctic for years -- with disastrous results. In 2012, Shell conducted exploration activities in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. They were plagued by safety violations and violations of pollution rules.

Then, in 2015, Shell tried to drill there again -- and it gave up due to the high levels of risk. The evidence is clear: drilling in the Arctic is a terrible idea. When -- not if -- an accident occurs, it will do irreparable damage to some of our most remote and fragile wild areas.

The only reason House Republicans are pushing this bill forward is to help their Big Polluter friends. We need your help to stop them!

Tell the Senate: Don’t let oil companies destroy the Arctic and put wildlife at risk!

Republicans in the House see a Trump presidency as a chance to push through their own extreme anti-environmental agenda. The results could be disastrous for the planet -- from gutting the EPA, to killing President Obama’s Clean Power Plan, to destroying our public lands and waters. The good news is, people are fighting back. When Rep. Chaffetz introduced another bill to drill on our public lands, intense public pressure forced him to pull it.

Meanwhile, at town hall meetings across the country, progressives are showing our Senators that caving to Trump is unacceptable. And it’s making an impact. Already Republicans are walking back their promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Democrats are taking a stand against Trump’s cabinet. This shows that when we speak up together in defense of people and the planet, we can make Congress listen.

It’s up to people like you to defend President Obama’s climate legacy. So we need you to act NOW and stop your Representative from passing this attack on our environmental protections!

Tell your Senators to block attacks on President Obama’s climate legacy!

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