Tag Archives: Arctic

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Stop Shell from drilling in the Arctic


Shell responded to our opposition around its plans to drill in the Arctic by filing for one of the broadest and most restrictive injunctions in US history against Greenpeace USA. It’s exactly the kind of anti-democratic reaction you would expect from a major oil company.

Regardless of what happens in court, Greenpeace is going to continue to oppose Shell’s plans. But we’ll only win if we have your support. Join 300,000 people from around the world and demand that Shell stop its plans to put the fragile Arctic at risk.

WWW.greenpeaceusa.org

~Dan

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 From: Dan Howells, Greenpeace webmaster@greenpeaceusa.org 

Subject: Save the Arctic

Right this minute a global fleet of Arctic destroyers is speeding towards one of the last unspoiled places on earth.

Shell plans to drill for oil in the Arctic Ocean this summer.

Take action and demand Shell stop its plans to drill in the Arctic.

The ships are part of oil giant Shell’s mission to drill the very first wells in the pristine waters off the coast of Alaska. It’s insane, but melting sea ice from global warming has made it a reality. If Shell finds oil, the Arctic oil rush will be on.

It’s not over yet though. People are pushing back. In New Zealand, Greenpeace activists (including Xena Warrior Princess star Lucy Lawless) occupied a drill ship and prevented it from leaving for the Arctic for several days. And just last week activists occupied two icebreakers in Finland.

But to stop Shell for good, we eventually need the public support of millions around the world. Carmen, that means you.

Join the 250,000 people from around the world who have already taken action and demand Shell stop its plans to put the fragile Arctic at risk.

WWW.greenpeaceusa.org

Widespread public opposition here in the US is going to be the key to stopping Shell. The US government is responsible for giving Shell the green light to drill. Greenpeace will be delivering these messages to the company soon. Our goal is to add the names of at least 40,000 Americans to that list before we do. Your message matters.

Shell isn’t prepared for a disaster in the Arctic Ocean. No one is. The Arctic Ocean makes the Gulf of Mexico look like a flat, calm lake. With constant high seas, icebergs and massive waves, there’s no way to effectively cleanup an oil spill in the Arctic Ocean. Even the head of the US Coast Guard has publicly admitted that his agency would have little chance of dealing with a spill in the frozen Arctic on their own. 

The plan Shell has submitted actually includes using things like shovels, brooms and a sniffer dog called “Tara” to cleanup a potential spill. It would be funny if there wasn’t so much at stake.

All Shell cares about is its corporate bottom line. Polar bears and unspoiled natural beauty are just obstacles to making ever greater profits. Together we can create a public obstacle Shell can’t overcome — but it’s going to take millions of us.

Add your voice to the growing list of people who will not stay quiet as one of the last wildernesses on earth is destroyed and help save the Arctic.

Sincerely,

Dan Howells
Greenpeace USA Deputy Campaign Director

P.S. Last year, Shell reported it had over 200 spills. It will only be a matter of time before a spill happens in the pristine polar bear habitat of the Arctic. Take action today and help save the Arctic before Shell ruins it forever.

WWW.greenpeaceusa.org

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24 Hours to Stop Shell’s Arctic Drilling Plans


The Department of the Interior will be deciding the fate of America’s Arctic Ocean this summer and we have just 24 hours to help them make the right choice.

Shell Oil has put together the most aggressive drilling plan yet in the Arctic Ocean — beginning as soon as next summer and calling for ten exploratory wells. But they can’t start drilling until the current public comment period ends and Secretary Salazar approves their plan.

That’s why Greenpeace is joining with a coalition of groups to collect comments to Interior Secretary Salazar before the deadline.

Shell’s plans have already been put on hold once thanks to the actions of people like you. Now we need to do it again. Don’t wait, every comment counts…

http://www.greenpeaceusa.org 

We will be overnight shipping all of your comments to the Department of the Interior office in Anchorage, Alaska.

America’s Arctic Ocean is one of our nation’s greatest natural treasures — a vast, pristine place at the top of the world that polar bears, whales, walrus, seals and Alaska Native communities all call home.

One single oil spill could completely destroy this fragile ecosystem forever.

Shell’s plans for cleaning up a spill in a region characterized by extreme cold, extended periods of darkness, hurricane-strength storms and pervasive fog include glorified mops and buckets. It’s laughable. The simple truth is that the technology doesn’t exist to “clean” up an oil spill in the Arctic.

We need to learn from BP’s disaster in the Gulf of Mexico last year and not allow Shell to drill in the Arctic Ocean.  As of now the only plan they have is to drill first and ask questions later.

We don’t have much time

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Greenpeace


One year later and Congress has learned nothing.

Instead of making it harder for oil companies like Shell to drill in the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean, the House of Representatives just voted to make it easier. If this legislation becomes law, the oil industry will be even less regulated now than it was a year ago before the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

And to make matters worse, Shell already gets millions in subsidies every year from the U.S. government. In fact, last year Shell paid effectively no taxes at all to the U.S. government. Congress is giving them more incentive to take unacceptable risks with our national treasures. It’s time to put a end to this dangerous game. We have a chance to do just that.

As soon as tomorrow, Congress will be voting on a bill that would cut billions of dollars worth of subsidies to oil companies like Shell. But the industry and their friends in Washington are currently doing everything they can to stop that from happening. That’s why you need to speak up and send a message to your members of Congress.

www.greenpeaceusa.org

Congress needs to hear your voice. Ask your members of Congress to put an end to government subsidies to the oil industry now.

Shell just submitted plans to drill up to ten new wells in Alaska’s Arctic Ocean over the next two years using the same faulty technology that BP uses in the Gulf. But Shell’s plans in the shallow waters of the Arctic are even more dangerous than BP’s are in the Gulf and run a higher risk of blowouts, according to government data.

Shell isn’t prepared for a disaster in the Arctic Ocean. No one is. It’s a known fact that there’s no way to effectively clean up an oil spill in the Arctic’s harsh conditions. All they care about is their corporate bottom line.

Congress should be fighting for you. It’s your money and it’s our land. The vote could be happening as soon as tomorrow. Contact your members of Congress today and ask them to put an end to government subsidies to the oil industry before it’s too late.

www.greenpeaceusa.org

Sincerely,

Melanie Duchin

Greenpeace Arctic Campaigner

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from John Hocevar, Greenpeace


It’s been one year now since the BP Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico – costing eleven people their lives and eventually releasing nearly 5 million barrels of oil into the marine ecosystem.

We have just one week to let the Obama administration know that the new national ocean policy they’re writing must include restrictions on offshore drilling, especially in the Arctic. Sign your name to the letter we’ll be delivering by clicking the take action button below.

http://www.greenpeaceusa.org

The accident was a horrible example of the risks that oil companies like BP are willing to take with our national treasures just to make a profit and that they do it with the backing of our government. And while it will take years to fully understand the impacts the disaster had on the Gulf, one thing is clear: our lack of a comprehensive national ocean policy failed us a year ago.

That can change. Right now, the Obama administration is in the process of developing a new National Ocean Policy. They’re testing the waters to see how engaged the voting public is on this issue by allowing for public comments up until April 27th. I will be writing a letter on behalf of Greenpeace and submitting it as part of the process and I’d love it if you joined me by signing on to the letter yourself.

Your signature will send a message to the Obama administration that the public is still paying attention and that the dead turtles and dolphins still washing up along the Gulf coast one year after the disaster are not an acceptable side effect of our reliance on unsafe offshore drilling.

It’s time we had a national ocean policy that is for the oceans and all who use them – and not just big businesses looking to make a profit. We can’t afford another BP Deepwater disaster.

But you can bet that the oil companies are going to do everything they can to keep doing business as usual. We can’t let them be the only voice heard in this process. Help us get 40,000 signatures before April 27th by signing today.

http://www.greenpeaceusa.org

Together we’ll send a message to the Obama administration that we want a national ocean policy that doesn’t include disasters like the one in the Gulf last year.

For the oceans,

John Hocevar

Greenpeace Oceans Campaign Director

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Protect the Arctic Refuge as a new National Monument


If last week’s election results are any indicator, we’re about to see some big changes in Congress — and not for the better. Ask Obama to protect the critical Arctic Refuge as a National Monument before new oil-hungry Reps can attack it with drills. 


Don Hazen
Executive Editor, AlterNet.org

 
Dear friend of Alaska wilderness, 

Congress has some crazy ideas for the Arctic Refuge, but we’re keeping it wild!

Tell President Obama to declare the Arctic Refuge a National Monument!

Election night confirmed it: The U.S. Congress is about to change dramatically.

To the new extremists in power, the tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is long forgotten. Don’t think for an instant that “Drill, baby, drill” isn’t on the tip of their tongues – or at the top of their agendas. The attacks on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will begin immediately. They will be brutal and constant.

But what if I told you that we could protect the Arctic Refuge before Congress ever bangs a gavel next year?

Click here now: Tell President Obama to protect the Arctic Refuge as a new National Monument!

Congress sure has some crazy ideas for the Refuge, but we’re keeping it wild! Today, we’re launching a massive online effort called “Keeping It Wild!” to convince President Obama to declare the Arctic Refuge our newest National Monument. It’s both a stepping stone to future protections and a maneuver to help shield the Refuge from congressional attacks.

The Arctic is one of our last refuges for wildlife – invaluable, iconic and alive! Big mammals still roam this land and millions of the world’s birds feed and nest on the plains. They come here each year, seeking refuge from a world of encroaching hazards to receive their most sacred needs: sustenance and safe harbor for bearing their young. For 50 years, this cycle has remained unhindered by human development, so life in the Arctic Refuge has continued to thrive. As Americans, we have a moral and civic duty to ensure that this cycle is not broken – not on our watch.

The time for action is now: with Congress poised to change significantly and the Refuge’s 50th anniversary only weeks away, President Obama can make a real statement that America will not submit its greatest treasures to the follies of the past or the whims of the present.

Tell the President: Protect the Arctic Refuge as a National Monument!

Alaska Wilderness League is the first line of defense for the Arctic Refuge. We’re keeping it wild – but we can’t do it alone.

Thank you for all that you do,

Cindy Shogan
Executive Director
Alaska Wilderness League