Action Center
Ocean Champions uses a combination of high-quality lobbying and electoral work to build political champions for the oceans. But your elected officials need to hear from you, too. Please help us forge a culture of leadership on the oceans by taking the following actions:
Take Action For Our Oceans
July 18 th, 2008
Sign Up For Our Email List
If you haven't already, please sign up for our free email updates. This is the best way for us to keep you informed about all the latest news on the politics of the oceans. And tell your friends to sign up, too.
NO to Offshore Drilling
Gas prices are hitting everybody hard, and there are a lot of measures that Congress and the President can take to bring down the cost of energy. Offshore oil supplies can't be brought on line for at least seven to ten years (that's the oil industry's own estimate), so offshore drilling does nothing to change the price of gas. Not to mention that more drilling is exactly what we DON'T need to be doing to solve global warming.
Our sources tell us that the leadership in the House and Senate is committed to upholding the moratorium that has been in effect since 1981, and working for a more sensible energy policy that includes incentives for renewable energy and conservation. We MUST support these efforts, and tell our Congress that our oceans are more important than the limited supplies of oil that can be extracted from them.
Please contact your Senators and Representative today and tell them to support the moratorium: 202-224-3121.
Send a letter today, NO TO DRILLING
OCEANS-21: Act now to help move this important legislation forward!
Our oceans are currently managed under 140 laws implemented by 20 Federal agencies, without a unifying vision to ensure the overall health and productivity of the ocean. With Oceans 21, we finally have that vision—Including mechanisms to ensure health ocean policy for everyone.
Rep. Sam Farr (D-Ca, 17th) (one of our Ocean Champions in Congress) has introduced OCEANS-21, a bill that adopts the key recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission to develop a holistic ocean health plan. This bill, unlike past ocean legislation, treats the disease, not the symptom.
Help us pass what could be the first national oceans policy!
Keep The Beach Clean, Take Action Against Red Tide
Harmful algal blooms like red tide are making people sick, killing marine life, and contaminating seafood. They also have a negative effect on tourism in coastal states, costing coastal communities an estimated $100 million a year.
Now two Ocean Champions in the House of Representatives, Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fl) and Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fl), have introduced the Save Our Shores Act, to increase funding for scientific research to combat red tide and its effects.
Oppose Oil and Gas Exploration in Bristol Bay
Bristol Bay and the southeast Bering Sea support the world’s largest sockeye salmon run, abundant seabirds and marine mammals, including critical habitat for the highly endangered North Pacific right whale.
President Bush recently rescinded the “Executive OCS Leasing Withdrawal” for Bristol Bay and opened the area up to oil and gas development, despite thousands of Ocean Champions supporters telling him not to.
Oil and gas development could cause potentially devastating consequences to the marine resources and ocean wildlife in Bristol Bay.
