As Beach Season Starts, June 25 “Hands Across the Sand” Crowds Show Support for Cleaner Energy Choices
Press Release Date: June 23, 2011
Location: Washington, DC
Contact:
Anna Baxter | email: abaxter@oceana.org
Anna Baxter
This Saturday, June 25 at noon, thousands of people will join Oceana, the Surfrider Foundation, the Sierra Club and other conservation groups to point out that one year after the Deepwater Horizon debacle, very little progress has been made to protect marine ecosystemsmm, and the local beaches we all love, from another harmful oil spill.
Given the release of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) study’s findings this week, “Multiple Ocean Threats Threaten Globally Significant Marine Extinctions,” see: http://www.stateoftheocean.org/pdfs/1806_IPSOPR.pdf, we hope to show policymakers that many of their constituents oppose the expansion of offshore oil drilling.
The IUCN study revealed that despite its resilience, marine life is very stressed by overfishing, pollution from nutrient run-off and CO2 absorption by seawater.
We can start reducing those stressors today, both individually and collectively.
Regarding the “Hands Across the Sand” efforts, there’s a news peg in the sunny state of Florida:
HATS community organizers in Florida are now working to gather enough petition signatures (700,000 signatures) to get a constitutional amendment on the 2012 Florida ballot that would ban near shore oil drilling (10 miles from the coast on the Gulf of Mexico side, 3 miles from the coast on the Atlantic coast side) during statewide elections. If they manage to do so, and garner a 60 percent “yes” vote in 2012, Floridians will prevent the expansion of offshore drilling for oil and gas in Florida waters.
BACKGROUND: This grassroots event was begun by restaurateur from the Florida Panhandle named Dave Rauschkolb, who organized several Florida events in June 2009, before the spring 2010 BP oil spill. Rauschkolb was concerned about how increasing pollution in Florida waters and on Panhandle beaches would affect his livelihood, two beach-side restaurants, and Floridians’ quality of life. The “Hands Across the Sand” event has become an international event in just 2 and a half years.
For locations of a “Hands Across the Sand” event near you, please visit: http://www.handsacrossthesand.com/
International events are also planned in the UK, Brazil, Australia and many other far-flung destinations.
Oceana video invitation to sign up for 2011 “Hands Across the Sand” event:
Video montage from 2010 events: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfgNUWUDX_Y
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