The Beacon
Spills Happen
Two weeks away from the 20th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and what happens? A Spill! An oil tanker yesterday lost part of its load off the Australian coast after being blown off course by a cyclone, spilling about 22 tons of oil onto Brisbane's beaches.
Meanwhile, some politicians still continue to call for more drilling for oil off of our own coasts. There is too little oil off our shores to free ourselves from foreign oil, and any oil recovered would only amount to savings of pennies at the gas pump.
Expanded offshore drilling will mean that our oceans and coasts are at an increased risk from oil spills. What is there to prevent a catastrophe like this or another Valdez from destroying our oceans and coastlines?
It is quite simple. The Obama administration and Congress must reinstate the moratorium on offshore drilling and stop all drilling activities in the Arctic. Spills happen and we need to protect our coasts.
Maybe the front fell off...
Virginia is for Lovers -- er -- Oil?
Months after President George W. Bush lifted the Presidential moratorium on offshore oil and gas development and Congress let a similar Congressional moratorium lapse, on Thursday, the federal government moved to pursue oil and natural gas exploration off the coast of Virginia.
The Interior Department began a public comment period on drafting an environmental-impact statement on offshore drilling. The environmental review process is the first step to open 2.9 million acres of offshore habitat to a lease sale scheduled for 2011.
New Oceana Report: Acid Test
Corals, lobsters, and many other ocean creatures are unlikely to withstand the increasing acidity of the oceans brought on by global warming, according to a new report from Oceana.
Our new report, "Acid Test," examines the far-reaching consequences of the accumulation of heat-trapping gases, particularly carbon dioxide, in the world's oceans.
High levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in seawater deplete the carbonate that marine animals need for their shells and skeletons. Creatures that are at risk if trends continue include corals, commercial fish, including shrimp and lobster; and pteropods, or swimming sea snails, which are an important part of the base of polar and sub-polar food chains.
We are calling for a reduction of CO2 emissions in industrialized countries by 25 to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.
The key findings of the report include:
