Dear Senator

A coalition of environmental organizations urges the U.S. Senate to reject expanded offshore oil and gas drilling, citing the Deepwater Horizon disaster as evidence of the inherent risks to marine ecosystems and coastal economies. The group argues that offshore reserves are insufficient to achieve energy independence and instead calls for a transition to carbon-free energy technologies and a national renewable electricity standard.

• The Deepwater Horizon disaster demonstrates that offshore drilling is inherently dangerous and that current technology is insufficient for responding to spills, particularly in extreme environments like the Arctic Ocean's Beaufort and Chukchi Seas.
• Oil spills pose a severe threat to the Gulf of Mexico's productive fisheries, which in 2008 saw a commercial fish and shellfish harvest from five U.S. states valued at $661 million and totaling 1.3 billion pounds.
• The American Clean Energy Leadership Act (ACELA) of 2009 is criticized for reversing the 2006 Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) by proposing to allow drilling within 10 miles of Pensacola and reducing the buffer along Florida's West Coast from 125 miles to 45 miles.
• The coalition asserts that domestic offshore oil reserves are inadequate to ensure U.S. energy independence or lower gasoline prices, but are sufficient to cause significant ecological and economic damage.
• The organizations advocate for a policy shift toward carbon-free energy technologies, specifically mentioning land-based and offshore wind power, solar power, and the establishment of a national renewable electricity standard.

APA

Earthjustice (2010). Dear Senator. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/local-and-national-groups-stand-firmly-against-offshore-drilling-1.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. Dear Senator. 2010. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/local-and-national-groups-stand-firmly-against-offshore-drilling-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Earthjustice |title=Dear Senator |date=3 May 2010 |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/local-and-national-groups-stand-firmly-against-offshore-drilling-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{earthjustice2010dear, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Dear Senator}}, publisher = {Earthjustice}, year = {2010}, month = may, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/local-and-national-groups-stand-firmly-against-offshore-drilling-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }