From the Inbox: Another Oil Explosion - Will the Senate Act?

		Inaction Is Not an Option! Thousands of birds were killed or injured as a result of the worst oil catastrophe in U.S. history. The Senate must act to prevent the next tragedy. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper and urge the Senate to take immediate action on legislation to strongly respond to the Gulf oil disaster -- and prevent the next catastrophe. Another oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico has exploded1. This latest incident underscores the risks of offshore oil drilling -- and the urgent need for the U.S. Senate to pass critical legislation to help protect our wildlife and prevent the next oil catastrophe. Please write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper and urge your senators to pass the Clean Energy Jobs and Oil Accountability Act (S. 3663). The wildlife death toll from the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster has been staggering: more than 5,300 birds, 550 threatened and endangered sea turtles, 80 dolphins and other marine mammals.2 Hundreds of miles of coastline fouled with oil, including several National Wildlife Refuges -- havens for our most precious wildlife. But the long-term effects -- on our wildlife, our fisheries and our coastal economies -- won’t be known for years. Please be a voice for our wildlife. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper and urge the Senate to take immediate action on legislation to strongly respond to the Gulf oil disaster. As they prepare to return to Washington, DC this month, our wildlife needs the U.S. Senate to pass legislation to help wildlife affected by the Gulf oil disaster -- and prevent the next devastating catastrophe. The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed a strong bill responding to the worst oil spill in U.S. history. But the Senate is dragging its collective feet -- and may not even pass their version of the bill at all this year. This is unacceptable. Take action now. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper. Even after nearly 5 million barrels of crude oil gushed into Gulf waters, followed by millions of gallons of chemical dispersants3, oil companies are taking even bigger risks by drilling further out and deeper down into the Gulf.4 The question isn’t if the next oil catastrophe will happen, but when -- and will we be prepared? The Senate must follow the House’s lead by passing legislation that will reform offshore drilling and safeguard our wildlife and wild places. Please write a letter to the editor today and urge your senators to pass this important legislation. Their votes are key and your voice is needed. Let your senators know that after the worst oil disaster in U.S. history, inaction is not an option. For the Wild Ones, Marcia Lesky Director, National Outreach Defenders of Wildlife

From the Inbox - Oil spills in the Arctic? Help us prevent this!

Help protect America's Arctic from dangerous oil drilling. Have your gift matched dollar-for-dollar.

Dear Friend,

As oil continues to gush into Gulf Coast waters, it's clear that the worst damage still lies ahead.

Earthjustice attorneys are fighting to prevent a similar tragedy in America's Arctic Ocean, where Shell Oil is pushing to drill exploratory wells.

Your support -- matched up to $20,000 through the generosity of an Earthjustice supporter moved by the tragic Gulf coast oil spill -- will allow our legal team to continue its work to protect America's Arctic Ocean.

We are just $8,000 away from reaching the $20,000 goal. Please help us take full advantage of this matching gift offer. Make an emergency donation today.

President Obama has temporarily frozen new offshore drilling leases -- but he has not yet suspended his administration's approval of the Shell Oil exploratory drilling operations we're challenging in America's Arctic Ocean ... set to begin in July.

This remote region is the least understood area of our oceans. It presents challenges not faced in the Gulf.

The weather conditions that have hindered the Gulf cleanup are temperate compared to conditions Shell could face in the Arctic ... ice-clogged seas, gale-force winds, week long storms, and heavy fog.

If the experts are unable to contain the spill from Deepwater Horizon, how can we expect to do any better in the ice-laden Arctic Ocean?

Please help us stop a disaster in America's Arctic Ocean before it starts -- make special matched gift today.

The government approved exploratory drilling in America's Arctic Ocean without considering the impacts of an accident like the ongoing Gulf disaster or the increased difficulty of responding in the Arctic.

There is no adequate plan for responding to a blowout in the Arctic Ocean, nor is there any proven technology to clean up an oil spill in that region.

An oil spill could have devastating consequences for the people and wildlife of the region, including polar bears, bowhead whales, walrus, beluga whales, seals, and migratory birds.

Please make a matched gift today to help protect Arctic wildlife from risky offshore oil drilling.

Our opponents are well-funded and relentless, but our attorneys are using smart legal strategies that have succeeded time and time again in protecting America's most precious places.

Many hundreds of hours of hard work by Earthjustice attorneys blocked Shell Oil's previous attempt to drill in America's Arctic Ocean, but we could not have done it without support from folks like you.

Help hold the line against ill-considered offshore drilling in America's Arctic with a matched gift today.

On behalf of everyone at Earthjustice, thank you for all that you do for the environment.

Sincerely,

Trip Van Noppen
President, Earthjustice