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