We swear we already warned you about a congressional vote to drill off our coast, and then rejoiced with you when it was defeated. Yeah, wasn't it like two weeks ago? Never underestimate the power of Big Oil lobbyshits. Congress, obviously in need of a diversion from far more grave national matters like flag-burning amendments (really, has anyone ever seen a flag burning? In the U.S.? In person? No, your annual family vacation to Tehran does not count!), once again has put despoiling our coastline on its corporate-crumbs encrusted table. And those tireless souls at Surfrider are once again asking you to contact your local congressperson and tell him or her to keep their drilling bits to themselves (who do they think they are? Clinton?) and not expose our sensitive shoreline to oily mishaps (where to they think this is? The Gulf Coast of Texas?).
Take it away, Big Kahunas …
Greetings,
Your Representative in Congress is preparing to vote on a bill that will open up our nation's coasts and oceans to oil and gas drilling by removing restrictions that have had bipartisan support for 25 years.
H.R. 4761 would repeal the offshore oil and gas drilling moratorium for areas more than 50 miles from our coasts and allow states to opt out of the moratorium for areas closer to shore. This is a direct threat to our coasts and your Representative needs to hear from you.
Please take a moment to send a message to protect our coastlines. Send a letter to your Congressperson. Below is the sample letter:
Subject: Please Vote NO on H.R. 4761
Dear [decision maker],
I strongly urge you to oppose H.R. 4761, which would reverse 25 years of bipartisan offshore drilling protections and put our country's billion-dollar coastal economies at risk.
Offshore oil and gas drilling is a slow, dirty and expensive way to produce energy. Opening our coasts to destructive drilling would do little to lower prices at the gas pump, but it would threaten our beaches with pollution and potential oil spills. An offshore spill could easily be carried by ocean currents to neighboring states, with disastrous results. Tourism, property, and commercial and sport fishing wrecked in the wake of a huge oil slick could impair millions of jobs and weaken our coastal economies.
We simply do not need to sacrifice our beaches and coastal waters to meet America's energy needs. Cleaner, faster and less expensive energy solutions like energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy could start saving consumers and businesses money today and protect our beaches, marine waters and coastal economies.
Again, I urge to protect our nation's beaches and coastal areas by voting NO on H.R. 4761 and supporting clean energy alternatives.Sincerely,
[Your Name]
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.