Letter to the Editor from one of our board members...

'Too valuable to risk'
Saturday, Apr. 11, 2009

I urge our elected officials to protect our oceans and coasts from offshore oil drilling. For more than 25 years, the United States has protected our coasts by keeping much of our offshore waters out of the hands of the oil companies. Last year, these protections were unfortunately allowed to lapse. Please reinstate the moratoria on offshore drilling and to stop all drilling activities in the Arctic Ocean.

The threat to our ocean, coasts and wildlife is too great to allow more oil drilling in our oceans. Additionally, in the face of climate change, more drilling makes even less sense. Producing and burning more oil will add to ocean acidification, and we should be shifting to renewable energy instead to protect our oceans. Not only are our coasts and oceans home to fish and marine wildlife, but they also generate jobs in a variety of sectors such as fishing and tourism.

The United States must protect its oceans and coasts once again. Please reinstate the moratoria on drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf, as well as stop all current oil and gas exploration in the Arctic.

Our oceans and coasts are too valuable to risk.

Howard Clark

Clovis