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Help Prevent Oil Spills In Alaska’s Coastal Waters!
Target: Members of CongressSponsored by: Alaska Oceans Program
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An oil-soaked sea otter in the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge |
Once again, AlaskaÂ’s pristine waters have fallen victim to a devastating oil spill. On December 8, 2004, a Malaysian freighter, Selendang Ayu, ran aground in the Aleutian Islands after its engine failed in severe weather. Six humans were lost and at least 40,000 gallons of oil leaked into one of the worldÂ’s most remote and ecologically rich wildlife refuges, the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. This was the worst oil spill in U.S. waters since the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster.
The Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge is home to a wide array of sea birds and marine mammals, and is part of the rich North Pacific fishery, which generates nearly $2 billion in revenue each year. Based on the legacy of the Exxon spill, we know this disaster will have a lasting impact on endangered marine species.
What’s clear from the tragedy in the Aleutians, is that Alaska’s shipping routes need stronger regulations in place. The Selendang Ayu was traveling one of the world’s most heavily trafficked routes – and ran aground in an area so remote that it was nearly impossible to rescue human victims in a timely manner and limit damage to threatened marine life.
Call upon Congress to require ships using Alaskan routes to meet minimum safety standards, and operate with well-trained crews and adequate resources to respond quickly to emergencies. Alaskan waters deserve at least these basic protections!
Sign Petition! see who signed this
We signed the “Help Prevent Oil Spills In Alaska’s Coastal Waters!” petition!
# 100:
# 99:
Dumping oil all over seabirds and otters and causing them to die slowly and painfully is IMMORAL.
# 98:
It is important to protect Alaska´s coastal waters because they are the home of many important species.
# 97:
We need to protect our natural resources.
# 96:
These pristine waters should be kept pollution free.
# 95:
# 94:
When are you going to get THIS message? I say NO ~ AGAIN!
# 93:
# 92:
# 91:
It should be top priority to place stronger regulations on shipping in order to prevent the extremely unfortunate occurance of oil spills.
# 89:
# 88:
# 87:
# 86:
All wildlife, in all places deserves to be protected, and we must do all we can to see that they are.
# 85:
We must stop these horrible things. The animals need us to protect them.
# 84:
because there all animals that are suffering and dying!
# 83:
# 82:
If you have to ask why they need to be protected, you have never been there!
# 81:
# 80:
We owe it to the natural life there.
# 79:
# 78:
# 77:
# 76:
The need to ship oil is realistically never going to change, but what realistically CAN change is the routing and standards to which it travels to us. We MUST protect our enviroment to the best of our ability.
# 75:
# 74:
# 73:
# 72:
Protecting Alaska and our earth,oceans,animals is of crucial importance to me and should be to everyone on the planet.We need to stop neglecting and disrespecting mother earth.
# 71:
# 70:
as demonstrated by the current administration, human beings apparently need to be monitored for our own safety, i.e. patriot act, but we've left our wildlife and our natural resources to protect themselves. priorities gentlemen.
# 69:
Another one won't be created after we destroy this one.. or having read up on Christians looking for the Rapture.. maybe destroying the environment really is their goal!
# 68:
# 67:
# 66:
# 65:
# 64:
All ships transporting hazardous materials, especially oil, should be built to the highest standards.These ships should be examined by ship experts AND a representative of a global group protecting our environment to be sure the ship is still in excellent condition.
# 63:
Because we need our ecosystems intact to survive ourselves.
# 62:
Another reason not to open The Alaskan wilderness to more oil exploration. Enough killing of wildlife and devastation of pristine areas.
# 61:
# 60:
With the Bush Administration dissembling environmental protections every day, we rely on Congress to save the country from total environmental devastation at the hands of those who place no value on the land, or the humans or animals who live on it!
# 59:
Stop devestating our waters and decimating small communities under the guise of free trade. It should be called free for all greed. Government is supposed to help its citizens but who helped the now economically depressed community of Valdez?Who will help the communities in the aleutians? These situations are not ever supposed to happen but government is opening the door to poor environmental practices under laziness and inactivity. If tankers short cut through the coastal waters they should have to pay a fee up front and have guides through our waters. Fed up with too late after the fact policiees.
# 58:
# 57:
Protecting coastal waters world-wide is critical. Will we learn before it is too late? Indonesia/Asia's tsunami is a tragic lesson for all.
# 56:
Anyone who has to be "told" why protecting coastal waters is important wouldn't understand, anyway.
# 55:
# 54:
Every year we're losing precious wildlife and beautiful coastlines to oil spills that could have been prevented by requiring better maintained shipping that use coastal waters. Also, the use of ship pilots in local shipping lanes who know know how to navigate the area should be required.
# 53:
# 52:
# 51:
We are the stewards of the earth for future generations.