Protect critically endangered Rice’s whales from offshore drilling

Critically endangered Rice’s whales may be the most endangered whale on the planet, with fewer than 100 critically endangered Rice’s whales left in existence. Their narrow strip of habitat is in the crosshairs of the fossil fuel industry, and BOEM just opened the door to seismic blasting and drilling that could push them to extinction.

Tell BOEM to reject dirty energy, seismic blasting, and lease sales that directly threaten one of the most endangered whales in the world.

Critically endangered Rice’s whales may be the most endangered whale on the planet, with fewer than 100 critically endangered Rice’s whales left in existence.

Just weeks ago, the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM) held Lease Sale 259, auctioning off key areas of Rice’s whales habitat to the fossil fuel industry, opening the door to seismic airgun blasting and offshore drilling. The dynamite-like blasts of seismic airguns — a precursor to offshore drilling used to search for oil and gas deposits — would hinder Rice’s whales’ ability to find food, stay healthy, and communicate with their calves. And we know from the Deepwater Horizon disaster that a single spill can decimate the species.

It’s a risk we can’t afford to take. BOEM must use its authority to stop selling off our oceans and reverse course on Lease Sale 259, before it’s too late.

CTA

Your Message

Subject Reject Lease Sale 259 in the Gulf of Mexico

Dear BOEM:

Message Body

As stewards of our public waters and lands, you have a responsibility to protect our coastlines and the communities and wildlife who rely on pristine, oil-free oceans.

Therefore, I'm highly concerned with your plan to lease off our coastlines to risky, dangerous offshore oil drilling.

Just one spill, like the Deepwater Horizon Disaster, could harm or kill millions of marine creatures – like the critically endangered Rice’s whale – threaten the health and livelihoods of those of us who live and work along the coasts, and coat entire coastlines with a layer of crude oil that would take years, if not decades, to clean up.

The U.S. is on track to hit all-time records on both oil and gas production this year. Expanded drilling will have NO impact on rising gas prices. And fossil fuel companies have said themselves that they already have the rights to drill on enough land to sustain production for at least ten years.

We cannot continue to burden communities like those in the Gulf who have been suffering for decades due to the pollution from fossil fuels and related industries. Leasing our ocean to oil and gas companies will only lock us into the climate-destroying fossil fuels of the past for decades to come at a time when we need to be rapidly transitioning to 100% clean energy to save our planet. And in this case we would also put one of the most endangered whales on our planet at risk.
 
I implore you to reject Lease Sale 259 and consider less harmful alternatives, like assisting the transition to clean energy. The people and wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico deserve better.

Thank you.

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