As talk in the Gulf (and in Washington, DC) turns from the technological glitches that caused the Deepwater Horizon spill to the technological fixes we can use to solve this problem and ensure the future safety of our oil and gas drilling activities, I think it’s worth pointing out that – at the end of the day, no matter what changes we make – offshore drilling will remain a risky business. Despite everyone’s best efforts, nothing in this world is 100% perfect or safe. As NRDC commented this past fall when Secretary Salazar asked for comments on the Draft Proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program:
“It was just last September that at least a half-million gallons of crude oil were released from platforms, tanks, and pipelines throughout the Gulf of Mexico as a result of Hurricane Ike. Nearly 685,000 gallons of petroleum products were released from 125 spills from platforms, rigs, and pipelines on the OCS as a result of previous Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Even the best technology cannot eliminate operational and human error or the devastating impacts from accidents in offshore oil and gas operations. The inevitable dangers of offshore oil and gas exploration are tragically clear from the blowout of a well on the West Atlas Montara platform in the Timor Sea. On August 21, 2009, the blowout began spewing somewhere in the range of range of 17,000 to 120,000 gallons of oil per day. As of September 21, 2009 the blowout continues to spew oil, with the oil slick now visible from satellite and covering 7,530 square miles. The plugging of the well is at least three weeks away. Despite a statement by the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association that this is a “very, very rare incident”, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority is as of yet unable to stem the continuous flow of oil into the Timor Sea. The spill is located along the edge of Australia’s continental shelf in an area frequented by loggerhead turtles, dolphins, and endangered species like the pygmy blue whale and referred to as “one of the world’s last true wilderness areas” by Tourism Australia.
There are few effective techniques to clean massive spills of this type. As Bob Masters of the Kimberley Professional Fisherman's Association described of the efforts to mitigate the impacts of the Timor Sea blowout: ‘[M]illions of dollars worth of red emperor, snapper, cod and coral trout are found in the waters known as the northern fishing ground … When dispersants are used to clean up this light crude it forces the dispersed oil into the water column and that's where the fish stocks are and the marine life, living in the water column.’ According to the National Academy of Sciences, current cleanup methods can only remove a small fraction of the oil spilled into the ocean. Scientists investigating the long-term impacts of the Exxon Valdez spill estimate that nearly 20,000 gallons of oil from that spill remain in Prince William Sound, continuing to harm threatened and endangered species and undermine their recovery. Marine mammals, sea birds, fish, shellfish, and other sea life are extremely vulnerable to oil pollution and the long-term toxic effects can impair reproductive success for generations.”
In brief, the impacts of expanded offshore drilling pose the risk of oil spills ruining the country’s coastal and ocean resources – beaches and rich ocean waters that belong to the public – and threatening the jobs, health, and recreation of people who live, work, and vacation along the coasts. From seismic survey impacts in the exploration stages, to drilling muds and cuttings and produced water from oil wells, to oil spill impacts – oil and gas exploration and development is a risky business that affects all forms of ocean life and the industries that rely on healthy oceans. Read the NRDC fact sheet for more information (pdf).
This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pause, take a step back and evaluate what happened at Deepwater Horizon. It also doesn’t mean that we should just sit on our hands and not try to stem the flow of oil gushing into the Gulf’s waters. Rather, we need to have a better understanding of what risks we’re willing to take. The industry has reassured us time and again that oil and gas drilling are safe, but accidents do happen and the environmental and economic consequences of these accidents can be massive. The country deserves a better understanding of what’s at risk so that we can make better decisions about our energy future.
NRDC supports imposing a moratorium on all new drilling activities offshore and a suspension of the processes the Administration now has underway to plan for future offshore drilling until an independent investigation can be completed that assesses the causes of the current spill, how such spills can be avoided in the future, the adequacy of containment and clean-up measures for spills generally, and the implications of these findings for drilling in, or adjacent to sensitive and ecologically important areas. NRDC sent a letter to President Obama outlining our recommendations for how we can protect marine life and coastal communities from similar spills in the Gulf or elsewhere.
The American public deserve answers to these questions before new drilling activities and planning processes go forward.
TAKE ACTION: Tell President Obama to Impose a Moratorium on New Offshore Drilling
]]>Offshore oil drilling is dangerous work, as the tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico reminds us. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims who were lost in the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig.
Unfortunately, this horror story grows more and more tragic every day. As more than 200,000 gallons of oil per day spew into the ocean, an environmental disaster is unfolding before our eyes. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries estimates at least 400 species could be impacted by the oil spill, including a dozen, like the sperm whale, West Indian manatee, and Brown Pelican, that are listed under the Endangered Species Act. The oil spill is expected to make landfall by this weekend.
Those who make their living from the Gulf’s living resources are waiting and worried. Louisiana's fishing industry is the second largest in America, producing 20% to 25% of the total domestic seafood in the lower 48 states. About a third of the nation's oysters come from Louisiana's waters and the state is also a major producer of shrimp. Florida, whose coastline is also at risk from this spill, depends heavily on tourism and recreation. In 2008, visitors spent $65.2 billion in Florida and Florida collected $3.9 billion in tourism-related sales taxes. The state’s tourism industry depends in large measure on clean water, clean beaches and abundant fish and wildlife. These are threatened when an oil spill of this magnitude occurs.
This disaster will be all the more tragic if we fail to learn from it. Already, several lessons are evident:
Last month, the Obama Administration announced its intent to open up new regions to offshore drilling, including federal waters along the east coast of the U.S. from Delaware to Florida, in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and in the Arctic Ocean off Alaska. During his speech, President Obama assured the nation that new offshore oil and gas development would be done “in ways that protect communities and coastlines.”
It is now clear that we still do not know how to adequately protect communities and coastlines from the worst impacts of offshore drilling accidents. From faulty technology and basic human error, to insufficient and potentially harmful clean-up techniques, there is now proof positive that we need to pause and ask ourselves what it really takes to safely drill off of our coasts.
Such a pause is standard operating procedure. After the terrible 1986 explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, NASA grounded its shuttle fleet for over 2 years, and established a special commission to investigate the accident and offer key recommendations to be implemented before shuttle flights resumed.
We believe that, in light of this recent tragedy, there should be a time-out on any action to proceed with new offshore drilling until there has been a full and independent investigation of the causes of this blowout, an assessment of whether and how such accidents can be avoided in the future, and a full understanding of the environmental risks of drilling to sensitive and ecologically important areas in these regions as well as the economic impacts to ocean and coastal communities.
The Administration and, for its part, Congress, must take into account the huge safety and environmental issues that has been exposed as a result of the massive oil spill in the Gulf. We call on the Administration to suspend plans to open up new areas to offshore drilling until we truly understand how to do environmentally and socially responsible offshore drilling.
This nation also needs comprehensive climate and clean energy policy that invests in energy efficiency and renewable power, including clean renewable energy available off our coasts. Passing strong climate legislation that caps carbon pollution will also create a new opportunity to economically recover stranded oil in fields that have already been drilled through a technique called CO2-enhanced oil recovery. This technique avoids the risks that are inherent in offshore drilling activities.
]]>
Please join with us in making a public statement in support of greater protection for our oceans:
We’re joining with dozens of organizations and activists nationwide for Wear Blue for Oceans Day and encouraging everyone to wear their love for the oceans on their sleeves (or skirts or anywhere else) and help make a public statement in support of greater protection for our oceans.
Every other breath of oxygen we take relies on healthy oceans. So much of our food, jobs, and recreation depend on them. The U.S. ocean economy alone provides more jobs and more economic output than the entire farm sector. And yet our oceans are in a silent state of collapse and need our help. From overfishing and pollution, to warming temperatures and ocean acidification – a national ocean policy strengthens the government's ability to tackle these challenges.
Ocean resources are currently governed by a mix of more than 140 laws and 20 different agencies, each with different goals and often conflicting mandates. Like a Clean Air Act for our air or a Clean Water Act for our water, we need a national policy to protect our oceans.
The Obama Administration is already creating this policy – and we’ll be looking to the President to ring in 2010 by making it official and issuing an executive order that formally establishes:
Here’s how you can join us in showing your support:
I’d like to highlight for you two aspects of the President’s first year that I think are particularly significant for oceans.
One is the President’s appointment of Dr. Jane Lubchenco as head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the lead civilian ocean agency which manages the nation’s ocean fisheries, marine sanctuaries, and coastal zone programs, as well as conducts wide-ranging and important scientific research regarding the health of our oceans. Dr. Lubchenco is a world-renowned marine ecologist who served in the past as president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and in other distinguished positions. The President’s appointment is evidence of his commitment to strong science-based decision-making. Such decision-making should help reverse the decline in ocean resources resulting from overexploitation, pollution, habitat loss and climate change.
The second important aspect of the President's ocean progress is the national ocean policy the administration is in the process of creating. Just as we have a Clean Air Act to protect our air and a Clean Water Act to protect our water, we need a national ocean policy to protect our oceans. Not one, but two national commissions (the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission) have called for the urgent adoption and implementation of such a policy in order to stem the rapid decline in the health of our ocean ecosystems. Now, President Obama has put our nation on track to do this.
In June, the President issued a Memorandum entitled a “National Policy for the Oceans, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes.” This memo calls for the development of a national ocean policy to ensure the protection, maintenance and restoration of the health of ocean ecosystems and resources and a coordinated framework to improve stewardship of the oceans, coasts and Great Lakes. In order to develop this policy, the President established an Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force headed by the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality and set firm deadlines for the Task Force to report back to him.
NRDC expects a final report to the president from the Task Force in the first quarter of 2010, and as we move into the new year – I hope the President will make this national ocean policy official by issuing an executive order. Doing this would constitute a major step toward reviving the oceans – and surely earn him a gold star on his second year environmental progress report!
Take Action: Tell President Obama to protect our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes.
]]>This stage proposes a framework for a process called coastal and marine spatial planning, which can help America manage the increasing amount of industrial pressure on our seas while protecting them from further degradation.
Today, the administration released the details of its Interim Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning Framework and, once again, the outlook is promising.
Let me explain…
We look to our seas to satisfy a lot of demands – from food to energy, shipping, recreation and the discovery of new medicines. Coastal & marine spatial planning (MSP) is the process of planning ahead and identifying spaces in the ocean and coastal waters that are appropriate for various uses, separating incompatible uses, while at the same time ensuring that the environment and marine life are protected. MSP allows us to identify in advance areas where certain industrial uses make sense, and areas where they don’t.
Other countries, such as Australia, Norway and the Netherlands, are using MSP to improve management of their ocean resources. Some states have done this as well. For example, Massachusetts is completing a comprehensive ocean management plan and Rhode Island is in the process of developing one.
Today, President Obama’s Ocean Policy Task Force released its proposed recommendations for how America can plan for the future of our oceans using MSP. These recommendations will be available for a 60-day public comment period.
NRDC is pleased to see that:
As we move toward a clean energy economy, we are increasingly turning to renewable offshore energy – like wind power – that won’t spill or run out. Marine spatial planning can help expedite the siting of these projects in an environmentally responsible way. MSP can and should be the blueprint we use to develop the energy of the future off our shores while also protecting our oceans.
Recognizing this, several environmental groups and offshore renewable energy companies came together to support a common set of principles regarding MSP. Many of these principles are reflected in the Ocean Policy Task Force’s proposed recommendations released today. By creating a roadmap for our oceans, we can minimize conflicts from the get-go that slow down offshore renewable energy development and get clean energy up and running faster.
The marine spatial planning framework presented by the Obama administration will help protect our ocean life while ensuring that sustainable ocean development can move forward. It’s an important step toward much needed improved stewardship of our oceans.
The president from Hawaii and the Lake Michigan continues to show us he’s true blue each step of the way.
Take Action: Tell President Obama to protect our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes.
]]>The Obama Administration is in the process of holding several public hearings around the country to allow Americans to weigh in as they make environmental history. The ocean taskforce has already made trips to Alaska & San Francisco. Now we'll get our turn.
In my testimony, I'll be sharing my thoughts about the proposals (they look great) and letting them know how the East Coast would benefit if they follow through and make this policy official.
Background: If adopted, the proposals in the report released last week will guide the government's actions across a wide range of ocean and Great Lakes issues. From overfishing and pollution to warming temperatures and acidification, a national ocean policy and plan of action will strengthen the government's ability to tackle each and every one of these challenges. And it helps us be smart about the way we use our ocean resources. Right now, our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes are governed by more than 140 laws and 20 different agencies, each with different goals and often conflicting mandates. We cannot continue to let chaos manage the way we rule our seas -- this policy will help restore order.
This concept can be hard to grasp, because it's a policy change that has wide-ranging benefits across the board when it comes to protecting the health of our seas. Like a Clean Air Act for our air, and a Clean Water Act for our water, a national ocean policy will take the same sort of action for our oceans. In my last post I took a look at a few nationwide examples of ocean issues a national policy will help better address, such as acidification and overfishing.
Now, let's look a little more regionally at how a policy like this will affect the future of the Northeast Atlantic when it comes to offshore renewable energy. We know there is great potential for offshore wind development in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. As we move forward in developing the clean renewable energy off our coasts that will repower America, we must do it right the first time. By using a process called marine spatial planning, we can plan ahead -- we can identify what areas of the ocean make sense for what industrial uses, and what sensitive areas should be set off-limits. Fortunately, the Administration has expressed great interest in using this process as part of a National Ocean Policy. In New York, Cornell scientists have recently discovered the paths whales are using to travel up and down New York's shorelines, revealing endangered whales are swimming just off New York Harbor, sometimes as close as 10 miles from Times Square. As we develop clean, renewable energy off our coasts, a national policy will help us take such precautions as putting wind turbines outside of the whales' path.
A national policy also has regional economic benefits for coastal states because healthy oceans contribute to a healthy economy. In fact, the oceans contribute more jobs and economic output to the U.S. economy than the entire farm sector ($230 billion of the country's GDP every year). Fishing, seafood, wildlife watching, and tourism industries all depend on the health of the sea. In New York State, for instance, more than 350,000 jobs -- in fishing, seafood markets, boat and ship building, and tourism -- and $11.5 billion in wages for employees relied on New York's oceans in 2004. The oceans made up $24.6 billion of the state's GDP in the same year. And when the ocean suffers, so does the economy. Beach closings on Long Island cost New York State $60 million in 2007 and were largely caused by stormwater runoff that made water too dirty for swimming. The state has also seen severe declines in fish and shellfish populations, including some of the most valuable species caught in New York.
A national ocean policy will help New York, the East Coast and the entire country better address ALL of these issues that affect its ocean AND its Great Lakes resources -- from cleaning up beachwater so you get fewer closings due to pollution, to stopping overfishing, protecting our ocean economy, and helping us develop clean energy off our shores the right way.
Join me in letting President Obama know we support what his taskforce has proposed, and want to see the recommendations made official!
]]>Like a Clean Air Act or a Clean Water Act - bedrock environmental laws that radically improved the way we protect and manage these resources - President Obama is in the process of creating a landmark national healthy oceans policy and plan of action for our seas.
We got our first glimpse today of what the administration is proposing in an Interim Report issued today by the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, which President Obama established in June.
Today's news indicates this policy is true blue. The details released today reveal the Obama Administration is crafting the most progressive, comprehensive national action for our oceans that we have ever seen. It is a ambitious, targeted and detailed game plan for saving our seas. This will be the first time we have ever had this kind of action for healthy oceans from any President in U.S. history.
Now, Americans will have the chance to weigh-in through a 30-day public comment period and through a series of regional listening sessions around the country. The first kicked off in Alaska last month and the second will occur today in San Francisco (see what our CA Advocacy Director will say when she testifies in SF today here, and follow my fellow NRDC ocean team member Laura Pagano as she live blogs from the event.) Next week will be a hearing in Providence, followed by Honolulu, New Orleans and Cleveland in the weeks after.
What we saw today from the Obama Administration lays the groundwork for protecting our oceans from the threats they face. It lays out a vision and recommends the adoption of a national policy that highlights the need to protect, maintain and restore ocean, coasts and Great Lakes ecosystems-something this country has never had.
Here are a few details: It proposes establishment of a high-level National Ocean Council co-chaired by the President's Council on Environmental Quality and the Office of Science and Technology Policy to oversee implementation of the policy. It also lays out a detailed work plan for that Council, including calling for the development of strategic action plans (within 6 to 12 months) to address priority issues such as ocean resilience and adaptation in the face of climate change and ocean acidification; regional ecosystem protection and restoration; water quality improvement, particularly from land-based sources; and changing conditions in the Arctic.
These priorities are right on point, and the plan of action is strong.
If adopted, the recommendations in this report will guide the federal government's actions across a range of issues. From overfishing and pollution, to warming temperatures and acidification - a national ocean policy and plan of action will strengthen the government's ability to tackle each and every one of these challenges. And it helps us be smart about the way we use our ocean resources. Right now, our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes are governed by more than 140 laws and 20 different agencies, each with different goals and often conflicting mandates. We cannot continue to let chaos manage the way we rule our seas - this policy will help restore order.
Take ocean acidification for example - an issue where NRDC has been on the frontlines of (and actually just released a new documentary called Acid Test, narrated by Sigourney Weaver and shown on Discovery's Planet Green in August). What does a national ocean policy do to address this challenge? While most people know that the most important step in protecting our seas from the effects of acidification is to cut carbon dioxide pollution - they may not know the second step is to make it as healthy as possible so it can be more resilient to the effects. Just like a healthy person is better able to handle an illness, a healthy ocean is better able to withstand additional stress. This policy is the prescription they need.
Overfishing is another great example where a national oceans policy will help - giving the government more ability to revive struggling fish populations (important when worldwide 90 percent of large fish like tuna are already gone) and address destructive fishing practices.
And developing this policy is especially critical now - as our country moves forward in developing the clean, renewable energy off our coasts for the 21st century. A policy like this can help the government make sure it's protecting ocean resources while moving forward with such development, making sure it's done right from the start.
This list goes on - in fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find an issue affecting our oceans' health where a national oceans policy wouldn't help. And it doesn't stop at the environment - this policy can also help the economy. Our oceans and Great Lakes are economic engines - providing more jobs and more economic output than the entire farm sector (contributing more than $230 billion to the nation's GDP annually).
The Obama Administration is charting the course for healthy oceans, and from what we've seen today they're on the right path. We look forward to helping sail the ship.
Join me in sending your support for a national policy for healthy oceans by taking action here.
]]>If business as usual continues with CO2 emissions, scientists predict that the ocean will become more acidic by the end of this century than it has ever been in the last 20 million years, with devastating impacts to corals, shellfish we love to eat like mussels, clams and lobsters, and to small creatures like pteropods (aka sea angels) that help form the base of the marine food chain.
NRDC explores the phenomenon of ocean acidification in ACID TEST, our new, groundbreaking documentary narrated by Sigourney Weaver. The film will premiere on Discovery's Planet Green on Wednesday, August 12th at 10:30 p.m. Eastern and re-airs throughout the month. Please tune in! For local show times and more information go to: http://www.nrdc.org/acidtest.
ACID TEST tells this story of "the other carbon problem" with beautiful ocean shots, and scientists on the frontlines of this issue - including NRDC's own Senior Ocean Scientist Lisa Suatoni. NRDC's Daniel Hinerfeld co-directs. The out-take below gives you a peek at what to expect from the full documentary later this month!
TAKE ACTION:
1) A national ocean, coastal and Great Lakes policy that, among other things, protects and maintains these important ecosystems.
2) A structural framework for coordinated implementation of the policy.
In addition, within 180 days the task force is to recommend a mechanism for effective marine spatial planning, which will help prevent "ocean sprawl" -- as we face more and more proposals for offshore energy and other developments in the ocean. This will help move toward a clean, renewable energy future that protects ocean ecosystems.
America needs a comprehensive national policy to protect our ocean, coasts and Great Lakes today and for future generations. President Obama has taken a critical step toward making this a reality. For example, right now, our oceans are governed by over 140 laws and 20 different agencies, each with different goals and often conflicting mandates. A national oceans policy can provide the coordinated vision we need to successfully tackle these challenges. Like a Clean Water Act for our water, or a Clean Air Act for our air - a national policy for our ocean, coasts and Great Lakes will establish a national framework for reviving these areas so vital to our environment and economy.
In 2003 and 2004, two national commissions, the Pew Oceans Commission and the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, called for the establishment of a national policy to better protect our nation's valuable ocean, coasts and Great Lakes. President Obama is showing leadership in taking important steps to develop such a policy.
]]>Here are some surprising, but important ocean facts:
When ocean ecosystems are degraded as a result of pollution, overexploitation, habitat loss or other adverse impacts, the ocean economy suffers. For example, Long Island's economy lost more than $60 million in economic activity and state and local sales taxes in 2007 when pollution closed local beaches. And economic values increase with healthier ecosystems. For example, a 2005 study found that rebuilding fish populations would result in triple the net economic value of catch levels of depleted fisheries.
Individuals can make a contribution to healthier ocean ecosystems by taking steps in their own lives to eat more sustainably and to urge governmental action to protect the ocean.
Join NRDC in recognizing this holiday:
1) Check out our new healthy & sustainable seafood guide that, among other things, provides 7 simple tips for people to use when they shop or eat out.
2) Watch this sneak peek of NRDC's upcoming ocean acidification film. Acid Test: The Challenge of Ocean Acidification, features Sigourney Weaver and airs on Discovery Planet Green this summer during their Blue August month.
3) Sign this letter to Congress telling your representatives you want a national Healthy Oceans Act. Such an act would establish a national policy to protect, maintain and restore the health of our ocean ecosystems. We need a law like this in order to provide a coherent framework for managing the many activities that affect the health of our oceans. We have a Clean Air Act for our air and a Clean Water Act for our waters. We need a Healthy Oceans Act to protect our oceans.
As we celebrate World Oceans Day, let us remember the great bounty that the sea provides us and our responsibility to be good stewards of this great public resource.
]]>With the official signing ceremony (and expert briefings throughout the day on recommendations for moving forward), the Mid-Atlantic jumps to being a regional player on the ocean protection scene, on par with ecosystem-wide efforts by bodies like the West Coast Governors' Agreement.
And what better way to begin than by announcing important steps they plan to take together? The agreement indicates the states will work together to:
In the coming months the council will be taking important actions to advance these initiatives. There is much to be done, but working together and building on each others' efforts, we can protect and restore our shared backyard and economic engine - the Atlantic Ocean.
]]>This brand-new entity will work together to tackle a wide range of ocean issues - from developing properly sited offshore renewable energy and increasing protection of important offshore habitats, to addressing climate change and sea level rise, and working to increase federal support for water quality infrastructure improvements.
In addition to the formal signing ceremony in New York City tomorrow, the Governors and their staff plan on getting right to work. Ocean experts - including NRDC - will be on hand to brief participants on ocean protection issues and to make recommendations for moving forward. I look forward to addressing habitat issues with state representatives that afternoon.
For years, ocean advocates like NRDC have called for this kind of regional coordination and cooperation to protect our seas. Our oceans don't recognize borders. That's why it's so significant that these Governors will agree to reach across state lines to protect them. This kind of coordination is good news for all of the jobs, state revenue and seafood that depend on a healthy Atlantic Ocean.
And since we know there is enormous potential for developing offshore renewable energy sources - especially wind power - off the East Coast, it will be critical for the Governors to work together to make sure it's appropriately sited to protect vulnerable ocean areas, and developed right the first time. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has said that wind power can replace 3,000 coal plants and there is great opportunity for developing it in the Atlantic.
There is an increasing amount of pressure on our seas - from energy development, to fishing, shipping and climate change. But this new council will help manage these stresses, and better protect the entire Mid-Atlantic region.
Want to see more action toward healthy oceans nationwide? Tell your representatives in Congress you want a national Healthy Oceans Act here.
]]>In developing the report, JOCI sought input from ocean leaders, including NRDC. For example, in January, I participated in a two-day meeting in Annapolis hosted by JOCI where we provided our views on what the ocean priorities for this Administration and this Congress should be.
I am pleased that the report includes key ocean policy recommendations that NRDC supports and is already working to promote. For example, here are some:
As then-Presidential Candidate Barack Obama said: "Oceans are crucial to the earth's ecosystem and to all Americans because they drive global weather patterns, feed our people, and are a major source of employment for fisheries and recreation. As president, I will commit my administration to develop the kind of strong, integrated, well managed program of ocean stewardship that is essential to sustain a healthy marine environment."
The Joint Ocean Commission report lays out a blueprint for such a strong program of ocean stewardship. NRDC is committed to working with this Administration and this Congress to bring this blueprint to life.
]]>These whales have been heard singing in New York Harbor (listen and see where here) thanks to the first year of a whale monitoring program run by Cornell University that is designed to help us protect the right - and other endangered whales - from fatal ship strikes as they swim in the path of shipping lanes close to shore.
The timing on the Times' piece was eerily relevant for New York, as it went to print while continued funding for the program is sitting on the chopping block in Albany. On the same day this story ran, the head of the whale monitoring program, Christopher Clark, was in Albany with one of NRDC's ocean policy analysts, Alison Chase, presenting the progress he has made, and fighting for its continued funding, along with other important New York ocean and Great Lakes initiatives.
The whale monitoring work has taught us that endangered whales are swimming just off New York's coasts - sometimes as close as 10 miles from Times Square. The project uses a system of acoustic monitors to listen for endangered whales in New York's waters. Armed with this data, we can implement programs such as the one off Massachusetts, where a system of buoys listens for whales and alerts ships if whales are in the area, allowing ships to slow down so they don't run over them. The baseline data is also important to making sure we're siting offshore energy outside of their migratory pathways.
But in order to make this research a worthwhile investment, we need funding for the remaining two years of research through the Environmental Protection Fund in the state budget. This is just one of many important ocean and Great Lakes initiatives at risk of losing funding in the state budget through the EPF right now. Others include:
Without further funding, the money used to already get these multi-year projects off the ground will be a waste. That's why we need the state to make an investment of at least $8.5 million for ocean and Great Lakes projects in FY 2009-10, as part of an expanded EPF. (Tell the state legislature you want them to restore funding for New York's ocean and Great Lake resources here.)
These are challenging fiscal times, and, with steep budget shortfalls projected and tight staffing, we understand that the legislature is facing difficult decisions about what projects they are able to fund. But we also know that healthy ocean and Great Lakes resources are directly tied to a healthy New York economy.
Now, more than ever, they should not be cut. In fact, a council made up of nine state agencies (New York Ocean and Great Lakes Ecosystem Conservation Council) recently released a draft report that called for immediate action to restore New York's ocean and Great Lakes resources because of severe environmental and economic decline, including record beach closings and struggling commercial fisheries.
The EPF was established as a dedicated revenue source so that our critical environmental programs can be carried out in both good and bad economic times. Yet, Governor Paterson's 2009-10 budget slashes the EPF, including a more than 60 percent cut to ocean and Great Lakes funding. This money helps pay for on-the-ground action and important research. And without it, we will lose much of the progress New York State has made to restore these resources.
This is the opposite of what the state should be doing to protect the people and economy that rely on healthy ocean and Great Lakes resources.
To make matters even worse, a report issued by the Environmental Advocates of New York earlier this month has raised concerns that EPF recipients might not receive their funds from last year. The state must get the funds promised into the hands of the contractors moving these projects forward.
An editorial in the New York Times today said failure to fund the whale monitoring program "means a loss of valuable research data and the possibility of more ship strikes. And it also means a loss to our imagination." I couldn't agree more. And failure to fund New York's ocean and Great Lakes initiatives in the EPF will also mean a loss to our local economy.
]]>