From sea level rise and extreme storms fueled by climate change, to coastal erosion, to frequent spills and accidents, the Gulf of Mexico and the people who live here are on the frontline of the impacts from the oil and gas industry. For too long, the Gulf has been treated like the nation’s energy sacrifice zone – enough is enough! On March 23, the Obama administration is holding an offshore lease sale in the Superdome where it will be selling 43 million acres of the Gulf’s water to oil and gas companies. I will be joining citizens outside the Superdome to call for an end to new offshore leases in the Gulf. Can you join me? What: New Lease on Life: A Historic Call for an End to New Offshore Drilling Leases in the Gulf of Mexico
Where: Begins at Duncan Plaza (343 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112). We’ll march to the Superdome from there.
When: March 23 at 7 am. March to the Superdome begins at 8 am. Free buses to the march are available in several cities around the Gulf!
Click here to learn more and RSVP for a bus ride.
Beginning there will also be a series of panels, movie screenings and trainings – entitled Life Lines – around New Orleans leading up to the march. Click here to learn more. Every year, thousands of oil, gas and chemical spills are reported in the Gulf, and we’re still at risk of another catastrophe like the BP disaster. Despite these risks, the oil and gas industry and its political allies are actively fighting against new reforms that are meant to directly address some of the safety problems that led to the BP disaster. Join us in calling for a New Lease on Life. The Gulf South’s economic fate has long been tied to the booms and busts of the oil and gas industry. When times are good, the industry provides jobs, but also extracts enormous cost from our environment and communities. When times are bad, the industry doesn’t hesitate to lay off thousands upon thousands of people and abandon whole communities. It’s time to break the cycle. Ending new offshore lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico is a first step in transitioning to a more stable, sustainable and equitable economy for our region. I hope you can join us on Wednesday and at the events leading up to the march. Raleigh Hoke is GRN’s Campaign Director.