This morning, the Obama administration announced that it would expand offshore drilling. This is a major step backward: a misguided concession to Big Oil that will damage our coastlines, pour more carbon into the atmosphere, keep us addicted to oil, and slow down the creation of clean energy jobs (oh, and yeah, it will lower the price of gasoline … by a few pennies in 2030).
The next few hours are crucial for shaping the public response to this announcement. The administration is already feeling the heat — most news sources are covering criticism from both environmental groups and Republicans — and we need to keep the pressure up. Here’s some quick ways to help out:
Tell President Obama and the Senate that you oppose expanding offshore drilling. The Senate still has to approve the deal and coastal Senators can help block drilling off their shores.
Join the growing 1,000,000 Strong Against Offshore Drilling facebook group. The group is quickly becoming a hub for anti-drilling activity and a good place to stay up to date with new developments.
Follow the debate on Twitter with this list. A list of some of the people tracking the debate.
And, of course, keep checking back to the blog for more updates and commentary on the announcement!
Obama, June 20th 2008: “When I’m President, I intend to keep in place the moratorium, here in Florida and around the country, that prevents oil companies from drilling off Florida’s coast.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8fkbEuCQss
Ironically, this speech is a criticism of McCain changing his position on offshore oil drilling. Maybe Obama should have said “Read my lips.”
This is a bad move on Obama’s part which will dampen the new enthusiasm for his leadership among progressives, inspired by passage of healthcare reform. Healthcare helped to rally Obama’s base back to him for all of a few days, and now he’s largely throwing that support away. Opening the coasts to oil drilling this way will do little or nothing to earn him the votes of Republicans in Congress; as demonstrated during the healthcare debate, compromise isn’t a working strategy when dealing with conservatives who have no incentive to help create reform. Well Obama, I hope you enjoyed being back in the favor of progressives while it lasted….
The Beautiful America is a gift of God. Keep it clean.