Stop Shell Oil's Arctic offshore drilling plans

Dear Raul, The Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off the coast of Alaska are home to whales, seals, seabirds, and polar bears. Shell Oil will start offshore drilling there within weeks. Urge the Obama administration to say no to drilling in these pristine Seas! Within the remote waters of the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas – off the coast of Alaska – swim gray and bowhead whales, more than 3,000 belugas, and endangered fin and humpback whales. This wild place draws seabirds, seals, and roughly half of America's polar bears. Ninety percent of the entire Pacific walrus population lives here year round. But this region will see new guests within weeks: ships from Shell Oil, bent on drilling five exploratory oil wells. The disaster in the Gulf is a tragic reminder that there is no fail-safe way to drill for oil offshore. Help us stop oil drilling in the Arctic before it ever begins – and avert another offshore drilling disaster. Take action today to block drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas! Under the Bush Administration, millions of acres of the Arctic Ocean were leased to Shell Oil. The Wilderness Society and other conservation groups were able to convince the Obama Administration to review leasing plans there. The WildAlert community's support had a big impact. Now Interior Secretary Salazar's safety review is due out by May 28th, so we have a small window of time to influence his decision. An oil spill in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas would have devastating consequences on the marine life there, far from ports or any clean-up support. In fact, Coast Guard commandant Admiral Thad Allen, who is overseeing response efforts in the Gulf, told a recent Senate field hearing in Alaska that oil spill cleanup is "significantly more difficult" in colder temperatures and the [Arctic] region has "limited response resources and capabilities." Take action now! Urge Secretary Salazar to stop Shell Oil from drilling in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. Time and again the WildAlert community has rallied to block harmful development that values corporate gain over the protection of wild places. We're calling on you once again because we need your support to save these pristine wildlife habitats off the coast of Alaska from oil drilling. Cold coastal waters are fragile: the bountiful wildlife that call them home can't handle an oil spill like what we've witnessed in the Gulf. Send a message to the Obama administration today, urging them to stop Shell's offshore drilling plans before it's too late. Thank you for everything you do to preserve our special wild places. Sincerely, Kathy Kilmer The Wilderness Society Visit your subscription management page to modify your email communication preferences or update your personal profile. To stop ALL email from The Wilderness Society, click here to remove yourself  from our lists (or reply via email with "remove" in the subject line). The Wilderness Society's mission is to protect wilderness and inspire Americans to care for our wild places. As a subscriber to WildAlert, you join more than 500,000 Wilderness Society members and supporters in protecting and restoring America's wild places.