As the North Atlantic right whale was placed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s list of critically endangered species Thursday, environmental protection groups accusing the U.S. government of bowing to fishing and fossil fuel industry pressure to downplay the threat and failing to enact common-sense restrictions to protect the animals. Only 400 right […]
Tag: offshore drilling
Eastern Gulf’s Protections from Oil Drilling Set to Expire
The eastern Gulf of Mexico has been protected from oil and gas drilling for decades, most recently by the 2006 Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act. Unfortunately, the ban is scheduled to end on June 30, 2022, and without renewal or replacement, this long-protected area could be open to drilling. In fact, the Interior Department’s […]
POLL: Should the Trump Administration authorize oil and gas exploration off the Atlantic coast?
The Trump Administration announced today that it will issue five Incidental Harassment Authorizations (IHAs) for airgun blasting off the Atlantic coast. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stated: “In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NOAA Fisheries has issued incidental harassment […]
A series of oil spills sully Caribbean paradise, coating mangroves and wildlife (photos)
On December 17th, officials first discovered a massive oil spill in the Caribbean-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Since then, a series of oil spills have been discovered, coating beaches, sullying mangrove forests, and very likely decimating wildlife in Trinidad’s Gulf of Paria. The oil spills have been linked to the state-owned oil company, Petrotrin, […]
Gulf Dolphins Are Still Sick After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
This morning NOAA released a report from its dolphin health assessment following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Their investigation shows the effects of the spill on dolphins in Barataria Bay, including a higher prevalence of lung disease and adrenal effects. One of the worst sights I’ve ever seen was the Gulf Oil Spill, but the […]
A Deaf Whale is a Dead Whale: Keep the Atlantic Free of Seismic Testing
According to government estimates, 138,500 whales and dolphins will soon be injured and possibly killed along the East Coast if exploration companies are allowed to use dangerous blasts of noise to search for offshore oil and gas. These loud blasts are used on a recurring basis, going off every ten seconds, for 24 hours a […]