We have much more to do and your continued support is needed now more than ever.
The Senate and the Sea
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) fittingly represents the Ocean State in the United States Senate. At Capitol Hill Oceans Week Sen. Whitehouse had this to say: “The oceans can do a lot of things, but they can’t speak for themselves.”
This week, conservation champions from across the country spoke for the oceans.
"The benefits of investing in nature FAR outweigh the costs," Dr. Polasky #GulfHearing
— Sara G-R K (@Sara_GRK) June 6, 2013
At the National Wildlife Federation, we couldn’t agree more.
In a hearing yesterday, Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) examined progress towards restoring the Gulf of Mexico three years since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion. The witnesses recognized the urgent need:
Rachel Jacobsen, Acting Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks for DOI, "The time to start restoration is now." #Gulfhearing
— Restore the Delta (@RestoreDelta) June 6, 2013
Sen. Landrieu, Gulf restoration is important "not just for our states, but for the Nation." #GulfHearing
— Sara G-R K (@Sara_GRK) June 6, 2013
"The Gulf is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world and harbors over 15,000 species," @SenatorWicker #gulfHearing
— Sara G-R K (@Sara_GRK) June 6, 2013
There’s a reason that the Senate Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over the oceans. Every witness acknowledged how integral the health of the marine environment is to national economic prosperity.
"Jobs and the environment go hand-in-glove here [in the Gulf]," @NOAA's Lois Schiffer #GulfHearing
— Sara G-R K (@Sara_GRK) June 6, 2013
"Our economy is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the environment" says George Neugent, Monroe County, FL Mayor. #Gulfhearing
— Restore the Delta (@RestoreDelta) June 6, 2013
"The environmental interest is also the people's interest," @SenBillNelson #GulfHearing
— Sara G-R K (@Sara_GRK) June 6, 2013
Tomorrow is World Oceans Day.
But our lives are tied to the fate of our natural resources every day. So to Senator Whitehouse’s point (and Senator Landrieu’s, Senator Nelson’s, and Senator Wicker’s too!), speak up for the environment. Government officials just might join the conversation.
