Raleigh, NC- North Carolina’s coast has wonderful beaches, parks, marshes, remarkable underwater ecosystems and amazing wildlife, all of which would be threatened by more offshore oil drilling, currently under debate in Washington DC. According to “Oceans Under the Gun”, a new report written by Environment America and the Sierra Club, our clean beaches and oceans support a vibrant coastal tourism and fishing economy, which overshadows investment in oil and gas, 3.7 to 1.
“Our oceans are truly ‘under the gun’, threatened by Big Oil and their allies in Congress who want to expand offshore drilling,” said Kassidee Fisher, Field Associate with Environment North Carolina. “Our clean beaches and ocean enable coastal business and jobs from tourism, commercial fishing and recreational fishing conservatively valued at over $2 billion per year in North Carolina.” Fisher continued.
The report shows that the value of the sustainable economy based on tourism and fishing in the Mid-Atlantic region is 3.7 times larger than the oil and gas resources that we might be able to find there.
“Right now the only thing some decision makers in Congress and state legislatures across the country are counting is barrels of oil in the ocean, not endangered species, special places or tourism dollars,” added Fisher. “They are ignoring the significant value of the sustainable activities on our coasts, like fishing, the value of wonderful marine environments. We want to change that mindset.”
“We’re being asked to industrialize a beautiful natural system offshore and onshore, when very little is being done to conserve energy in this country. They say that they’ll find natural gas off Hatteras Island, and natural gas is touted as a clean fuel…but the process of drilling for natural gas is very polluting,” said Jan DeBlieu, Coastal Advocate, North Carolina Coastal Federation. “I’ve seen pictures of drill rigs spilling out oil after Hurricane Katrina, so the dangers from natural gas are every bit as great as drilling for oil.” DeBlieu continued.
The report highlights the special marine ecosystems, treasured beaches and coastal parks, and extraordinary marine life in North Carolina. The Outer Banks provide North Carolinians with access to sensitive coastal estuaries, thick maritime forests, and unique marine wildlife.
“North Carolina is blessed with a number of wonderful coastal areas such as Hatteras Island, which provides us with serene ocean views, and oil rigs have no place obstructing that serenity.” said Fisher.
Over the next few months Congress will decide whether to allow expanded drilling off our coasts as part of the energy and global warming legislation now moving through Congress. The eastern Gulf of Mexico is the area most at risk, but other regions like California, New England, the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast are also threatened by one proposal or another.
“Our research makes it clear that our clean beaches and coastal parks are worth more than drilling for the last drops of oil that will serve us for a few weeks or months. It’s time to protect our coasts from more spilling and drilling,” Fisher concluded.
Oceans-Under-the-Gun-Report-1.pdf