The future of oceans and seas – Conference on international ocean policy.
7 JUNE – The future of oceans and seas – Conference on international ocean policy
VERTRETUNG DES LANDES BREMEN BEIM BUND
Recently, a number of important decisions with an impact on international maritime policy have been made. Despite international crises and increasing tension, a UN convention on the protection of the biodiversity of the high seas was reached….
Recently, a number of important decisions with an impact on international maritime policy have been made. Despite international crises and i
The Arctic is one of the most secure regions in the world, experts say. But as the environment changes rapidly, opening up the region to new economic...
Among other things, the new order shifts focus from the environment to business interests and takes indigenous voices off the table.
The spill began with a bang. On April 20, 2010 a jet of natural gas surged to the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform. Fumes filled the air, signaling something was amiss—and then the rig exploded in a smoky blaze, killing eleven people on board. In the three months that followed, an estimated 134 million gallons of oil gushed into the gulf, devastating marine life—from tiny microorganisms to sea birds and dolphins.
“We're still feeling the effects today,” says Andrew Rosenberg, director of the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Amidst the cleanup, then-President Barack Obama issued Executive Order 13547, emphasizing the vital need for ocean and Great Lake stewardship. It established the first National Ocean Policy, noting that the Deepwater spill “is a stark reminder of how vulnerable our marine environments are, and how much communities and the nation rely on healthy and resilient ocean and coastal ecosystems.”
But on June 19, President Donald Trump issued another Executive Order, replacing the Ocean Policy with one that conspicuously leaves out this disaster, and instead focuses on economy, security, and energy, as well as “streamlining” current policies. It places strong responsibility on states to take action and eliminates the requirement for involving indigenous groups in decision making.
Three decades from now, several crucial elements of the Antarctic Treaty will come up for possible renewal, plunging the future of the continent into uncertainty.
Don’t forget to vote tomorrow! Californians can support a healthy coast by voting YES on Prop 68 to help protect the beaches, bays, wetlands, lagoons and coastal watersheds that humans and wildlife rely on.
These are the final days of public comment: tell the Dept. of Interior NO to new offshore drilling. Please submit your comments: speak out against the largest single expansion of offshore drilling activity ever proposed.
Need some talking points? Let them know:
< You oppose new offshore oil drilling
< The impact drilling would have on the ocean, its wildlife, our coasts, and economies
< Include a personal touch about how you, your family, your community, your livelihood use and/or rely on the ocean
Visit regulations.gov/document?D=BOEM-2017-0074-0001 and click COMMENT NOW
Are you listening to World Ocean Radio? We’ve got an ongoing series on the Arctic this fall, a multi-part broadcast of radio episodes on Arctic issues exploring governance, policy, oversight, climate, resources, and the challenges for a changing Arctic. Join the conversation!
http://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/world-ocean-radio
