Posted on 03/09/2018 10:18:38 AM PST by Simon Green
Environmentalist religious leaders sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Thursday, urging him to halt expansion of off-shore drilling to “protect God’s marine creation.”
Hundreds of church leaders from the National Religious Partnership for the Environment signed the letter addressed to Trump and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, to add their voices to the opposition against plans to expand offshore natural gas and oil drilling and seismic testing, according to The Washington Examiner. Religious leaders sent the letter in response to Zinke’s Jan. 4 announcement of plans to make over 90 percent of the federally-owned acreage in the outer continental shelf available for expanded drilling and seismic testing.
“Offshore drilling brings unacceptable risks to God’s oceans and coastal communities,” the religious leaders wrote.
“Expanding drilling into our Arctic, Atlantic, Eastern Gulf of Mexico and Pacific waters—still largely unspoiled by drilling’s inherent hazards and harms—would put our coastal residents, businesses, oceans, and climate at grave risk. Exposing the Gulf of Mexico to additional drilling would further burden residents with the pollution and risks that have already caused great, lasting harm to the region. God created the oceans with an abundance of life and, as stewards of God’s earth, we should work to preserve and protect God’s marine creation. As people of faith, we also uphold our duty to love our neighbors. Oceans provide food sources and livelihoods for millions in the U.S. and globally,” the letter added.
The church leaders instead suggested that the administration focus on developing renewable energy resources, particularly wind and solar power. Wind power, however, has garnered criticism not just for its harmful effects on birds and bats, but also for the newly discovered deadly effects of wind turbine noise on marine life.
Zinke’s announcement of the plans for expanded drilling explained that the move is meant to help the U.S. gain energy independence from foreign markets, but also to establish the U.S. as a dominant player in the energy industry worldwide. Walter Cruickshank, director for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, said in the letter that while the primary goal is to help increase U.S. economic competitiveness, the administration aims to do so in a way that is environmentally safe.
“American energy production can be competitive while remaining safe and environmentally sound,” the letter quotes Cruickshank as saying. “Public input is a crucial part of this process, and we hope to hear from industry groups, elected officials, other government agencies, concerned citizens and others as we move forward with developing the 2019-2024 National OCS Program.”
Religious leaders from the NRPE alleged, however, that the plans could not be environmentally safe by virtue of the fact that, according to them, oil drilling will inevitably result in environmental disaster.
How can churches remain tax exempt. For that matter, I wonder if these churches contribute to planned parenthood as well.
Can’t drill in the ocean because it’s a danger to sea life.
Can’t drill on the land because it’s a danger wildlife.
Can’t drill anywhere near a Reservation because it’s sacred land... and the Res might not get a chunk of the money.
Can’t import oil because that’s aiding our enemies.
Man was given dominion over the entire earth
including all of the creepy crawly things.
Or exhale or poop or slough off dead skin cells.
Dear National Religious Partnership for the Environment,
I will listen to your cause, once you:
1. Stop operating any vehicles with an internal combustion engine.
2. Stop using your HVAC, and your winter heating systems, whether coal-fired, gas-fired, or electric-element heated.
3. Stop operating your in-house kitchens, for the natural gas, the electric power used by the stoves and refrigerators.
Oh puleeeze!
Is that what they now call the National Council of Churches?
I seldom agree with envirowhackos, and have only a partial agreement now. There are some practices in exploration that are harmful to marine mammals, such as seismic surveys. But that can be overcome, with a bit of extra effort. Do something not harmful but annoying so the critters will exit the area.
Some of Gods creatures are more equal (valuable) than others...I have seen some of the damage done by the wind turbines to birds and bats ...the eventual problems from insects over populating when their natural predators are slaughtered by the blades has yet to come to the surface. Couple that with the fact that costs are never actually recovered by the electricity gained from wind turbines or even solar panels when you do the intricate calculations of the energy expended to make/dispose and install of the afore mentioned. But this so called religious group would rather trash everything than utilize what occurs naturally ...such as gas and oil which does re-generate to an extent.
Summer species of fish, too, in Barnegat Bay (NJ-Oyster Creek). The problem has been that they hang around in the warmer water past their usual migrating time. Then the plant shuts down for maintenance and a cod-water fish kill results. Timing the shutdowns correctly would trigger the migrations; no more fish kills.
COLD-WATER, not cod water!
God put that oil there for us to use.
Sod off, Swampy!
Don’t these warmist “religious” people have anything else to do? Didn’t God create oil for man to use? Morons.
Like Al Gore and his 2 acre mansion and private jet and limos who whines about our carbon footprint?
God killed the fossils to give us oil.
Pipelines provide shelter from cold winds, and oil rigs provide fish habitat.
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