The Port of Seattle recently signed a lease with Shell Oil to allow the company to base its Arctic drilling operations in Seattle. There were no public hearings, no comment period, and seemingly, no consideration for the values of the Puget Sound residents.
Drilling for oil as the Arctic ice melts is like pouring gas on the fire of catastrophic climate change. A new study in Nature confirms that if we want to have any hope to avoid the most catastrophic impacts from global warming, we can’t allow oil drilling in the Arctic, or other forms of extreme fossil fuel development.
In other words, we can either let Shell drill in the Arctic, or we can leave our kids a planet fit for human civilization. We can’t do both.
It’s bad enough that Shell would knowingly undo our future this way. But using Seattle as the staging area for this madness? That’s adding insult to injury. Seattle is justifiably proud of our leadership on climate and clean energy. We’re standing up to coal and oil industry by rejecting their terminal proposals. We’re pioneering sustainable prosperity-the antidote to climate disruption. Our Port of Seattle has made significant investments in clean energy and climate, at times living up to its tagline as “The Green Gateway." It makes no sense to sacrifice the Port’s credibility only to help Shell unleash huge amounts of carbon that need to stay out of the atmosphere.
Please help us deliver this message to Shell and the Port of Seattle: Not here. Not us. No gosh darn way.
The Port Commissioners will meet this Tuesday to discuss this proposal and we plan to pack the house. Please join us, wear red and say NO WAY.
What: Port Commissioner hearing
When: Tues. March 10, 1 p.m.
Where: Conference Center at Sea-Tac, south end of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Wear: RED
We recommend taking the Light Rail or other public transit to the meeting, but if you need to drive, the Port of Seattle will validate your parking.
Please RSVP to me via email, and I will forward you talking points that may be helpful in composing public testimony. You are also very welcome to just attend in solidarity.
Want to do more? Please send an email to the Seattle City Council at:council@seattle.gov asking them to “please urge the Port to rescind the lease between Shell and the Port.”
Spread the word on Facebook.
