Laird Hamilton Urges President Obama to Reinstate Off Shore Drilling Moratorium
In a recent online video posted by the Surfrider Foundation, Laird Hamilton is urging the Obama Administration to reinstate a federal moratorium on off shore oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. In the weeks following the spill, the administration issued a six-month hold on drilling in the Gulf, hoping to prevent another explosion and subsequent leak as a result of faulty equipment. The moratorium was subsequently blocked with an injunction by a federal judge in New Orleans, citing the potential economic pitfalls of instilling a hold on drilling.
According to a press release from the Surfrider Foundation, the goal of the video was “to increase awareness about the situation in the Gulf of Mexico and encourage people to take action by writing the President and other elected officials asking them to reinstate the moratorium on offshore oil drilling.”
Hamilton, who has been to the Gulf and seen the disaster first-hand, added that “…this tragic and devastating spill in the Gulf of Mexico is sickening proof that off shore drilling is not the answer.”
Although the prospect of another spill is downright nauseating, cutting jobs in the already hard-hit region as a result of the moratorium is equally painful, giving this issue all of the attributes of a conundrum.
Comments
January 11, 2011 3:49 pm
Good for Laird. It shows his deep and undying love for the world’s oceans and coastal environment. I was a pioneer Louisiana surfer in the early 1960′s. We rode many a small,slow and crumbly brown water wave but were stoked!!
First the hurricanes Katrina and Rita and now this BP spill. The first people to be employed in the clean up is the oil rig workers and then as many others as needed to clean up the mess as well as it can be done. BP should be paying as well as giving full benefits to all. This monumental environmental disaster should shut down off shore drilling forever!!
January 8, 2011 10:15 am
LOVE TO ALL MY FRIENDS OUT THEIR, ALL AROUND THE WORLD AND NOT JUST IN THE SURFING WORLD, PEACE THIS YEAR STOP THE WARS, BRING THEM HOME, GOD BLESS.
July 30, 2010 3:18 pm
The gulf oil spill is undoubtedly one of the most terrible diasters of our current millennium. While the destruction of the twin towers was constrained within that small area of ground zero, this oil spill has effects all the way out across the sea, impacting innocent animals, many miles of the southern coast and also local industry. I with all my heart pray that this disgrace to BP is cleaned up as soon as possible.