To: President Donald Trump
Obama: Cancel the 8/24 fossil fuel auction in New Orleans
The August 24th fossil fuel auction in the New Orleans Superdome comes on the heels of one of the worst climate disasters since Superstorm Sandy--unprecedented "1,000 year" floods in Louisiana. It's unconscionable and unacceptable to let it move forward.
The fossil fuel auction in the New Orleans Superdome on August 24 comes on the heels of one of the worst climate disasters since Superstorm Sandy–unprecedented "1,000-year" floods in Louisiana. It's unconscionable and unacceptable to let it move forward.
Why is this important?
Louisiana is in a state of emergency, and the Red Cross is calling the recent flooding the worst U.S. natural disaster since Superstorm Sandy.
Yet, on August 24, the Obama administration is planning to sell off an area the size of Virginia for offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. This fossil fuel auction is set to take place in the New Orleans Superdome, just an hour's drive from Louisiana cities and towns that have just been ravaged by unprecedented floods.
We need to keep fossil fuels in the ground and stop treating the Gulf Coast like a sacrifice zone. In the midst of a climate-fueled disaster, which will most gravely impact those already marginalized in our society, moving forward with this auction is a terrible idea. Selling fossil fuels at the New Orleans Superdome–the site of one of the most visible and tragic instances of climate injustice in recent memory–is nothing short of insulting.
In this moment, we need to stand with Gulf communities who have been resisting the fossil fuel industry for decades.
President Obama can allow the fossil fuel industry to carry on with business as usual, or he can stand with Louisiana residents who are living under a state of climate emergency. He can’t do both.
We are calling on President Obama to cancel the upcoming fossil fuel auction and stop new offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico altogether.