Oceana Applauds Congressional Report Calling for Action to Address the Climate Crisis
Press Release Date: June 30, 2020
Location: Washington, DC
Contact:
Dustin Cranor, APR | email: dcranor@oceana.org | tel: 954.348.1314
Today, the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis released a new report titled Solving the Climate Crisis: The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just America, which outlines recommendations for Congress to address the climate crisis.
Beth Lowell, Oceana’s deputy vice president for U.S. campaigns, released the following statement in response to the report:
“Oceana commends the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis for recognizing the urgent need for policies that leverage and protect our planet’s greatest resource: the ocean. Dangerous gaps in environmental safeguards currently allow industries to worsen the climate crisis, risking the health and future of our oceans, which we depend on for food and livelihoods. Oceana applauds the committee’s landmark report recommending actionable steps to combat climate change. As recommended in this report, Congress must stop the expansion of dirty and dangerous offshore drilling, including seismic airgun blasting; expand protections for ocean and coastal ecosystems; ensure responsible fisheries management and protection of ocean wildlife; and pass polices like the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, which would reduce the unnecessary single-use plastic polluting our oceans and reduce its contribution to climate change. Saving our blue planet will require aggressive action—it’s time for the United States to fulfill its duty as a world leader and pass federal legislation that comprehensively addresses the climate threat and protects our oceans.”