----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Iain Keith - Avaaz.org <[email protected]> To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, 27 July 2012, 22:45 Subject: Save the Arctic - Save the Planet Dear friends, An epic struggle for survival is unfolding in the pristine Arctic – but instead of finding a plan to save it, the US is allowing Shell to go in and drill for oil. Click below to urge US Environmental Protection Agency chief Lisa Jackson to stop Shell and save the Arctic! The biggest company in the world is days away from drilling for oil in the Arctic, a breeding ground for whales and polar bears. The US Environmental Protection Agency can stop them, but it’s up to us to demand they do and save the Arctic now. The head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Lisa Jackson, can right now withdraw Shell's Arctic permit because the company is unable to meet air pollution controls for their ships, violating the terms of the permit. Environmental activists are raising the alarm, but unless we make it a huge global scandal, Shell will use its muscle and the Arctic will be open for the oil business. Lisa Jackson has stood up to the energy industry before, but Shell is a Goliath that won’t be easily knocked back. We are running out of time -- let’s make this decision the line in the sand that protects this great wilderness from becoming an oil field. Click below to send Lisa Jackson a message and share this with everyone -- let’s flood her with global encouragement to save the Arctic: http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_arctic/?bkJXjab&v=16670 The Arctic is melting faster than most scientists predicted. Climate change is driving dangerous temperature rises -- just last week, a chunk of a glacier nearly 40 kilometres long broke off Greenland. Some estimates predict that in just 4 years, the Arctic will be completely free of ice in the summer months. The warming Arctic ocean will accelerate the loss of the Greenland ice sheet, which would raise sea levels by 6 metres. Yet for some this planetary disaster is the 21st century gold rush. Companies and countries who hope to make billions are lining up to frantically grab their share of oil, gas, and minerals. To them the Arctic is not a home to whales and polar bears, it is a new frontier, and it’s one of the reasons why nations like the USA, Canada and Russia have spent years blocking global climate treaties. This is a simple decision: the people and planet’s future or increasing Big Oil’s profits with a 40% possibility of a catastrophic oil spill. If Lisa Jackson gives Shell the permit now, then Exxon, Chevron and the rest of Big Oil will cover these beautiful icy landscapes with dirty rigs, pumps and pipes. Let’s now urge Lisa Jackson to stop Shell before it’s too late. Click now to send a message and share this with everyone: http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_arctic/?bkJXjab&v=16670 Arctic drilling has already been condemned by the British government, Insurance companies, and the US Coast Guard, and in the last week, Greenpeace and others have been taking to the streets. But to stop this madness we all need to join together to target the one person who can stop it. Let’s ensure that the Arctic is saved from the danger of drilling and instead protected as a global treasure. With hope, Iain, Alice, Sam, David, Aldine, Diego, Ricken and the rest of the Avaaz team More information and sources: Rolling Stone: “Global Warming's Terrifying New Math”http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/global-warmings-terrifying-new-mat... The Guardian: “Arctic wilderness faces pollution threats as oil and gas giants target its riches” http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/22/arctic-ice-melting-oil-drilling Dutch News: “Shell is 'world's biggest company'”http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2012/07/shell_heads_global_500_list.ph... New York Times: “Shell Seeks to Weaken Air Rules for Arctic Drilling”http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/13/shell-seeks-to-weaken-air-rules-fo... LA Times -- “What if an oil spill happened at an Arctic well?"http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/06/nation/la-na-oil-arctic-20100506 Support the Avaaz Community! We're entirely funded by donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way. Avaaz.org is a 15-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) 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