| Dear Friend, |
| The oil and gas industry is profiting by setting off explosions in one of the world's biological hot spots—the Gulf of Mexico. This practice is called seismic airgun surveying, and it's used to search the ocean floor for oil. |
| A single ship can blast every 10 seconds, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for months on end. The airguns are like mini cannons, and the blast can exceed 235 decibels, which is hundreds of times more intense than a jet engine. Marine mammals like the unique and endangered Gulf of Mexico Rice's whale depend on sound to find food, communicate with each other, and survive. Seismic airguns can deafen whales if they are too close, and even at a distance, the near-constant level of noise pollutes their underwater world with a thick fog of sound. |
| With you by our side we, are fighting to stop this dangerous and devastating practice. Help support this work today and your gift will be matched $2-to-$1! |
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| Most of these blasts are happening in the Gulf of Mexico, home to some of the world's most endangered species. |
| The blasts create sound waves that can be heard across the entire Gulf. Flooding the ocean with seismic blasts hundreds of times louder than the noise level that would cause pain in the human ear can inflict permanent, and eventually even fatal, hearing damage on whales and dolphins. Even at lower levels, this constant bombardment of industrial noise interferes with whales’ ability to survive. These blasts can even affect the plankton that is the foundation of the ocean food web. |
| The Biden administration has a chance to rein in this harmful activity. Unfortunately, it recently issued a new rule that would still allow extensive seismic surveys in the Gulf of Mexico. |
| We are continuing our fight to protect the Gulf’s imperiled whales from the oil industry’s airguns. Join the fight today and your impact will be tripled with a $2-to-$1 match offer from our Board of Trustees. |
| For years, Earthjustice has defended the rights of marine mammals to live without the threat of fossil fuels, and we will continue to fight for them in court and on Capitol Hill. |
| Thank you for your continued partnership. |
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Sincerely,
Steve Mashuda
Earthjustice Managing Attorney
Oceans Program
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| P.S. If you have already mailed your gift, thank you! We appreciate your patience as we update our records. |
