You did it in only 24 hours! - 5 days left to protect whales & improve air quality

Greetings!

I can't believe what's happening. In less than 24 hours, our EDC community has already achieved our initial goal of 50 letters to help protect whales and clean air and combat climate change. With all the difficult national news we have been confronting this week, I was almost afraid to ask for your help. But you showed me that no matter what happens, we can do amazing things if we work together. Now with only five days left to make a difference for the whales, I wonder if we can do it again.

Let's keep the momentum going. If you haven't already sent a letter, can we count on you to take action now? It only takes a minute to stand up for the whales. And if you already sent your letter can you forward this email to your network? Think how much more powerful our voices will be when you help us achieve a new goal of 100 support letters before noon next Wednesday April 24! Steps on how to take this action are outlined below.

Thanks for your inspirational support!

Kristi Birney

Marine Conservation Analyst

Greetings!

We have only six days to help protect whales in the Santa Barbara Channel! Decision makers in Sacramento have an opportunity right now to help reduce the number of whales struck by passing cargo ships and at the same time make a positive climate impact and improve air quality - but they need to hear from you now!

Photo by Robert Perry

For years EDC and our partners have been making the case that simply slowing down cargo ships in the Santa Barbara Channel would achieve many positive benefits for people and for our environment. This simple step by itself would reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other air pollutants, improve public health, and better protect whales. We need your voice today in asking State Agencies to use newly available California Cap-and-Trade funds to create an incentive program that would slow down cargo ships.

There is a Draft Investment Plan being considered now that misses an important opportunity to include this life saving effort for whales - but it is not too late if we act now. Please join EDC and our partners, the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, in requesting the addition of our Vessel Speed Reduction Initiative (which is missing from the Draft Plan) to the agencies' Final Plan.

WE NEED YOUR HELP WITH 2 SIMPLE ACTIONS:

Before 12 noon, next Wednesday April 24, 2013 send a message of support for the Vessel Speed Reduction Initiative to California Agencies at this link.

Copy and paste the following message into your comments:

Subject Line: Support for Vessel Speed Reduction Initiative

Dear Ms. Nichols and California Air Pollution Control District Board Members:

Large cargo ships traveling off our coast produce significant GHG and toxic air emissions that impact our coastal communities. Ship strikes also pose a threat to whales. Slowing down cargo ships meets multiple objectives in your Draft Cap-and-Trade Investment Plan including: reducing GHG emissions and other air pollutants, improving public health, and better protecting whales. I support including vessel speed reduction in your Final Plan as a priority for funding and request Cap-and-Trade money be directed to the Vessel Speed Reduction Initiative.

2. Strengthen our voice by also sending us a copy of your message to:

edc@environmentaldefensecenter.org. Our goal is to collect 50 letters of support by next Wednesday.

Thanks for taking action to protect whales, to protect our clean air and to help make a difference in combating climate change.

Kristi Birney

Marine Conservation Analyst, EDC

P.S. Please consider forwarding this email to your network. The whales need all the help they can get!