God Squad: No Protection for Endangered Species in the Gulf
By Mark J. Palmer
In yet another never-before-seen moment in our history, a panel of government officials loyal to President Donald Trump and the oil industry voted in a 20-minute meeting to exempt offshore oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The move is unprecedented and an astonishing abuse of wildlife and the Endangered Species Act. The panel is officially called the Endangered Species Committee, which voted unanimously on March 31st to exempt oil and gas activity in the Gulf from any restrictions from the ESA. The panel includes the Secretaries of Defense, Interior, Agriculture, and the Army, along with the administrators of the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Council of Economic Advisers. All, of course, were appointed by President Trump.
The move is justified by the administration as necessary to boost oil production in the US, which is already at historically high levels, and to protect our national security, as if our security rests on exterminating whales and sea turtles.
Gulf offshore oil drilling has been going on for decades without triggering major issues with the ESA. But President Trump’s insistence that offshore oil drilling and other activities should not be restricted by wildlife protections has come to the fore.
This is only the fourth time in history that the “God Squad,” as it is called due to its ability to essentially guarantee the extinction of species to promote economic and energy goals, has voted. The three previous decisions never had such sweeping impacts.
The Gulf of Mexico is home to at least twenty endangered species, including Rice’s whale, which only numbers 50 individuals and may well go extinct in our lifetimes. Other species include sperm whales, many sea turtle species, a manta ray, and endangered corals.
Environmental groups have already filed lawsuits to reverse the decision, and legislation is being prepared in Congress to reverse the decision. But such legislation and legal options face uphill battles.
This decision is an outrageous attack on our wildlife heritage, all to benefit the bloated oil industry.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Contact your Representatives and Senators in Congress, urging them to overturn the God Squad decision and protect the integrity of the Endangered Species Act in the Gulf.
Here’s how to find your Representative and your two Senators in Congress who represent you: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
Each member has a website where there is either a direct link to the office, an email address, or a phone number.
You can also call the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask the operator to connect you with your legislator’s office, where you can leave a message.
The God Squad’s decision must be rescinded. Endangered species need priority protection, or we will lose them forever.
Thank you!
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The International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute needs your support today! Whales and dolphins need a clean, quiet ocean to swim in, and offshore oil drilling threatens their extinction. You can help save marine life by donating to IMMP and help stop the killing and pollution of the ocean homes of whales and dolphins. Thank you for your support!