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Slow Down Speeding Ships
You can help clear the air right now! It takes just a minute to send your letters on the hot-button issues below.
Take Action:
Protect whales and asthmatic kids from speeding ships
What do children with asthma have in common with whales? Along the entire California coastline, both are threatened by speeding ships that waste fuel, endanger whales, spew toxic chemicals and further the climate crisis.
Speeding ships threaten marine life, as made clear when a humpback whale carcass washed ashore in the port town of San Pedro; the whale had been decapitated by the propeller of a large ship. (Los Angeles Times)
The exhaust from ships’ large diesel engines also threatens our families by contributing to climate change and smog and posing health hazards such as cancer and premature death.
Reducing ship speeds would slash air pollution and the risk of fatal whale strikes. In 2008, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) began working on a rule that would limit ship speeds along the coast; but since then, this vital solution has been tied up in red tape. Tell ARB to re-start their engines on this regulation today!
Sign the Petition
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Dear Mr. Goldstene,
I urge you to establish a mandatory rule to reduce oceangoing vessel speeds as soon as possible. ARB has delayed this rule for too long. There is strong evidence that a robust requirement will protect coastal communities and reduce toxic air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions contributing to the climate crisis. Moreover, case studies demonstrate that mandatory ship speed limits are more effective than voluntary ones in saving whales from being fatally struck by speeding ships.
I support a rule that includes:
• a mandatory speed limit of 10-12 knots
• regulation of all ships, not just those destined for a major port
• a 40-nautical-mile zone for the entire California coast
I urge quick action to pass this important regulation for the protection of coastal communities, the prevention of marine mammal fatalities and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
[Your name]