Kayaktivists launch demonstration in front of White House

Citizens nationwide demand rapid end to Arctic Ocean drilling on “SHell NO” Day of Action

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Kayaktivism will spread across the country as citizen activists in 13 states gather for a “Shell No” Day of Action to ask President Obama to revoke oil and gas exploration leases in the Chukchi Sea, July 18. In Washington D.C., activists will bring their message right to President Obama’s doorstep by staging an Arctic marine scene in Lafayette Park to protest Shell and other companies drilling in the Arctic Ocean.

Shell Oil only requires one more drilling permit to begin drilling in the Chukchi Sea in less than a month. President Obama’s own advisers have warned that leases in the Chukchi Sea carry a 75 percent risk of a major oil spill. Climate science dictates that  Arctic Ocean oil and gas must remain in the ground in order to avert the worst consequences of climate disruption.

What: “Kayaktivism” reaches the back yard of the White House as part of a nationwide “SHell NO” Day of Action, complete with kayaks, costumes and signs that call for an end to oil and gas development in the American Arctic Ocean.

When: 10 a.m. EDT, Saturday, July 18

Where: Lafayette Park, across from the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.

Who: Citizen activists and national environmental groups 350.org, Alaska Wilderness League, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Natural Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club will take part in the demonstration.

Visuals will include kayaks and inflatable boats, many representations of water, activists with signs and the White House backdrop.

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Contactos de expertos:
Corey Himrod, (202) 544-5205, [email protected]
Marissa Knodel, (202) 222-0729, [email protected]

Contacto de comunicaciones: Kate Colwell, (202) 222-0744, [email protected]