This is a good opportunity to add comments about moving away from coal in the paragraph that you can add/edit. Use the link below to send a letter to Shelly Moore Capito or your respective representative. thanks, paul w.

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Keren Murphy Keren.Murphy@sierraclub.org Date: Thu, Jul 10, 2008 at 3:44 PM Subject: ocs--update To: CONS-WPST-MARINE-FORUM@lists.sierraclub.org

*Arctic and OCS Action Day: July 8----Update* Keren O'Brien Murphy

On Tuesday, July 8, concerned citizens across the country welcomed Congress back from its July Fourth recess with calls to their Representatives urging them not to open the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge or protected coasts to offshore drilling. We will have the approximate final number of calls made to offices tomorrow

Environmental groups, including Sierra Club, circulated alerts to their arctic and OCS activists asking them to call their members of congress. We ran a similar alert nationally asking people to take action and tell their member of congress to oppose any attempts to open the arctic or protected coasts to drilling. This alert is featured on Sierra Club's website, facebook page, Facebook Action Center and ran in this weeks Currents.

The national alert can be found here: * https://secure2.convio.net/sierra/site/Advocacy?JServSessionIdr009=i2adahp8o... *https://secure2.convio.net/sierra/site/Advocacy?JServSessionIdr009=i2adahp8o7.app27a&cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=867

Attached is the alert that was circulated to Arctic activists.

Also on July 8th, lobbyists from Sierra Club, Alaska Wilderness League, Audubon Society, Earth Justice, Defenders of Wildlife and Environment America hit the hill. Making lobby visits to targeted offices with the message that we need real solutions, not drilling. Specifically asking them to oppose efforts to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, lift the offshore drilling moratorium and lift the moratorium on new oil shale development.

*Context: * This week the Interior Appropriations Committee has tentatively scheduled a mark up of the Interior Appropriations Bill. Once again we are expecting a slew of drilling amendments; Peterson's offshore drilling amendment being the most famous. However, we are hearing that the bill will be delayed for the immediate future due in part to these drilling amendments.