Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Petitions

I'm not usually into petitions, but when it comes to this, I'm willing to grasp at straws.

Sea Shepherd has filed two petitions on the White House  “We The People” page which seek the U.S. Government’s support in upholding conservation law regarding protecting at-risk whales in the Antarctic’s Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and with ensuring safe haven for the organization’s respected founder, Captain Paul Watson. It'd be rad if anyone reading this could sign and share them. It just takes a couple of minutes.

Petition the First: “Take strong action to stop the Japanese from killing whales in the Southern Ocean Antarctic Whale Sanctuary”

“The President must take swift and decisive action against Japan's illegal whaling.

Under the Pelly Amendment and the Packwood-Magnuson Amendment, the President has the power to apply economic sanctions against Japan for its continued whale slaughter in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary. The United States asserts that it resolutely opposes whale hunting by Japan, but does little to actually bring a halt to the practice.

The U.S. State Dept. has declared: “We remain resolute in our opposition to commercial whaling, including so-called ‘scientific’ whaling, in particular in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary established by the International Whaling Commission. In this context we wish to emphasize that lethal techniques are not required in modern whale conservation and management.”

Petition the Second:  Provide Safe Haven to Captain Paul Watson, Founder of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society”

"We request the U.S. not extradite U.S citizen Paul F. Watson.

There are two active Interpol Red Notices issued against Captain Watson at the request of Costa Rica and Japan. Underlying these notices are non-lethal acts in defense of marine life suffering from illegal shark fishing and whaling operations. The warrants are politically motivated

Captain Watson is a world-renowned and highly respected leader in environmental issues. In 1999, he was awarded President George H.W. Bush’s "Daily Points of Light" Award and in 2000, he was named one of Time Magazine’s “Top 20 Environmental Heroes of the 20th Century.” In 2012, he became only the second person ever to be honored with the Jules Verne Award for environmentalists and adventurers. Captain Watson is a national treasure."

If the US government won't grant the first (which would be insane), they should at least grant the second, so Captain Watson and the Sea Shepherd crew can take care of what they won't.

You do not have to be a US resident or citizen to sign these petitions. Just be 13 years of age or older. You can read more about them here.

Please take a moment to sign the petitions. These guys sure will appreciate it: