Last Stand and Reef Relief, two conservation organizations based in Key West, urge everyone to contact Governor Charlie Crist and our congressional delegates today. Encourage them to protect our coral reefs, beaches, commercial fishing industry and tourism economy from the impacts of offshore oil drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

There is more information and an online petition at www.reefrelief.org that you can sign, along with a sample letter you can send.

We urge our representatives to protect Florida's endangered coral reefs and all of America's valuable marine environments on the outer Continental Shelf of America from offshore oil exploration and development. The current congressional bans on offshore drilling are there for good reason: The Keys are downstream of the toxic drilling muds. Opening up these areas will neither lower gas prices nor solve our long-term energy needs. But they will jeopardize our tourism and commercial fishing industries for a few days of oil when better, renewable resources exist.

Florida is the Sunshine State; let's pursue being free of fossil fuels by investing in readily available non-polluting alternatives so our economy and quality of life are protected for now and for future generations.

Stop the oil subsidies in Congress now and invest in renewables. Congress has failed to renew legislation that provides tax credits for renewal energy, but there's still time for that vote. If the U.S. had invested in renewables years ago as other countries have done, we would not be held hostage to the oil interests today.

Please consider this viewpoint as the issue of offshore oil and gas development is raised within the context of our energy crisis. If we make wise decisions now, we can be safe, secure and healthy. Let's restore, not risk, our oceans so that we benefit from vibrant coral reefs, clean coastal waters and abundant fisheries.

Albert Sullivan, president

Last Stand

DeeVon Quirolo

Executive director

Reef Relief