Contacting Vitter: Hannah Sarco's Letter to a U.S Senator

Inspiring youth activist, writer and fellow reporter - Hannah Sarco - recently reached out to David Vitter, hoping to share her feelings on his recent decision to try to overrule Obama's drilling moratorium.

Dear Senator Vitter,

I can understand, on some level, your growing concerns about the economy and what effect rising gas/oil prices will have on Louisiana communities. However, I must warn you that drilling in the Gulf of Mexico is dangerous, expensive, and potentially life threatening to the extensive ecosystems that live there. Not only are these drilling operations severely dangerous in the Gulf but they pose huge threats in any ocean. Oil drilling has already proven itself to be a potential economy killer as well; the BP oil spill sent thousands of jobs and paychecks down the drain. The oil spill, which could have occurred on any oil rig in the Gulf, killed thousands of migratory birds, native plants and marine animals that are crucial to biodiversity within just 6 months. These are major risks that stand even without mentioning the often traumatic, and extremely hazardous, lifestyles of workers on oil rigs.

I'm asking you, as a New Orleans native, to please invest your time not in overruling Obama's drilling moratorium and continuing dangerous oil drilling, but in alternative energies. I cannot stress enough the importance of alternative, local and clean energy sources. Wind power is a viable and lucrative option to pursue in the Gulf Coast area; because the land is very flat here, wind turbines can easily be used to produce energy. In Europe, there is much work being done in places such as Poland and Germany to use and promote clean energy; this also is reducing harmful CO2 emissions. In 2007, a study showed that the United States emitted, per capita per year, 14.7 metric tons of CO2. In the France, it was less than half, with only 6 metric tons per year. These emissions came from sources like car exhaust, chemical plants, oil rigs, and more; the less CO2 spewing into our atmosphere, because of oil drilling in particular, the better.

Not only would wind and/or solar energy generate jobs, it would stimulate our economy, protect workers and ecosystems from toxic oil spills, cut back on greenhouse gases that lead to global warming, and save our tax payer's money on practices that endanger every one's health.

I hope that when you read this email you will consider changing your focus on oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, and take a more environment and people friendly approach to this issue. Thank you for your time.

Best wishes,

Hannah Sarco