TAKE ACTION: Participate in June 8th's World Oceans Day ~ Let's Join the Law of the Sea!

June 8th is the first international World Oceans Day, a day to conserve and protect our seas, and we think it is the perfect opportunity to TAKE ACTION to get the Law of the Sea Treaty ratified before Congress goes home for the summer.

If you agree that it is finally time for the U.S. to join the convention, then we hope you’ll participate in this campaign to make it happen.

Ratification of the Law of the Sea Treaty will advance U.S. goals in environmental stewardship, peace and national security, and economic development. Additionally, when we become party to the convention, we will gain the benefits of membership, which include a seat on the International Seabed Authority (which regulates deep sea mining) and an expansion of our territorial waters. Called the “constitution of the oceans,” the Law of the Sea establishes rules for over two thirds of the earth’s surface; we can no longer afford to be the only coastal nation NOT party to this treaty.

While the Law of the Sea is supported by a broad bipartisan base, and should have enough votes in the Senate to pass this time, it is unlikely that the Senate would adopt any major treaty without strong presidential leadership. That is why we need you to help us send President Obama a clear message that he should steer the Law of the Sea toward ratification!

Here’s how you can take a minute to help protect our oceans and get the Law of the Sea ratified:

OPTION 1: Call In

CALL-IN: Call the Whitehouse comment line at 202.456.1111 before 5 pm Eastern on June 8th.

The line is manned by operators, to whom you will relay the following message, and there is no answering machine capability after 5 pm, so you must call during the day.
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Suggested comment script:

President Obama, in honor of the first annual World Oceans Day I'm asking you to take the lead on getting the Convention on the Law of the Sea ratified before Congress goes home for the summer. Though the votes are there, it is unlikely that the Senate will adopt any major treaty without Presidential leadership. This treaty has broad bipartisan support and will help protect marine life, keep our ships safe in international waters, and boost our economy.
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Mr. President, please steer the Law of the Sea towards ratification and show your commitment to working cooperatively with the international community by speaking out about this important treaty today. Thank you.

OPTION 2: Send an email

SEND AN EMAIL: Click on the link to send an email to President Obama any time on June 8th.

SEND AN EMAIL HERE

OPTION 3: Social Networking

SOCIAL NETWORKING CAMPAIGN: If you use any of the following sites, leave a comment (some suggestions below) for the Whitehouse on one or all of the following between now and June 8th:

http://Facebook.com/WhiteHouse
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http://MySpace.com/WhiteHouse
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http://Twitter.com/WhiteHouse

The White House only has simple text commenting turned on for these sites, so to make an even bigger impact with your comment, you can change your "profile pic" for the day on June 8th to the Law of the Sea icon. Now, when you leave a message on the Whitehouse page, you also provide visual support for the Law of the Sea as well!

The Icon below is a good size for all three websites.
Right-click on top of the image and save it to your desktop.

Once you've saved the icon, simply change your Profile image for the day!

Suggested short comments (or make up your own!):

We want peaceful, clean oceans. Ratify the Law of the Sea today.
Make a motion for safer oceans! Support the Law of the Sea Treaty.
Free the Seas! Support the Law of the Sea Treaty.
Tired of pirates pillaging your booty? Support the Law of the Sea.
Law of the Sea: because fish have feelings, too.
President Obama - Steer the Law of the Sea towards ratification!
Be our captain, Obama - we need smooth sailing for the Law of the Sea!
Iceberg, straight ahead! Failing to ratify Law of the Sea hurts everyone. President Obama, keep us from crashing.

Here's some screen shots to help you change your Facebook picture:

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TAKE ACTION: Participate in June 8th's World Oceans Day ~ Let's Join the Law of the Sea!