Call goes out for ‘Hands Across the Sand’ in La Jolla

SurfDiva is calling for area residents to join them in “Hands Across the Sand” on Saturday to “be part of this change to protect our beaches.”

The organizers of the international effort are calling for “Americans and the people of the world in solidarity events will join hands on beaches and in parks and cities united against the dangers offshore oil drilling present to our oceans and marine wildlife, fishing industries and coastal economies.”

The event will begin at 11 a.m. on the beach near the La Jolla Shores Hotel. Similar events will be held at 11 a.m. in other time zones, with participants joining hands for 15 minutes at noon.

It is part of a movement that started in Florida in February, according to a press release that says the mission “is to change our energy policy away from its

dependence on fossil fuels and into the light of clean energy.”

Dave Rauschkolb organized a statewide gathering to send a message to Florida’s legislators and Governor Crist that Floridians did not want them to lift the bans on near and offshore oil drilling in Florida’s waters. Shortly after the event the Florida Legislature tabled the effort.

Hands Across The Sand is endorsed by national and international environmental

organizations including Sierra Club, Audubon, Surfrider, Oceana, Greenpeace,

Defenders of Wildlife, Alaska Wilderness League, Ocean Conservancy, Friends of the

Earth, Environment America, 350, MoveOn.org, Center for Biological Diversity and

CleanEnergy.org

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