Yesterday thousands of people across the country joined together as part of "Hands Across the Sand" to protest offshore drilling and promote clean energy. Locally, gatherings were organized at Coney Island, Long Beach, and down the shore in New Jersey. Asbury Park protester Karen Broselofsky told NJ.com, "The more people show they care, the more the right things will happen. I’m really worried about the world my nieces and their children are going to inherit." more ›

Earlier today, President Obama announced that he would propose offshore drilling along much of the East Coast, eastern Gulf of Mexico and in parts of the Chukchi and Beaufort seas north of Alaska. He said the move "is part of a broader strategy that will move us from an economy that runs on fossil fuels and foreign oil to one that relies more on homegrown fuels and clean energy," adding, "We'll protect areas vital to tourism, the environment and our national security." (See map.) more ›

Today President Bush lifted the executive ban on offshore drilling ban (which his father actually put in place in 1990) saying, "We need to increase the supply of oil, especially here at home..Today, I've taken every step within my power to allow offshore exploration of the OCS. All that remains is for the Democratic leaders in Congress to allow a vote." Offshore drilling can only begin if Congress repeals the legislative ban on drilling; Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois who heads the House Democratic Caucus said, “If the president wants to lower gas prices, he should stop hosting press conferences and start taking action. Releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and forcing oil companies to drill on the 68 million acres they already control would be a good place to start.” more ›