Whitehouse Meets with Actor and Oceans Advocate Ted Danson

Press Release

Whitehouse Meets with Actor and Oceans Advocate Ted Danson

U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) met today with Ted Danson, the award-winning film and television actor and member of the Board of Directors of Oceana, to discuss Danson's work with Oceana to limit offshore drilling and support sustainable fishing.

"It was good to hear Ted's thoughts on ways we can protect our precious coastlines from the risks that come when oil and gas rigs sprout up offshore," said Whitehouse, a member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee.

Known by most for his role on the hit television series Cheers, Ted Danson founded the American Oceans Campaign (AOC) in 1987 to promote public awareness of the devastating effects of ocean pollution. In 2001, AOC merged with other groups to form Oceana, where Danson currently sits on the board. Oceana is the largest ocean protection and restoration advocacy organization in the world, with campaigns dedicated to reduce pollution and prevent the irreversible collapse of fish populations, marine mammals and other sea life.

Danson testified this morning before the House Committee on Natural Resources at a hearing on the Environmental and Commercial Perspectives on Offshore Drilling. He urged Congress to act swiftly to reinstate protections for oceans and coastal communities from the impact of offshore oil and gas drilling.

Whitehouse has been active in efforts to address global climate change, particularly its threat to ocean and coastal ecosystems. He authored an amendment to support investments in America's oceans and coasts, and fought successfully to make sure climate change legislation passed by the EPW Committee included protections for coastal communities, wildlife, and land and marine ecosystems against the impacts of global warming.

Source