Community Action for Polar Bears Your Senator, Charles Grassley, is back in the state for the August Congressional recess and is holding events to hear from his constituents on Monday, August 25th. Can you attend a local event to tell the Senator that you oppose Big Oil’s harmful new drilling schemes and want real solutions to America’s energy needs? There are several events across the state where you can speak out (we've listed them in alphabetical order by City): Cresco 227 North Elm Street Cresco City Hall Monday, August 25th from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. Hudson 401 Fifth Street Hudson Public Library Monday, August 25th from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Independence 210 Fifth Avenue Buchanan County Courthouse Monday, August 25th from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. New Hampton 20 West Spring Street New Hampton Public Library Monday, August 25th from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. ** These events are subject to change. Please contact the location to confirm details. ** To beat back Big Oil’s attack on America’s natural treasures, we need a strong showing in Iowa. As Defenders of Wildlife’s National Outreach Director, I am counting on dedicated activists like you, Mary! Please let me know that you’ll attend one of these important public events to speak out for America’s polar bears, whales and other wildlife threatened by Big Oil’s dangerous drilling schemes. We can’t win this fight unless good people like you stand up and speak out in your community. Once you sign up to attend a local event, you’ll be able to download all the information and materials you’ll need to be an effective advocate against irresponsible drilling that could devastate the wildlife that you and I love. There's a lot at stake. Here are the facts: This drilling scheme won’t work. The oil from drilling off our coasts and in sensitive places like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would take years to come to market, and would reduce the cost of gas by just pennies on the gallon. Coastal drilling is dangerous. Each offshore drilling platform produces toxic discharges that can poison and kill marine wildlife and dumps tons of air pollutants into our atmosphere. Plus, offshore drilling increases the risk of oil spills like the one last month that dumped more than 400,000 gallons of oil into the Mississippi River. That spill shut down parts of the river, threatened area wildlife and raised concerns about the impact on drinking water in nearby New Orleans. Arctic drilling threatens polar bears. America’s polar bears are already struggling with low birth and survival rates. Arctic drilling activities would disturb the most important onshore denning habitat for America’s threatened polar bears -- and can cause polar bear mothers to abandon their cubs. Urge Senator Grassley not to sell out our wildlife for the sake of short-term political gain. Please stand up and be counted in your state. With Gratitude, Marcia Lesky National Outreach Director Defenders of Wildlife - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp