An oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico reported on Friday serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of perpetuating the fossil fuel era through risky offshore drilling. Shell spilled more than 88,000 gallons of oil into the Gulf last week from its Brutus Platform, 90 miles south of Louisiana’s coast. The spill was caused by a leak in a subsea flowline and was identified by an aerial survey, which spotted the large slick on the water’s surface.

This spill is large but is just one of thousands of spills that happen each year in the Gulf, where petroleum and associated industries are firmly rooted by offshore oil development. It serves as a reminder that such development comes with large costs and underscores the importance of hastening the transition of our energy system to clean, renewable energy.

We all have an opportunity to publicly demonstrate our political will for a transition to clean energy this Saturday, May 21, at local Hands Across the Sand events.

Hands Across the Sand is a grassroots global movement to call for the protection of our shores from the impacts of offshore drilling and demonstrate support for clean, renewable energy. Dozens of events will take place throughout the Southeast, across the country, and around the world. Will you join hands with your community to show your support for the movement? Find your local event at handsacrossthesand.org.