Peoples Ocean Energy Management (POEM)

Send poems to boemThe Peoples Ocean Energy Management (POEM) is an expression of community connectedness to the ocean and respect for its sacredness and live-giving, powerful energy.

POEM explores the practices of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and envisions alternative methodologies of ocean energy management that are more just, susatainable, and regenerative.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) auctions offshore mineral rights leases to fossil fuel corporations in nine square-mile blocks, and has leased 16 million acres as of March 2017. The fossil fuel corporations must explore the site for fossil fuel discovery and install a well casing within a few years in order to keep their lease. Offshore drilling  accounts for about 4% of US domestic natural gas production and about 18% of US domestic oil production, and BOEM estimates that un-leased areas could yield production of 90 billion barrells of oil and a 327 trillion cubic feet of natural gas (Source: BOEM website).

The Gulf of Mexico and the Alaskan seas are the areas with the most offshore recoverable oil and Defend the gulfnatural gas, and the Gulf of Mexico has the most “economically recoverable” oil and gas by a large margin (Source: BOEM Fact Sheet RED-2017-12).

BOEM is currently taking public comments on drafting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of their proposed plans to host 47 mineral rights lease sales, from 2019-2024, opening up leasing in all possible areas of the US outer continental shelf.

Inspired by the Where I’m From poetry project of George Elle Lyons and Julie Landsman, the Peoples Ocean Energy Management (POEM) is soliciting public comments in poetic form. Please fill out the form below to add your voice to the POEM &/or BOEM public record, answering the questions “I am from…”, “The ocean is…”, and “Offshore drilling is…” using descriptive language of sights, smells, taste, touch, & feel, and tribute to what you hold dear and sacred in life:

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Want to do this exercise with a group? Download this handout you can use.