Big Cruise is putting vulnerable manatees at risk

Dear Friend, Helpless manatees are starving to death. Donate $27 now and help us reach our $5,200 goal to protect manatees and our planet! If you've saved payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $27 immediately]( [Donate $50 immediately]( [Donate $100 immediately]( [Donate another amount]( We’ve already lost at least 403 manatees this year. This devastating news comes with a shocking revelation: The past few years have been the deadliest period ever recorded for manatees. These gentle sea cows are starving to death. The seagrass they eat is getting hard to find because of pollution-fed algae blooms. And Big Cruise’s pollution is making the problem worse. [We have to stop Big Cruise’s destruction before manatees are driven to extinction. Donate $27 today and help us meet our $5,200 goal to protect manatees and the planet before we lose them forever.]( Here’s the situation, Friend: Cruise ships are allowed to dump polluted wastewater in manatee habitats. Wastewater pollutants can trigger algal blooms so thick that they block the sunlight needed for seagrass to grow. But manatees need to eat a whopping 10% of their body weight a day to be healthy. Without access to the seagrass they need, manatees don’t stand a chance against Big Polluters. That’s why I’m reaching out to you. If we don’t act soon, we could lose manatees forever. It’s time to hold Big Cruise accountable and fight for our oceans, wildlife, and the future of our planet. Will you stand with us today before manatees are pushed to extinction and the damage is irreversible? Manatees are starving to death as you read this. Help protect them and our planet and donate $27 toward our $5,200 goal today! If you've saved payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $27 immediately]( [Donate $50 immediately]( [Donate $100 immediately]( [Donate another amount]( It’s not news that the cruise industry is raking in profits at the expense of our planet. But you may be shocked to learn that just 63 of Carnival Corporation’s ships emitted 43% more sulfur pollution than ALL 291 million cars in Europe did in 2022! That’s serious: Sulfur oxides are harmful air pollutants. They can worsen respiratory illnesses like asthma and even contribute to acid rain. That means cruise ships could be directly impacting human health! Big Cruise is crossing the line, plain and simple. Their negligent dumping practices amount to MILLIONS of gallons of pollution. That’s contributing to seagrass loss. Believe it or not, seagrass is a vital plant for surrounding communities and our planet. Seagrass beds store almost a fifth of the world’s oceanic carbon. That carbon storage helps keep us safe from some of the worst impacts of climate change. And as sea levels rise, these plants also help protect coastal communities from storm surges. But cruise ship pollution isn’t just leading to dying seagrass. They directly impact wildlife, too. When these mammoth ships travel close to shore, they churn up sand and contaminants. These practices harm water quality. And they can cause marine wildlife like manatees to suffocate from lack of oxygen. What’s more, Big Cruise’s negligence harms coastal communities. The water pollution drives away fish and other marine animals they rely on. That’s not to mention the serious health risks and climate pollution associated with cruise ships’ air emissions. Big Cruise is literally toxifying our planet’s air, waters, and the ecosystems they rely on -- all for the sake of profit. How long will we let them get away with this? We have to stop the cruise industry’s reckless practices for the sake of wildlife, people, and the planet. Rush your $27 donation before the damage is irreversible! If you've saved payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $27 immediately]( [Donate $50 immediately]( [Donate $100 immediately]( [Donate another amount]( We’re at a tipping point, Friend. If we don’t change the narrative soon, we could reach a point of no return when it comes to the health of our planet. Friends of the Earth is doing everything in our power to fight back against Big Polluters and ensure a better future for our planet. But we’re up against powerful corporations like Big Cruise. These adversaries will stop at nothing to get their pay day. And our oceans, wildlife, and planet are paying the price. That’s why we have to hold Big Cruise accountable. Their toxic wastewater emissions are causing severe harm to animals, people, and the planet. Without action, Big Cruise companies like Carnival Corp. will continue to recklessly dump toxic wastewater into our ocean waters. And we could see the degradation of one of the few tools we have to slow down some of the impacts of climate change. We need your help to stop them, Friend. Your membership support today will go a long way towards standing up against Big Polluters and fighting for a healthy and just planet. We’ve set an ambitious goal of $5,200 today to fuel this work -- but we’re falling short. If just 1 of every 12 activists reading this contributes, we can reach our goal to stand up for vulnerable species and the planet. Will you donate $27 today and join us in this fight? Don’t let Big Cruise put profit over people and our planet. Donate $27 today and help us reach our $5,200 goal before midnight! If you've saved payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $27 immediately]( [Donate $50 immediately]( [Donate $100 immediately]( [Donate another amount]( Standing with you, Marcie Keever Oceans & vessels program director, Friends of the Earth Contact Us: Friends of the Earth U.S. Washington, D.C. | Berkeley, CA 1-877-843-8687 [Contact us]( Email Preferences: [Click here to unsubscribe]( Learn more: www.foe.org/news www.foe.org/about-us www.foeaction.org Connect: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Flickr]( © 2023, Friends of the Earth. All Rights Reserved. [supporter]