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This Saturday, thousands of people will join hands along waterways around the country, including in Liberty State Park, for a “Hands Across the Sand” event designed to raise awareness of the dangers of offshore oil drilling.

The event was founded last fall by Florida surfer and restaurant owner Dave Rauschkolb, and after a successful gathering this February, the Florida legislature dropped its plan to lift the ban on oil drilling in the state’s near and off shores.

Saturday’s nationwide demonstration, which is being endorsed by about 20 leading national environmental groups, comes at a crucial time, as the disastrous BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has forced policymakers to think twice about expanding offshore drilling. As of earlier today, there were 742 events organized in all 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico and 31 countries outside of the U.S.

Jersey City’s event is being organized by Joseph Langham, who says he “just felt the need to do something” about our energy policy. As environmentalists nationwide begin using the BP spill as a tool to help people make different personal choices, Langham says it was another major U.S. oil leak that changed his behavior.

“When I was 19 years old, Exxon Valdez sprung its historic leak, and I remember thinking to myself, ‘is it so important that I drive myself to work everyday?’ And thus, I started commuting by bike as much as humanly possible,” he says. “Oil kills. Time to move on. Tomorrow is my small chance to stand up with friends and say enough is enough.”

THE DETAILS
Hands Across the Sand; Saturday, June 26; the line at Liberty State Park will begin next to the Historic CRRNJ Terminal and will run south along the walkway. Interested participants are being asked to arrive at 11 am for the noon event, which will last 15 minutes. For more info, click here.