A Message To The World

The website is live and began accepting new event registrations on March 7.  In the next few weeks the resources and event toolboxes will be updated to reflect the coming event on August 4.

Join Hands with us in 2012 on Saturday August 4th on your beach or in your community.  In the next few weeks we will be revising the website for the coming event.  Soon any person in the world will be able to download tools to create their own event and join hands with their friends and neighbors at 12:00 noon in all world time zones.  The event will begin in New Zealand, move across the world, and end in Hawaii.

We are joining hands for clean energy.  We are joining hands to keep near and offshore oil drilling out of our waters.  We are joining hands to end our dependence on the dirty fuels that foul our air, water and food.

Hands Across The Sand is a 501c3 non profit organization.

View our YouTube and Flickr galleries to see videos and photos from last year’s events.

Thank you for joining hands for Clean Energy!  We cannot afford to allow the major dirty fuel industries to continue to control our energy policies through political influence. We must join hands on so many levels beyond what will happen this year on the beaches and in towns and cities around the world. We must join hands and demand by whatever peaceful means our leaders steer a clear path of logic towards clean energy.
—Dave Rauschkolb

What is Hands Across The Sand?

Hands Across the Sand is a movement made of people of all walks of life and crosses political affiliations and the borders of the world. This movement is not about politics — it is about the protection of our coastal economies, oceans, marine wildlife and fisheries.  The accidents that continue to happen in offshore oil drilling are a threat to all of the above.  Expanding offshore oil drilling is not the answer; embracing Clean Energy is.

Let us share our knowledge, energies and passion for protecting our planet from the devastating effects the burning of filthy fuels and offshore drilling present. On August 4, 2012 the people of the world will join hands to champion clean energy solutions to our filthy fuels problem.  Embracing a clean energy future now is the path to a sustainable planet.

What are we trying to accomplish? On a local, national and global level, Joining Hands sends a powerful visual message of human solidarity to our nation’s leaders. We are unified in the defense of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we consume from dangerous, dirty energy sources. Every time we join hands that message is reinforced. It’s simple and logical: embrace clean energy. A line in the sand is a powerful thing.

The Movement Started In Florida

In Florida on Saturday, February 13, 2010, a statewide gathering against near and offshore oil drilling occurred.  10,000 Floridians representing 60 towns and cities and over 90 beaches joined hands to protest the efforts by the Florida Legislature and the US Congress to lift the ban on oil drilling in the near and off shores of Florida. Florida’s Hands Across The Sand event was the largest gathering in the history of Florida united against expanding oil drilling into Florida’s waters.  Events were held from Jacksonville to Miami Beach and Key West to Pensacola Beach.

On June 26, 2010, in response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, Hands Across the Sand went National and Global. The event was announced and the website went live allowing event organizers sign up only four weeks prior to June 26th. It became the largest gathering of people in the history of the world united against expanding offshore oil drilling and championing clean energy and renewables. Over 1000 events were held worldwide. Events took place in all 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Events were held in 42 countries outside the U.S. including Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Belize, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Germany, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Greenland, Greece, Croatia, Ireland, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Lebanon, Mexico, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, Tanzania, and South Africa.

Mission Statement

1. To bring together like-minded individuals and organizations with the conviction to organize a Global movement to promote a clean energy future for our earth and end our dependence on dirty fuel sources. These gatherings will bring thousands of American and Global citizens to our beaches and cities and will draw metaphorical and actual lines in the sand; human lines in the sand against the threats Fossil Fuels and offshore oil drilling pose to our present and future planet.
2. To convince our State Legislators, Governors, Congress and President Obama and World leaders to adopt policies encouraging the growth of clean and renewable energy sources in place of oil and coal.

An Opportunity of National and Global Importance

Now is the time for America and global leaders to join hands and steer our energy policy away from our dependence on fossil fuels and into the light of clean energy and renewables.

What to do at Your
Event on August 4

1. Use only approved beach accesses and parking.
2. Create as long a line or as many lines as you wish.
3. Be courteous and respectful to those who disagree with your view.
4. Please steer clear of bird nesting areas (refer to Audubon’s recommendations).
5. …enjoy yourself, it’s the beach!