Deepwater Horizon Troubles the Waters
As the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill enters its seventh week of gushing millions of gallons of oil into the fertile Gulf of Mexico, my first thought every morning since the accident occurred is, “Have they found a solution yet to stop the flow?” Grief and anger churn in my guts, and I feel powerless to be of any assistance to the devastated environment.
Aerial view of oil approaching the Louisiana coastline mid-May 2010
But there are ways we can help with our time, our money, and our voices. Below is a list of organizations actively involved in the Gulf Coast’s environmental crisis, working to prevent further damage (although at this point that seems to be steamrolling out of control), and to begin the lengthy process of clean-up and restoration. It will be decades if not centuries if not ever that this beautiful place on our planet will be restored. Much has been lost forever: wildlife and entire eco-systems, people’s livelihoods and the culture that defines them, pristine beaches and marsh lands, and any confidence (of whatever little remained prior to this tragedy) that the oil industry “cares”.
Andy Borowitz posted a disturbing finding at The Huffington Post in which he states, “Goldman Sachs, the banking giant, admitted today that it made “a substantial financial bet against the Gulf of Mexico” one day before the sinking of an oil rig in that body of water.
The new revelations came to light after government investigators turned up new emails from Goldman employee Fabrice “Fabulous Fab” Tourre in which he bragged to a girlfriend that the firm was taking a “big short” position on the Gulf.
“One oil rig goes down and we’re going to be rolling in dough,” Mr. Tourre wrote in one email. “Suck it, fishies and birdies!”"
Very troubling indeed!
Gulf Oil Spill Volunteer and Cleanup Actions
Reprinted from The Huffington Post sourced with the help of WikiCrisis
•The National Wildlife Federation has set up mobile giving services to support their work in the Gulf Coast. Donors can send a text message with the code “WILDLIFE” to 20222 to automatically give a $10 donation to help wildlife affected by the oil spill.
•Oxfam America is working to help affected communities with financial assistance, as well as protect local wetlands and marshes. Make a tax-deductible donation to Oxfam America.
•You can register through OilSpillVolunteers.com to volunteer or join a cleanup organization.
•The BP Volunteer Hotline has set up numbers if you need to report injured wildlife or damage related to the spill. You can also request volunteer information at 866-448-5816.
•The Oiled Wildlife Care Network is providing volunteer information, though help from private citizens is not being requested at this time.
•Global Green plans to spend the coming months working to protect injured wildlife and to lobby Congress to enforce tougher regulations on the oil and coal industries. Volunteer with Global Green or donate to support these efforts.
•The National Audubon Society is asking concerned citizens to donate or volunteer. Sign up to get trained and volunteer to help local birds.
•CrisisCamp set up a conference call for Friday afternoon — follow the notes of this meeting, containing volunteer information with nonprofits and information from government organizations. You can also follow the CrisisCamp oil spill Twitter list for updates.
•Mobile Baykeeper, and affiliate of Waterkeeper Alliance, is dedicating resources to educate potential volunteers on how to help and address the long term environmental change needed in the Gulf region. Make a donation to these efforts.
•The International Bird Rescue Research Center is coordinating a professional rescue team to help birds covered in oil. You can help by reporting wildlife affected by the oil spill to the organization by calling 866-557-1401. You can also make a donation to support their work.
•The Sierra Club is gathering volunteers to help with the cleanup efforts on the Gulf Coast. Sign up online to volunteer and the Sierra Club will help you find the right opportunities for you.
•The Coalition To Restore Coastal Louisiana is also helping to coordinate volunteers. You can register online to volunteer or make a donation.
Political Actions
•Oceana’s goal is to reach 500,000 names on a petition to stop offshore drilling permanently. A tracker on their website displays how many gallons of oil have been spilled in real time. As of May 24, it’s drawing close to eight million.
•Petition sites are packed with letters to politicians that you can sign on to. This one from Care2′s The Petition Site aims to encourage President Obama to reconsider his plan to expand offshore drilling and invest in clean energy resources. A similar petition can be found on TrueMajority.org.
•Join the Facebook group 1 Million Strong Against Offshore Drilling. Check out the action page for more suggestions of how to lend your voice to the anti-drilling movement.
•If you want to do more after writing to your representatives, you can always boycott BP products. The main ones you use? Arco and ampm. If Americans stopped buying gas and products from these places, they’d feel it. Currently, BP has seen very little economic backlash from the spill.
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