Two months have passed since the BP oil leak began. With more than 100,000 barrels of oil now released into the Gulf of Mexico, watching and listening to news about the spill can leave one with a sense of helplessness and despair. You may find yourself wondering “will it ever end” or even “hasn’t this been solved yet”. The footage of suffering animals and failed attempts at capping the pipe are hard to endure on such an ongoing basis. Even the comedy routines by Jay Leno, Steven Colbert and Jon Stewart about plugging the pipe can get depressing… Are those tears from laughing or are you really crying now? Each day the news has updates on how much oil has been spilled and how BP is trying (unsuccessfully) to stop it. New wave media, including YouTube, has gone one step beyond reporting, inviting viewers to chime in with a solution. It seems like we’re all trying but nothing is working.
The BP website has frequent updates on their response to the spill and currently that includes collecting and burning or “flaring” excess oil. On June 21st alone BP spent 12 hours collecting and burning oil. By the end of the day the total oil released through the broken pipe was approximately 25,830 barrels. Of that total, 15,560 barrels of oil were collected, 10,270 barrels were flared off, and 52.2 million cubic feet of natural gas was also flared. It may be the best available option for reducing the impact on local wildlife but that’s a lot of entropy and CO2… Expect gas prices to rise soon!
Despite efforts to clean up the oil from the Gulf of Mexico, wildlife in the area is still being affected. The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) states that more than 400 species of fish and other wildlife rely on the Gulf Coast for food, cover, and breeding grounds. As a result of the BP oil spill, it may take many decades for these species to fully recover, if at all. So far there are 47 dead mammals, 957 dead birds, and 387 dead sea turtles. For more information on the impact the oil spill has had on wildlife, go to http://www.nwf.org/Oil-Spill/Effects-on-Wildlife.aspx.
With so much depressing and disheartening news flooding in, many concerned citizens worldwide have experienced a growing need to help. Yet, many more feel at a loss for how to help. Fortunately, whether you live near the spill or not, there are things you can do to make a difference and we’ve listed them here. The National Wildlife Federation suggests the following three areas of opportunity:
- Volunteer
- Take Action
- Share
Specifically, you can donate to the NWF’s Gulf Coast Surveillance Team. The NWF, its five gulf affiliates, and many others use the Gulf Coast Surveillance Teams to track and report on the impact of the oil spill, support wildlife rescues and rehabilitation efforts, and restore damaged delicate coastal ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to donations, these teams are looking for volunteers that have skills in wildlife observation and tracking (whether as bird watchers, naturalists, or sportsmen). People who are knowledgeable about the Gulf Coast and its waters, can identify native species of birds, fish, turtles, marine mammals and other animals that will be at risk from the oil spill, and are local to one of the surveillance locations. These volunteer opportunities can be found at http://www.nwf.org/Oil-Spill/Surveillance-Network.aspx. Who knows, you might even meet your future spouse at one of these events… Good people wanted!
In addition to volunteering, you can take action by holding BP accountable for the damages caused by the spill. The NWF websites states that, “rather than assuming full responsibility for the costs of their recklessness on wildlife . . . the price tag could be pushed off on you, the American taxpayer. Currently, outdated legislation puts BP off the hook for damages above $75 million, even though this is less than one day’s profit for BP!” The NWF website has setup an action center where you can write a message to congress urging them to hold BP accountable for their negligence.
You can also help by leveraging social media tools to spread the word about the oil spill. This falls into the third “share” category and while it’s hard to believe there is anyone in the world who hasn’t heard about the spill, there is a lot you can share on how to help address it locally. This could range from deploying nets and filters to protect small beaches to fund raisers and group trips to animal rescue sites.
The NWF is currently looking for dedicated online wildlife advocates to help them spread messages about the impact of the oil spill on wildlife and to share information about how people can help. You can stay informed by watching the news or reading articles online like this one and posting the information you gather on social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter. Depending on where you live, your opportunities to help will be unique and that’s where crowd sourcing and sharing comes into play. There are badges you can post to your websites or blogs at http://www.nwf.org/Oil-Spill/Ways-To-Help/Share.aspx and you can find out more about how technology can help wildlife here.
These are just some of the many ways you can do something to help with the BP oil spill. Remember that you can also donate to wildlife organizations such as the Audubon Society, The National Wildlife Federation, and the World Wildlife Fund whether oil has been spilled or not. These organizations do a lot to keep ecosystems strong so plants and animals have a fighting chance to endure something like an oil spill, should it ever occur. Also, if you buy a bottle of Dawn and activate online, one dollar will be donated to the International Bird Rescue Research Center and the Marine Mammal Center. More information on what Dawn is doing to help with the wildlife rescue effort can be found here. Feel free to post other donation programs and sponsorships below in the comments.
Whichever way you choose to help with the BP oil spill, always remember the positive difference you can make in the way you live. Consider riding your bicycle or walking more and recycling as much and as often as possible. Oil continues to grow in price and the price is manifest in more than just currency as this spill demonstrates. Stay positive and remember that one person can make a difference.
