I came across this image on Facebook and it really hit close to home. It was posted by one of my BFF’s from high school (hi Michelle!). A BFF whom I’d spent a week on this very coast during Spring Break ’84 in Panama City! I wish I could share fond memories from that trip, but all I remember is eating the worm. And driving Sabrina’s Oldsmobile because she was too sunburned….
Good times. That was 25 years ago. Ouch. I’ve since spent a week minimum on these shores every year with friends and/or family. And now I’m filled with regret because the beaches that I love, that inspired me to work in marine conservation, that inspired me to start scuba diving are now marred by this toxic, smelly, sticky mess. This avoidable mess.
100,000 barrels a day. At first, only when pressed by the press, BP said maybe 5,000 barrels? Yeah, that’s it. 5,000. We shouted loud via Twitter – more like 25,000!! And David, a geologist, was already thinking that it was probably more like 100,000 based on the average production of 200,000+ barrels a day by the average rig.
Their lies are downright criminal. Now that The Oil is starting to hit home, literally for the person who took this photo who lives in Pensacola, people who want to help clean up their beaches are being told that there are “too many volunteers” – yet, only two men and one bucket have been seen in the area. This mess stretches for miles. Two men and a bucket aren’t going to cut it. So why are people being turned away from helping with the clean up? I suspect BP is trying to avoid lawsuits because clean up is toxic and workers need haz mat training. But even with haz mat training, there are stories that people are having respiratory problems because of the cleanup. And it’s all over the news that workers are being told they’ll be fired if they’re seen wearing respirators. BP is full of BS in my opinion.
In the meantime, more oil is coming ashore and a massive cleanup effort is needed urgently. So why are people being turned away? Apparently the photographer of the photo above is not the only one rebuffed by BP. According to the Huffington Post, even offers to volunteer by highly qualified geologists and people with hazardous materials training are being ignored. There are other reports as well. This sickens me. We love these beaches and we want to protect what we love. To have the very people that caused all this damage refusing to let people help is just wrong.
Moratorium remains intact: Pro-whaling advocates fail to get commercial whaling condoned
Agadir 23rd June 2010 – After two days of closed-door discussions delegates to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) were unable to reach consensus on a proposal (the ‘deal’) that would see the legitimization of commercial whaling.
The moratorium (ban) still stands and Japan, Iceland and Norway continue to whale outside of the sanction of the IWC.
It was clear that, despite many presentations by the pro-whaling advocates, the majority of nations were not convinced by the arguments that any whales being killed under commercial whaling was acceptable.
Nations also rejected the view that quotas could be given whilst the moratorium still stood. It became obvious to delegates that the moratorium was fundamental to any allocation of quotas, be they in the thousands or the hundreds, or even tens.
The Latin American countries and Australia were clear on their opposition to the proposed deal. After weeks of uncertainty, even the EU took a strong position and rejected the proposed version while continuing to still be willing to negotiate.
It appears that the pro-deal advocates decided that it was too risky to push their proposal to a vote, and so risk it being publicly rejected in a devastating vote.
WDCS anticipates there will be further discussions in the coming year, but we now call on the nations of the world to realize that the old world view of whaling is over.
“We now call on governments to work together to ensure the moratorium is implemented fully and effectively ending commercial, and so-called scientific whaling, which have no place in the 21st century. WDCS believes that the IWC has a strong future, but not one that legitimizes this cruel, unmanageable and unnecessary industry,” says Nicolas Entrup, spokesperson of WDCS in Agadir.
The 62nd meeting of the IWC whilst not taking forward the ‘deal’ will now look at a number of important agenda items.
One important item still to be debated is the demand by Demark that Greenland should be allowed to expand its hunt to include 10 humpback whales per year.
Full briefings on the Greenland issue available from WDCS
The International Bird Rescue and Research Center (IBRRC) appears to be doing a great job cleaning up the pelicans coated by the BP (aka Big Polluters) oil spill. Sounds like they have plenty of volunteers, so please consider making a donation to support their good work. The organization is directed by Jay Holcomb, Oceana’s 2010 Ocean Hero:
News Advisory for: Tuesday, June 8, 2010
IBRRC’s Jay Holcomb Receives Ocean Hero Award
Veteran wildlife care expert recognized for lifelong commitment to marine conservation
Los Angeles, CA – Today, International Bird Rescue Research Center’s executive director Jay Holcomb was named Oceana’s Ocean Hero for 2010. Holcomb is currently leading IBRRC’s bird rescue effort in the Gulf, working alongside Tri-State Bird Rescue to care for wildlife caught in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The Ocean Heroes contest was created in 2009 to recognize individuals making a difference for the ocean, with winners announced on World Oceans Day. This year, Oceana, the largest international organization focused solely on ocean conservation, also named a group of Junior Ocean Heroes, honoring The Shark Finatics from Green Chimney High School in New York.
“We are proud to honor these everyday people who are making a difference for the ocean,” says Oceana’s CEO Andrew Sharpless. “In light of the disaster in the Gulf and the state of the oceans worldwide, we need people like Holcomb and the Finatics to continue their work and inspire others to get involved.”
Oceana’s 2010 Ocean Heroes contest was launched in March, when the general public was invited to submit nominations. Finalists were selected by a panel of experts from Oceana, and the public was invited to vote online to select the winners.
Holcomb is a lifelong California resident who has been passionate about the ocean since his childhood along the coast. He began his career at the Marin Humane Society and then helped found the rehabilitation program at the Marin Wildlife Center. He joined IBRRC in 1986 with 20 years of animal rehabilitation experience, and has responded to over 200 oil spills around the world, including the 1989 Exxon Valdez and the 1979 Gulf spills.
“It is particularly poignant that I have won this award in the midst of the greatest oil spill in U.S. history,” said Holcomb. “My career stems from a passion that has burned in me since I was a child. I have always approached my work as trying to change the world one bird at a time. My hope is that this award reminds people that whatever we can do personally to protect our ocean does make a difference, no matter how overwhelming the task may seem at times.”
Oceana, the world’s largest international ocean conservation organization, released a new report today that finds the Deepwater Horizon oil spill extremely dangerous for sea turtles inhabiting the Gulf of Mexico. Specifically, sea turtles can become coated in oil or inhale volatile chemicals when they surface to breathe, swallow oil or contaminated prey, and swim through oil or come in contact with it on nesting beaches.
“Sea turtles can suffer both internal and external injuries from contact with oil or chemical dispersants,” said Elizabeth Wilson, marine scientist and fisheries campaign manager at Oceana. “In addition to regulating bycatch in commercial fisheries and protecting critical habitat areas, the U.S. government can now add ‘preventing future oil spills’ to its list of essential sea turtle protections.”
Five of the world’s seven sea turtle species inhabit the Gulf of Mexico for some portion of their lives. These species (green, hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, leatherback and loggerhead) are all listed as either “threatened” or “endangered” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (facing a high and very high risk of extinction, respectively).
As of June 9, 32 oiled sea turtles have been found in the Gulf of Mexico and more than 320 sea turtles have been found dead or injured since the spill began April 20. While some dead and injured sea turtles are found by search crews or wash up on the beach, many others do not. In fact, ocean currents often carry these animals out to sea where they can sink or be eaten by predators.
“Our use of oil and gas is causing climate change and making our oceans more acidic,” said Jacqueline Savitz, senior campaign director at Oceana. “As if that was not bad enough, it’s now killing endangered species. Americans can never be fully compensated for the loss of national treasures like sea turtles, caused by unnecessary and careless offshore drilling.”
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill can have the following impacts on sea turtles:
Oil or dispersants on the sea turtle’s skin and body can cause skin irritation, chemical burns and infections.
Inhalation of volatile petroleum compounds and dispersants can damage the respiratory tract and lead to diseases such as pneumonia.
Ingesting oil or dispersants can cause injury to the gastrointestinal tract, which may affect the animals’ ability to absorb or digest food.
Inhaled or ingested chemicals can damage liver, kidney and brain function, cause anemia and immune suppression, or lead to reproductive failure or death.
Oil on developing sea turtle nests can increase egg mortality and lead to potential deformities in the hatchlings that do survive.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill could also destroy important sea turtle habitat areas such as seagrass beds and coral reefs, as well as reduce food availability.
Oceana is urging the Obama administration to ban further offshore drilling immediately and permanently. Oceana is also urging the government to determine the cumulative impact of human activities on sea turtles and reduce the number of sea turtles harmed to a level that will allow recovery of sea turtle populations.
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