The brown pelican might likely become extinct through this ... the incident in the Gulf is being called at wildlife apocalypse along the Gulf Coast that everyone has feared for weeks is fast becoming a terrible reality.
Pelicans struggle to free themselves from oil, thick as tar, that gathers in hip-deep pools, while others stretch out useless wings, feathers dripping with crude. Dead birds and dolphins wash ashore, coated in the sludge. Seashells that once glinted pearly white under the hot June sun are stained crimson. No one feels or thinks there can be a halt to the eminent destruction and cost of precious animal life. Shameful and emotionless, the government still drags its' heels to make BP cough up the $ to begin a meaningful clean up and response.
It should be noted that this story can not be confirmed nor verified. I have chose to add it here because multiple sources have reported this incident even though they are unverifiable.
As early as May 9 it was announced that FEMA evacuation protocol for forest fires in and around Tampa, Florida could be activated at a moment’s notice in the event of the oil slick approaching Florida’s coastline. One proposal is to undergo a ‘controlled burn’ of surface oil in the Gulf to prevent the oil reaching Florida’s coast. This would result in highly toxic fumes blowing ashore. In fact, toxic fumes have already been reported elsewhere as Gulf residents complain of breathing difficulties and nausea:
If a regular storm can displace oil like this, what would a hurricane do in the upcoming hurricane season? This season is predicted to be ‘fierce‘, by the way. If weather systems can dump fish and frogs there’s no reason why oil couldn’t be lifted clean into the atmosphere to then fall back to the ground many miles inland. Stranger things have happened.
There is also the dispersal agent ‘Corexit 9500′ that BP has been used in unprecedented amounts (700,000 gallons). Sounds like very toxic stuff (it’s banned in many countries around the world because it is so toxic), and fishermen have already reported getting sick from inhaling it. What are the chances that any oil that either evaporates off into the atmosphere from ‘controlled burns’ or is lifted clear from the water by storms then falls back to land with this toxic chemical mixed in with it?
But what about the legalities? More than half of the judges who will sit on lawsuits brought against BP are financially connected to the oil industry. Thirty-seven of the 64 active or senior judges in key Gulf Coast districts in Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida have links to oil, gas and related energy industries, including some who own stocks or bonds in BP PLC, Halliburton or Transocean – and others who regularly list receiving royalties from oil and gas production wells, according to the reports judges must file each year. The AP reviewed 2008 disclosure forms, the most recent available.
This really isn't a very good sign....what with the White House response to this crisis still built on 'industry expertise' to resolve the catastrophe. Here in Florida we are already seeing the signs of the infamous 'tar balls' arriving along the panhandle. More follows. Gov. Crist, with Mr. Buffet addressed
concerns of locals...in Pensacola wearing his Margaritaville-brand flip-flops, stood Saturday on a pier at tar-ball blotched Pensacola Beach and led a pro-beach rally, urging Floridians to "not get a 'sky is falling' attitude" over the looming oil slick.
Buffett said he has survived hurricanes, getting shot at in Jamaica and a plane crash, and he insisted he's ready to ride out the oil-spill disaster that in the last two days has hit the white sand beaches of the Florida Panhandle.
"This is an environmental disaster nobody asked for, but Floridians are a tough people," Buffet said to the crowd of 1,000 beachgoers. While Mr. Buffet's intentions are all good and active, the reality is; the sky is falling and only real parrotheads have a chance of surviving: lets just get drunk and screw.
It's extremely important at this point that we do everything we can to prevent the next oil spill from ever happening. Take action now to tell Congress: No drilling, no coal, clean energy now! And if you want to do even more, check out this post I put up over on our Grassroots Blog to find toolkits for holding rallies in your community, writing letters to the editor of your local paper, and more: Want to help prevent the next
catastrophic oil spill?
Our team on the ground in Louisiana has sent us a number of new ways you can get plugged in to the animal-rescue and clean up efforts if you're in the Gulf region. There are 6 Ways to Help posted at that link, including how to report oiled wildlife (they recommend you don't try to help the wildlife without a trained expert), who best to donate to, and this bit on volunteering:
Tristate Bird Rescue & Research is coordinating on-the-ground volunteer efforts. Several other groups are helping to organize volunteers to help cleanse birds and otherwise protect both wildlife and human populations along the Gulf Coast. Our favorite ... is The National Audubon Society, which is helping connect volunteers with the best government or non-profit agency doing work related to the oil spill response. (But there are many many many others.) The government also has a volunteer hotline at 1-866-448-5816.The Louisiana Bucket Brigade and Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation are also great places to check out for ways you can help.
In general, organizations are urging people not to travel to volunteer.
We're all horrified and saddened beyond words by the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf. If you find yourself actually close enough to lend a hand in mitigating the impact this disaster will have on the Gulf's coastline and wildlife, there's a volunteer info hotline you can call: 1-866-448-5816. That number also works if you want to report an oiled shoreline.
A website has been set up to help manage the response to the Deepwater Horizon disaster: www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com. You can also find numbers to report oiled wildlife or discuss oil spill-related damage, plus find updates on the cleanup from the Coast Guard, on that site.
