Audubon Oil Spill Response Team Update #4: Commitment to care
05/14/2010
Gretna, Louisiana, 1:20 a.m.
I'm not going to lie: Disaster response is a stressful, overwhelming and exhausting experience for all involved.
But, if I take a few quiet moments to reflect at the end of a hectic day, I begin to think of all the people who want to do something -- anything -- to help the birds, ecosystems and communities affected by the ongoing oil spill. And I realize, Audubon works because people care.
There's Olivia, a young artist who's sending artwork to people who donate to Audubon and a handful of other environmental NGOs. There's Lexie, who voluntarily stayed in a meeting till well past midnight after sitting on a dock all day.
There's Elizabeth, who -- well, she can speak for herself:
We're inspired and buoyed by your support, encouragement and offers of help during this difficult and frightening time.
But I hope that I -- and you -- learn some long-lasting lessons out of all this, however it plays out in the end.
It's easy to care during a crisis. It's a lot harder to care in the lulls between disasters, but that's when we make a thousand small decisions that influence the future.
Disaster response is crucial. So is a longterm commitment to care. To make smarter, safer choices that are more respectful of human life and all other life on earth.
Will this disaster inspire us to make those choices, both large and small? Well, as with the impact of the spill itself, I think it's still too early to say. But I hope so, I really do.
David J. Ringer
Mississippi River Initiative
National Audubon Society
Oil Spill Clean-Up
Adding hay to the oil slick removes the oil. The oil sticks to the hay. Remove the oil slick hay, remove the oil. Here's a video link: http://www.wimp.com/solutionoil/
Inter/subtidal invertebrates
I have been hearing a lot about the danger that these ecosystems are in and many different ways of potentially handling this tragic situation. This has largely been through the concern of the welfare of the native seabirds of the gulf coasts, I was wondering what risks have been identified for intertidal populations and the severity of those risks (comparitively to sea birds).
Audubon hypocrites ?
Maybe the Audubon will put it's wealth of funds to good use and save some birds that really need to be helped from the oil spill . Instead of spending money on lies and lawyers to shut down Cape Hatteras National Seashore And Recreational Area North Carolina.
Audobon hypocrites.... amen.
They're too frightened of the Big Oll Companies.... private citizens wanting to enjoy coastal National Parks -- that's another story. Counts (done by the Federals) show that the coastal visitors aren't harming the birds, the Park Service and Bird Watchers do more harm to them than fishermen!
Please use your money wisely (Audobon) and help the birds that will be and are being affected by the big oil!!