BP Oil Spill Ad

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BP Oil Spill a.k.a. the Deepwater Horizon Disaster


WKRG.com News

On April 20, 2010, a semi-submersible exploratory offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded after a blowout and sank two days later, taking with it eleven lives and causing a massive oil spill threatening the coast of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Thousands of barrels of crude oil are steadily gushing into the Gulf every day, threatening the lives, health, economy, and environment of an entire region.

Resources

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Relief Funds

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Relief Organizations

  • Audubon of Florida has created a special fund to rescue oiled wildlife, should it become necessary, and to underwrite advocacy to protect Florida's beaches and coastal birds and wildlife.
  • Clearwater Marine Aquarium has created an emergency fund to care for animals injured by the oil spill.
  • Green Living Energy Education is mobilizing volunteers for oil spill clean-up of beaches in the Florida Keys. The group has divided up the Keys into a Coast Watch map that offers a grid at www.KeysSpill.com where trained volunteers can pick a portion of beach to clean, plus a coastal cleanup checklist and other critical information.
  • The newly formed Gulf Relief Foundation held a benefit concert in New Orleans headlined by the singer Lenny Kravitz that brought in $300,000 – and is still raising money online and organizing. [Added 06/21/10]
  • Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation, based in Baton Rouge, is giving emergency grants totaling (so far totaling more than $117,000) to regional nonprofits  helping those affected by the spill. [Added 06/21/10]
  • Mote Marine Laboratory plans to conduct certain key baseline assessments in the Gulf and archive samples for future analysis, so that the impacts of the oil spill can be measured. This will help ensure that data on the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill cannot be disputed for lack of baseline samples--as was the case in the Exxon Valdez spill.  Mote scientists are also mobilizing to react to oil spill impacts in other ways, should Florida's shores and wildlife be affected.
  • The National Wildlife Federation has sent a team of wildlife experts to assess the impact of the oil spill on the communities, wildlife, marshes and wetlands of the area. NWF staff members are also collaborating with BP and other industry representatives, local and national nonprofits, its state affiliate network, and state and federal government agencies to help coordinate a meaningful volunteer response to the catastrophe.
  • Save Our Seabirds in Sarasota, FL, which says it has had an 85% rescue rate for oil-slicked seabirds, has an Oiled Wildlife Response Team on standby waiting for the official call to respond.
  • Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary and Avian Hospital in Indian Shores, FL, has trained staff on standby to assist with the Gulf Oil Spill Crisis, with over 400 volunteers on call if needed. The Sanctuary staff and volunteers were a significant workforce in the disastrous Tampa Bay 1993 oil spill and has experienced avian care staff on standby to assist Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research.

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Commentary

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