The BP Deepwater Horizon Gulf Coast Oil Spill
What You Can Do Immediately
Learn More
Get updated from the Gulf Restoration Network at
http://www.healthygulf.org/blog/
and
http://www.BPdrillingdisaster.org
Volunteer and Report oil sightings
You should be aware however, that with the outpouring of concern from people around the nation, there is a limited number of volunteer opportunities available for individuals without specialized training.
If you want to get involved, the
HandsOn Network will be recruiting and training volunteers leaders and mobilizing tens of thousands of volunteers to support the gulf region's environmental and economic recovery in the the coming year. Learn more and sign up for service leader boot camps at
http://www.handsonnetwork.org/nola2011
Do the Write thing!
You can write your own letter expressing your concern about the oil spill or you can use one of the following templates to contact politicians and company officials:
What You Can Do in the Long Term: Reduce your oil consumption!
According to the Energy Information Administration the US consumes 19,498,000 barrels of oil per day. That means the average person uses over two gallons of oil everyday! We can all help reduce the chance of future oil spills by reducing our oil consumption. Less oil use means less oil needs to be moved through our oceans.
Be a Caring Commuter
Did you know that each year we waste the equivalent of nine billion gallons of oil or 800 times the amount spilled by the Exxon Valdez due to traffic jams? Let's rethink our car culture. Help by carpooling and taking public transportation, riding bikes and walking whenever possible.
Need some carpool buddies? Try one of these websites: www.zimride.com/p or www.erideshare.com/ to find others going your way! Together you can save money and the ocean.
Be a Conscious Consumer
When we think of oil we usually think of the gasoline we put in our cars. But in fact 17% of our oil consumption comes from our use of over 6,000 products made from petroleum.
Almost everything made of plastic uses petroleum. Just think of all the plastic things you use everyday! Some of these items, such as eyeglass and lifejackets are essential. But many we don't need.
Bring a reusable bag
Bringing a cloth shopping bag can help the ocean in multiple ways! First, decreasing production of plastic bags saves oil. For every thirteen plastic bags you don't use, you can save enough petroleum to drive a car one mile. Bringing a cloth bag can also save sea life, like turtles, which may confuse floating bags with jellyfish and choke on them.
Consider keeping a bunch of cloth bags in the trunk of your car or putting one in your purse. That way you are always prepared to save the seas whenever you shop!
Use a reusable water bottle
Fill a reusable water bottle with deliciously refreshing and environmentally responsible tap water! "Bottled water is no safer and no tastier than tap water. However, 17 million barrels of oil are consumed each year in the production of these bottles — enough oil to fuel 1.3 million cars for a year. This figure does not include the oil burned in transportation or refrigeration of bottled water. In fact, the amount of oil used in the lifetime of a plastic water bottle is the equivalent of filling that bottle one-quarter of the way with oil." You can do your part to keep this oil out of the sea, by saying NO to bottled water!
Go natural
Wear natural fibers like cotton or wool instead of Nylon and Polyester which are made primarily from petroleum. It's like wearing oil as clothes! If you need the warmth and insulation of synthetic fibers look for fleece made of recycled plastic soda bottles! That way, no new oil was needed to make your winter jacket.
Simplify for the Seas
Much of the "stuff" in our society is made from nonrenewable resources, produces pollution during manufacture and transportation, and ends up in a landfill. Buy durable products rather than disposable ones. Reducing your consumption is a great way to simplify your life, save money, feel good, and protect our ocean.
Sources:
i http://www.whitehouse.gov/deepwater-bp-oil-spil
ii http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=stats#oil_home-stats
iii http://www.SeastheDay.org
iv http://www.riseaboveplastics.org/
v http://beyondthebottle.org/?page_id=2
vi http://www.SeastheDay.org
