How You Can Help in the Gulf Oil Crisis

Lots of people have been offering to drive down to the Gulf Coast to help care for the animals. But the national and local authorities, along with the major wildlife charities and also BP, have been requesting that you not do that. There are more than enough local people, they say, who can help.

And while wildlife charities can always value your donations, bear in mind that BP is running the rescue operation and funding most of the rescue effort themselves – as they should be.

So, what to do? How can you help best?

By doing exactly what many people are saying the whole nation should be doing: using the situation as an opportunity to make a real difference.

That means using the situation down there in the Gulf to do something right here at home – wherever each of us lives.

That’s because although the Gulf crisis is a huge catastrophe, there are animals suffering in their own way, and just as badly, almost everywhere else, too.

So, certainly, if you feel moved to do something for those poor creatures caught up in the Gulf disaster, go right ahead. But you don’t have to go a thousand miles to help. You can be a hero for the animals right where you live:

• Ride a bike or take the bus and save a gallon of gas. The amount of oil spewing into the Gulf every day is roughly the amount our nation consumes every five minutes. You can’t stop the oil spill there, but you can stop it at home.

• Volunteer for a local wildlife or ecological organization. Depending on where you live, you could be doing something very special for sea turtles or desert tortoises, birds or bees, pigeons or squirrels, bats or fish or any other kind of animal.

• Find out what you can plant in your backyard or on the window ledge that your local wild friends might appreciate.

• Take you own shopping bags to the grocery store and say you don’t need either “paper or plastic.”

• Find out about eating locally grown food. It’s good for you and you won’t be wasting more oil on transporting food from what is sometimes half way around the world.

• Don’t leave the water running needlessly in the wash basin. Many parts of the country are heading into chronic drought. Water may soon be more precious than oil.

• Do your own research. Look around. Get online. Find out what you can do locally for the wildlife and for the environment (i.e. their homes).

Come to think of it, we could all do all of those. And together we can save far more lives than we could by gassing up the SUV and driving down to the Gulf.

By all means, think globally about the Gulf and other such crises. But act locally to protect the life in your own neighborhood, around your own home.

How You Can Help, Part 2

The Gulf Between Us

The Gulf Between Us
Will this be a turning point?

The Man Who Saw It First
While the world was watching the volcano in Iceland, he was seeing a bigger disaster.

My Trip to the Gulf Coast
Trying to enlist as a volunteer.
1: Back to the Beach
2: The Wildlife Refuges
3: Last Try
4: The Scoop on Becoming a Volunteer

Rescuing the Hermit Crabs
Not just the ‘majestic’ animals.

BP's "Promise"
What they said ... (and when they said it).

The Nigerian Gulf
Out of sight, out of mind.

The Biggest Eco-Disaster?
Check out some others.

"A Gulf Lies Between Us"
The bigger gulf that we need to heal.

All Eyes on the Gulf
Hurricane Katrina volunteers reunite to help.

How You Can Help -- Part One
An opportunity to make a real difference.

How You Can Help -- Part Two
Thinking back to other crises.

The Last Word
Exchanging beauty for profit.

Posted July 10, 2010, by MichaelMountain