Another Oil Spill

There was an oil spill on the Santa Barbara coast, though you've probably not heard of it. Luckily, it's not an urgent situation: it happened in 1969. To us, with the Gulf Oil Spill as a lens, it was really small - only 100,000 barrels as compared to the 94-184 million already spilled this year. But this oil spill was monumental. 

This oil spill was one which shocked the nation. People saw the pictures of oil-soaked birds and sludged beaches, and they began to think. This oil spill was what had politicians and people calling for change. 

One year after the spill, the first Earth Day was celebrated. President Nixon founded the Environmental Protection Agency and signed in the Clean Air Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. This one, tiny oil spill was what tipped social change and triggered all these events. 

That oil spill changed the way we view the environment in this country. Certain people and groups are trying to use the current spill in the same way. Let this disaster serve a purpose through changing society and consuming less oil. More Americans polled are ranking the environment as extremely important to them every month. Use less. Save more. Support petitions which you believe will help the current situation. And sing loud - oil isn't the answer of the future. 

Social change is slow. The first Earth Day took a year to be established after the Santa Barbara. The Gulf Spill is longer and more drawn out than the Santa Barbara one, so it has less impact on our societal consciousness, especially in competition with various wars and the financial crisis. Still, don't forget yourself, and don't let others forget what a disaster this is. 

The Gulf Oil Spill

There aren't any words with enough hyperbole to describe the scope of the spill in the Gulf of Mexico right now. It's a sad day when corporate money takes precedent over the lives of its workers and the safety of the environment. Sure, BP has agreed to provide for the workers whose livelihood has been shattered by pollution, but what of the ecosystems and fauna?

We can't undo the damage, but we can take steps to fix the problem. The National Parks Foundation is taking text donations. Just text "parks" to 90999 before July 1st to donate $10. If you live in the area, Deepwater Horizon Response is looking for volunteers, as is the National Wildlife Federation. These jobs range from clerical work to trying to spot endangered species and new oil slicks. Also, don't boycott Gulf seafood: it's been certified safe by the National Fisheries Institute and it supports many of the small businesspeople.

Part of spill is everyone's fault, because we all use petroleum. We all drive cars, we all use plastics. We can decrease our use, but that's going to be tough. While we can clean up after the disaster, the best way to prevent more disasters is to reduce our oil consumption.

If it's feasible, please consider using mass transit when you can, or even a bike if you live in places where that can work. Check out Google Maps to plan your route with local transit. I've ridden the bus to school for more than a year, and I can guarantee that it's not as bad as it seems. Yes, there are occasionally weird people, but there are bad drivers on the roads so it evens out.