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Where is CNN now?

Where is CNN now?

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Today I walked through the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge so that I could access the beach there. “They” still have the road closed and the parking lot at the beach closed so I braved 90 degree heat at 8am this morning and walked through the interior of the refuge to see what was happening on the beach.

A month ago I was here and heavy machinery was removing truckloads of sand from the shoreline (shown in photo). Today, the first thing I noticed when approaching the beach from the interior of the refuge was the lack of clanging metal and loud engines. It was blissful to hear birds and waves.

Unfortunately, my peace was interrupted by endless tar balls in the water and on the sand and tidal pools filled with oily sludge. My first thought, upon finding these pools, was–Where is CNN now? BP laid off about 450 employees…out of 550 in Alabama, last week. I believe their promise was to leave the beaches cleaner than before the spill and that they were committed to being here as long as it takes. What happened to those promises?

As I walked along the beach I found myself thinking–Oh, these are only small tar balls, it’s just to be expected to have oily pools on the beach. WAIT A MINUTE! NO! We are being hypnotized into believing whatever they want us to believe. We should not let up in our push to have them held accountable until the beaches are really clean. It is unacceptable to abandon beaches when the work is not completed. But I’m one voice. We will only see them act if we join together as one BIG voice and demand they follow through with their promises. On this eve of the static kill attempt, let us remind them that it is not enough to simply stop the oil. That’s the FIRST step.

On the Surface

On the Surface

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Today I visited Gulf State Park Pier in Gulf Shores, Alabama. This site was heavily oiled a few weeks ago and I wanted to revisit it to see the status of this shoreline.

On first view, the beach appeared clean and the water clear. I wanted to investigate a little closer to see what I could tell using my five senses.

There are tar balls on the beach and in the surf zone. The sand is sticky where it was oiled.

Crustaceans I saw appeared lethargic. Tiny coquina shells, that usually burrow quickly into the tidal sand, only sat on the sand, half covered. They usually dig into the sand ferociously as the surf washes over them.

There were lots of tiny fish swimming near the shore and some larger fish being driven by predators close to shore.

On the surface, it looked good–much, much better than the last time I was here. Yet upon closer investigation there were things that were not great. Of course we’ll see tar balls for many years and they were abundant in the surf zone. The part of the beach that was inundated with oil and oily sludge a month ago still smelled of diesel fuel and there were millions and millions of tiny tar balls mixed in the sand. But right now I’m more interested in what is happening in the water.

Barnacles on the pilings of the pier appeared dead yet there were tiny fish, that make their home among the crustaceans, living there watching my video housing with interest. Crabs at the base of the pilings were definitely lethargic.

My intention is simply to record what I see and form an opinion using my senses and intuition. My conclusion today? The beach there is much better than the last time I saw it; however, the beach still contains obvious hydrocarbons and oil-related products that are invisible but evident due to their smell. The water had suspended particles of unknown origin and had small tar balls rolling in the surf. Some animals looked okay while others appeared dead (barnacles) or sluggish. Bottom line: It’s an unhealthy ecosystem trying to recover.

These are images from a month ago and today of Gulf State Park Pier and condos that border the park boundary.

Humanity–Definitions to Ponder

Humanity–Definitions to Ponder

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When I was growing up I was proud to be a part of humanity because I felt like it truly was an honor to be able to express the quality of being humane, kind or benevolent (Random House definition #3). It made me warm and fuzzy inside as a teenager to think that the goal of humans was to express these wonderful qualities to each other, the earth and wildlife. I wrapped these idyllic qualities around myself and went out into the world, as a young state park naturalist, to make a difference.

Upon reaching the half-century mark, I observe the way we collectively mistreat ourselves, each other, the earth, and animals, and I cannot help but wonder, What happened? The #2 definition of humanity is: the quality or condition of being human. It seems we have changed what used to be a positive reality of humanity into something that, quite honestly, I am ashamed to be a part of many times.

As I was downstairs lifting weights this morning a wild turkey hen and two juveniles arrived at the glass door leading to the deck and invited me to watch them. I quickly bolted up two flights of stairs to get my video camera and returned to have a very close interaction with these wondrous creatures. My husband and I have been interacting with them on our walks around the mountain and have marveled at the intelligence and beauty of these wild birds.

Anxious to complete my workout and walk, I rushed through the workout and set out with camera in-hand to see if we could see them again.

We walked up and down and all around and only in the last few minutes of the walk did we see the turkeys. But this time trespassers to the mountain had their dog off leash and allowed her to chase this family of regal birds, to the point of encouraging Lucy to “get it.” The two hens and seven juveniles that call our mountain home scattered as best they could into trees, squawking and cackling as this large dog terrorized them.

I admit I’ve been a bit on edge covering the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. I’ve been deeply disappointed in humans…in humanity (#1 definition–all beings collectively in the human race). In BP, our government agencies, tourism boards who put dollars above tourist’s health…yes, I’ve been on edge. Today I snapped. I looked at the guy, holding the empty leash in-hand and said, “I am PISSED off! We have a leash law for animals and I just told you baby turkeys were in this area.”

When did humans stop caring? When did we become so selfish? When did we put everyone and everything else aside to satisfy our own jolly’s? When did we, as a collective group of beings, redefine the word humanity to be a negative thing? We have reduced the quality of who we are…although there are kind and benevolent people on the planet (thank God!)…but as a whole we are failing. All we have to do is look around and see the fruits of our actions and behaviors…the oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico, Nigeria, China and the continued drilling on sensitive land and waters…laws that protect corporations at the expense of our environment and our own health….blasting mountain tops for coal and destroying communities downslope….egocentric behaviors that are beyond belief. If we could only rise above our own deception and view what we’ve created from a higher perspective…..

Through this rant I have come to a point of realization. In order for there to be change, we must see the darkness we have created. Presented to us is a huge opportunity to change and grow into beings that are humane, kind and benevolent. It takes effort, sacrifice, and commitment but in the end, we can restore our ability to create a better world and to be proud to count ourselves among a collective of good people.

Sixty Seconds

Sixty Seconds

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We all enjoy pretty things. Beautiful beaches, healthy birds, smiling sea turtles, children playing in the white sand. Who wouldn’t enjoy seeing images such as these when we turn on our televisions or fire up the computer and hop on the internet. It’s our nature to gravitate to things that don’t cause us pain. Right?
When I close my eyes at night, I want to think happy thoughts as much as anybody. Children frolicking in the water or building sand castles, birds splashing into crystal-clear saltwater and everything perfect, healthy and sun-shiny. Why would I expose myself to anything other than this image? Why would you?

The problem is that humans have a knack for forgetting everything that doesn’t affect our own little corner of the world. Oh…there was a flood last week in…ugh…where was that? Oh yes, and there was also something to do with pelicans and sea turtles…now what was that? Okay, so that’s an exaggeration. We all are right there with everything happening in the Gulf of Mexico and the communities of humans and wildlife affected–up to speed, informed and we’ve all written our senators. (empty pause)

Let’s face it. We do not like to be around pain, witness it or be reminded of it. We say, “it brings me down.” I agree that watching the news is, at best, a downer. But there are other ways to stay informed, to stay connected to what is happening in the world, without completing tuning out and glossing over everything with a dose of amnesia.

So how can we overcome this fundamental flaw to disconnect from painful, current events yet remain connected in a life-enhancing way? First, we can make a commitment to inform ourselves on current events, while not allowing ourselves to become enmeshed in the hype of the event, the spin. We can take steps to let our senators and president know how we feel and what action we want to suggest. Remember, our elected officials are elected by US. If we don’t tell them what’s on our mind, they are free to let those who ARE filling their ear, run the country. Scary!! We all have a voice. With the internet, writing our senators is so easy. So is writing the president.

And lastly, I suggest that one reason we don’t engage in such painful events is that we feel powerless to make a difference and that really is depressing. So…find a way to make a difference. In the Gulf Oil Spill Crisis, adopt a family along the Gulf Coast who needs an encouraging letter once in a while. Let them know you care. Set aside a few minutes each day to light a candle or say a prayer for wildlife or people there. Write your senator. Write the president. Get a group together to send care packages to families via churches along the Gulf Coast. There are ways we can take small actions to empower ourselves and be part of the change we are wanting.

Let us not get sucked into an apathetic, forgetful attitude of disconnect from the suffering happening around us. We can engage and find ways to make a difference. Just because there’s not oil in your river or lake doesn’t mean it won’t affect you. We are all connected as a human family and we’re all living in a web of life that includes all creatures, lands and waters. If we do nothing else, let us take one minute a day to focus on the Gulf Coast in a positive way. Sixty seconds…12 breaths….anyone can do that.

Chemical Soup

Chemical Soup

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Last night I attended a presentation by four scientists on air quality issues related to the BP Gulf Oil Crisis. What I learned supported my concerns about breathing safety on the beaches.

Crude oil has several toxic chemicals in it. For example, benzene is one of the major toxins in this nasty soup washing up on shore. It causes cancer, endocrine disruption and at lesser exposure causes headaches, nausea, eye, nose and throat irritation (I have had those symptoms more than once while documenting the crisis). The problem is the EPA is measuring air quality from buses that sample air from roadways. Workers and people recreating are on the beach, over the oil and the smell is infinitely stronger while in direct contact with the crude. Why isn’t the EPA measuring air quality beside cleanup workers? This issue was raised weeks ago by women in Louisiana who complained of this practice.

In a media release from JIC (Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Center) they discourage the use of respirators in cleanup workers. From Valdez we learned that exposure to cleanup workers caused COPD, cancer and many have died since working in that disaster. As I read the information I felt like I was on a circus ride. I have seen workers on the beaches with bandanas over their nose and mouths due to the smell and the fact that they are feeling ill effects of toxic chemicals in the air. Why aren’t they given respirators? I mean….the REAL reason. Perhaps the tourists wouldn’t go to the beaches if respirators were added to the safety gear of workers…hmmm?

Yesterday I once again witnessed people swimming in waters polluted with oil. And it is obviously polluted. There is sheen, smell and oil washing ashore. A father had his two or three year old daughter in the water and I wanted to scream…it’s toxic soup!

I attended the Orange Beach, Alabama, weekly town hall meeting Wednesday and the mayor was asked why people are still being allowed to swim in Gulf waters. He said they’ve posted double red flags and “there is no law against stupid.” But I say to the mayor and others concerned about declining tourist dollars that you OWE it to the public to post signs along the beaches in front of condos saying that the waters are closed. The flags mean nothing to most people. I am witnessing children being contaminated and it is mind-boggling.

The mayor also said that sea turtles were keeping the beach machines from doing their nightly cleanup and that was hurting tourism. No kidding. The feds, he said, were hampering cleanup efforts because they were protecting endangered sea turtles. Can he and others not see that a big reason we are in such a mess is because humans have not been good stewards? We have lived out of balance for so long…ignoring nature, putting it down on our priority list in an effort to make more money…our greed and arrogance is creating the downfall.

If the environment–if nature–breaks down, we are dead. It is that simple. All the money in the world won’t save us from our own insanity.