Ocean Conservancy: 35 years later…

 

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It’s been 35 years since the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, causing a tragic oil disaster that is still being felt more than three decades later. The damaged ship spilled roughly 11 million gallons of oil into our ocean. The oil spill killed and injured bald eagles, harbor seals, seabirds, sea otters and other marine wildlife; impaired subsistence harvests in nearby Alaska Native communities; disrupted commercial fishing operations; and impacted more than 1,000 miles of Alaska’s remote and rugged coastline. The Exxon Valdez disaster resulted from a tanker running aground, but oil spills can also result from offshore drilling. Regardless of the source of the spill, when oil hits the water, we unfortunately already know there will be devastating impacts. And that’s not all: Fossil fuel companies are not only drilling offshore; they’re also leaving their old, unused and dirty oil platforms and pipelines in our ocean, allowing them to sit, pollute and damage the water and the climate. It’s time to hold Big Oil accountable for cleaning up after themselves. You wouldn’t allow someone to come into your home, make a complete mess and then leave without picking up the mess, would you? Then why is the United States letting the fossil fuel industry slide by? Join us and add your name to the growing list of folks who are speaking out. Decommissioning is the process of cleaning up oil and gas operations by permanently plugging unused wells, removing oil platforms and remediating the seafloor. But a new report released by the Government Accountability Office revealed serious insufficiencies with the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s (BSEE) efforts to enforce laws that require companies to plug and remove offshore oil wells that are no longer in use and for the fossil fuel industry’s failure to take responsibility for its continued impact on our ocean and coastal communities. Oil and gas companies have already littered our ocean floor with more than 20,000 miles of disused pipeline. To make matters worse, there is already a large decommissioning backlog: As of last June, more than 75% of idle or end-of-lease structures in the Gulf of Mexico were behind schedule relative to BSEE deadlines. Unplugged wells can leak oil and powerful greenhouse gases, such as methane, into our ocean and air. Decommissioning offshore oil and gas infrastructure is vital to protecting coastal communities, wildlife and our ocean environment, yet oil and gas companies have repeatedly failed. We can’t keep letting companies get away with drilling for oil and gas without having adequate funds to clean up their messes. TAKE ACTION For our ocean, Andrew Hartsig Senior Director, Arctic Program Ocean Conservancy

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OCEAN CONSERVANCY: Another oil spill takes its toll

 

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You may have heard about last month’s oil spill near Trinidad and Tobago. The disaster occurred after a barge was lodged on a coral reef about 500 feet off the coast of the island of Tobago. This spill has had a devastating impact on Tobago’s coastline, posing a threat to both humans and nature–including vulnerable fish, coral reef and mangrove ecosystems. Due to the severity of the spill, Trinidad and Tobago declared a state of emergency. Oil continues to spread across the Caribbean Sea, threatening coastlines in several countries. Our thoughts are with those affected and the individuals working tirelessly to address this environmental crisis. Time and time again, we’ve seen the toll of oil spills—loss of wildlife, damage to marine ecosystems and harm to human health. The impacts of oil spills will continue to be felt for years to come. But you can take action now. Enough is enough. We need a responsible, rapid and just transition away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy sources. This transition is needed to prevent both devastating oil spills and the catastrophic impacts from climate change. Will you join us by calling on your elected officials to transition away from dirty fossil fuels? The fossil fuel industry is trying to profit at the cost of our ocean and our health. There is no reason to allow Big Oil to continue polluting our ocean and our homes when clean-energy alternatives are available and ready to be implemented. Our ocean deserves better. There is no time to waste—take action now to prevent future oil spills. TAKE ACTION For our ocean, Shamini Selvaratnam Associate Director, International Climate and Clean Energy Ocean Conservancy

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3 facts about Big Oil

 

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It’s not a secret: Oil is not good for our ocean or our planet. Offshore drilling threatens our ocean, wildlife and coastal communities with oil spills, creates toxic air pollution and—most of all—worsens and deepens the climate crisis. Even transporting oil is a dirty business; just look at last month’s devastating spill off Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean Sea. As an ocean lover, you know about the threat of Big Oil. But this problem is big and messy (literally and figuratively). Here are three facts you might not know about oil’s impacts on our ocean: There have been major oil spills every 20 years—each one worse than the last. In 1969, the Santa Barbara oil spill released more than 3 million gallons of oil off the California coast. Twenty years later, the Exxon Valdez spewed 11 million gallons into Alaska’s Prince William Sound, clogging beaches and killing wildlife. And, of course, 21 years after that the Deepwater Horizon explosion took 11 lives and poured 210 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico—the effects of which are still being felt today. See what we’ve learned from decades of devastating spills >>  Oil and plastics are linked in a BIG way. Plastics are made from and powered by fossil fuels—oil, gas and coal. By 2050, 20% of our oil use will be used to produce plastics—more per person than we use for our cars. If we don’t reduce how much plastic we make and use, we won’t be able to leave behind fossil fuels and their devastating impacts on the climate, our ocean and our communities. Learn how Ocean Conservancy is tackling these major ocean threats >> Decommissioning is the way to go. We can’t transition away from offshore drilling without properly decommissioning—or closing down—offshore oil and gas facilities like wells, platforms and pipelines. But there are some major dos and don’ts around how to decommission effectively, including making sure operators, who put the facilities there in the first place, clean up after themselves. Read nine dos and don’ts of decommissioning >> Offshore drilling is a big problem, and it requires strategic solutions. At Ocean Conservancy, we are working with partners around the globe to decrease risky drilling, reduce fossil fuels and protect our ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. Learn more and see how you can help. For our ocean, Andrew Hartsig Senior Director, Arctic Program Ocean Conservancy

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Take action for manatees

 

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There is no easy way to put it—manatees are in great danger. In 2021 we saw record-breaking manatee deaths in Florida, and 2022 wasn’t much better. In fact, over the past two years, more than 25% of Florida’s manatee population has died. These gentle giants need our help. With Manatee Appreciation Day in just two days, please take action with Ocean Conservancy to help protect these gentle giants of the sea. Putting an animal on the endangered species list allows federal and local governments to put measures and regulations in place that protect imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. Tell the United States Department of Interior to put the manatee back on the endangered species list today. TAKE ACTION For our ocean, Jon Paul “J.P.” Brooker Director, Florida Conservation Ocean Conservancy

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NOAA needs your help 🌊

 

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Whether you know it or not, the work of NOAA—the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—impacts your life each and every day. America relies on the team of world-class professionals and scientists at NOAA to do essential work ranging from the bottom of the ocean all the way up to the reaches of space. And now NOAA needs your help! Will you join me in taking action to ensure NOAA remains fully funded in the upcoming budget cycle? The services that NOAA provides aren’t theoretical. They’re very, very real. And they’re in your hands, on your television and on your dinner-plate virtually every day. You don’t see a NOAA logo pop up each time NOAA touches your life, but NOAA is there—whether you’re aware of it or not. It’s NOAA who is responsible for: Exploring and protecting the depths of our ocean Managing America’s fisheries Protecting endangered marine mammals and other ocean wildlife Giving you your local nightly weather forecast Forecasting and tracking hurricanes Predicting “space weather” to forecast solar storms that could disrupt our nation’s critical satellites, including GPS services that we all rely on every day That’s right—NOAA even has a role in keeping the GPS on your phone up and running. As climate change continues to wreak havoc on our ocean and coastal communities and as we work to create new jobs to make a more resilient nation, these investments in NOAA’s science, conservation, climate and weather mission are more important than ever before. Take action today—tell Congress to fully fund NOAA. We need Congress to embrace this proposal to ensure that everyone in America has the information and resources they need to adapt and thrive in a changing climate. TAKE ACTION For our ocean, Katherine Tsantiris Associate Director, Government Relations Ocean Conservancy

1300 19th Street NW • 8th Floor • Washington, DC 20036 • 800-519-1541 Ocean Conservancy is a 501(c)3 — Donations are 100% tax-deductible as allowed by law. Privacy Policy • Legal Information PHOTO CREDIT: KYLE SOTO © 2022 OCEAN CONSERVANCY