Community Corner

One Year After BP Oil Spill: How We Can Help

It's a long road to recovery, but there are things we can do.

Wednesday marks the first anniversary of the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 workers and caused a leak that is believed to have released nearly 4.9 million barrels of oil (200 million gallons). The disaster is the most devastating and largest oil spill in the U.S. history, and scientists say there might be long-term health effects on humans and animals, as studies continue.

CNN reports that "President Barack Obama said Wednesday that 'significant progress' has been made in tackling the disaster, though he stressed that the 'job isn't done.'"

The oil spill caused massive damage to the environment as well as local economies. Thousands of birds, fish, turtles, dolphins and whales were killed, and the carcasses collected were only a tiny fraction of what remained beneath. The BBC reports that the spill may have killed 5,000 of several distinctive, iconic animals, including rare species of whales and dolphins.

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According to National Geographic, the reality of the environmental impact as of today is quite different from scientists' predictions a year ago. It says massive bird die-offs and disrupted migrations have not happened as predicted, though the oil spill might have altered animals' behavior.

Fritz Faerber of National Geographic says the efforts simply to repair the environmental damage could actually do more harm.

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Aside from all the politics and lawsuits surrounding the BP oil spill, there are things you can take part in to help the relief efforts in the Gulf. You can find the latest updates on the progress of Gulf restoration work on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website.

The Georgia Aquarium is providing resources to locals who are looking for ways to offer support, and you can visit the Georgia Aquarium Oil Spill Response page to find out more.

The National Wildlife Federation is inviting citizens to send messages to Congress, urging it to commit Clean Water Act penalties-the BP fines from lawsuits-to restoring the Gulf and saving the Kemp's Ridley sea turtles, the rarest and most endangered species of sea turtle in the world. You can enter your messages on this page

The Nature Conservancy is an organization committed to the work of restoring the Gulf of Mexico. You can find out more about its relief efforts and ways to give here.


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