Forcing the Media's Hand

As the media ignores the atrocities here in the Gulf and moves on to more important issues like Roger Clemens committing perjury I have been at my whits end trying to figure out a way to help the people and the wildlife of the Gulf.  Massive amounts of oil remain on the beaches of the Gulf, and since the clean up efforts have been pared down to almost nothing I would say that more oil is on the beaches now than ever before, as it continues to roll in on a daily basis.  Much of this oil has never seen a BP shovel, and it is quite clear that the responsible party never intended to clean it up, and that our government never intended to hold them accountable.

I'm not sure if this is a legitimate thing to do, but I devised a plan that if I contacted the media and showed them all of my irrefutable evidence of the oil, and BP's lack of effort to clean it up, and also publicized the fact that they were contacted and now know about this, they would have no choice but to report on it. I hope it works.  At least you know now that all of the media knows exactly what is going on down here and we can just hope that the amount of money BP has paid to run their advertisements constantly isn't enough to buy real journalism.

Drew Wheelan                                                                                For Immediate Release
Gulf Conservation Coordinator
The American Birding Association



It is now Day 123 of BP's mess in the Gulf. Many of you have interacted intimately with this disaster in the field and have seen the oil up close, and its effects on the coastal communities that are bearing the brunt of this catastrophe. Unfortunately, it seems that the media is ready to move on, as are BP clean up crews, believing the government reports that the oil is all gone. NPR reported last week that numbers of beach clean up workers have diminished from 46,000 to 14,000, and if what I am seeing on Grand Isle is an indication, those numbers are going down on a daily basis.

This week, and currently, the American Birding Association has identified large amounts of heavy oil that still remains on Grand Terre Island, Elmer's Island, the Timbalier Islands, the Chandeleurs, and even on the eastern tip of Grand Isle itself to name just a few. The vast majority of this oil has never seen a BP shovel or rake, and continues to go un-cleaned.

On August 16th, we encountered a large slick of emulsified oil in Coup Abel Pass in Barataria Bay. Though this type of oil is less common these days, it still exists. On August 16th we did not see one boat skimming, nor one beach clean up worker. It is legal to catch and sell shrimp where we found that oil.  Just yesterday, 8/19, I found emulsified oil on a beach in Caminada Pass, Louisiana. The fall bird migration, which will bring hundreds-of-thousands of birds to the Gulf region is nearly underway, and if this oil is left to the whims of nature, these birds will face great and unnecessary harm from contamination of their food sources and their habitat.

The presence of this oil and BP's woefully inadequate response are irrefutable, and I welcome any opportunity to show anyone this oil in person. Quite simply we are not doing nearly enough to report on the realities of how BP has mishandled the clean up "effort", and this is a major opportunity to report on a major ongoing story. The American Birding Association is committed to staying in the area to report on the effects of this disaster -- are you?

Pertinent Links:
Aerial view of oil in Terrebonne Bay and Barataria Bay, August 6th
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUVkBPGxAO0
Video of Oil left on Grand Isle's Eastern Tip; Zone 15
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bIkk7MCtOk
Photos and description of the condition of Raccoon Island on August 8th
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=197546&id=161186488701&fbid=423496628701&ref=mf


Sincerely,
Drew Wheelan
Gulf Conservation Coordinator
American Birding Association

    

Comments

[Diane]

Thank you (and the ABA) for your efforts to document this disaster. I will be following the news to see if you have an impact.

[Al Kelley- Marine Biologist, Cal State]

Drew...........been doing this for 35 years..either get the UN and the Hague for charging the administration for crimes against nature and humanity or join the CBD (Center for Biodiversity) in thier lawsuits.......there will only ever be a handful of people who care because Americans bought into 'manifest destiny' and that delusion allows you to reap rewards just cause........................

[lori DeAngelis]

thank you ever so much Drew, you have worked so hard and we cannot thank you enough! this oil spill is not cleaned up by a long shot and we need to continue to hold bp accountable for this , i dare say, evolutionary oil spill,we cannot recreate what they have devastated, as jimmy buffet says...only time will tell ?

[Angela]

You could post all of your documentation on wikileaks and then people could access it there. If the mainstream media won't cover it, we just have to spread the message ourselves. Try The Young Turks, Dylan Ratigan, Rachel again, and Bill O'Reilly.

[Frank Renfrow]

It sure looks like BP has basically purchased all of the major news networks with its mega-million dollar advertising blitz. I hope you can get this through their filter. Thanks Drew for your continuing efforts.

Frank

[Angela]

I hope someone in a position to bring this to the public's attention will find your work and report on it. Your hard work and efforts are appreciated.

[Mark Gilsdorf]

Drew,
Is there any way to contact you directly via e-mail? I edit the Cincinnati Bird Club newsletter and would like to run some of your coverage in upcoming issues. It ain't the NY Times, but it does reach several hundred field birders in the Cincinnati area.

[marcus]

Could Obama have done more during oil spill? http://bit.ly/99QTIG