Shea and Corey Lopez on the Oil Spill in Their Home State

Laird Hamilton says reinstate the moratorium!

25,000 barrels of oil a day, 25,000 barrels a day, take 1 down...

Having trouble wrapping your head around 25,000 barrels of oil? Equal to 1,050,000 million gallons. The amount we have been using to estimate the amount of oil gushing into the gulf everyday for the last 62 days! This is a startling and helpful visualization.

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What? It's not 100% safe?!? Oil companies' disaster plans criticized

Why have a disaster plan if your technology is 100% safe?

Apparently, that was the attitude the oil industry who seem to believe that the most important technology needed for a disaster plan is a xerox machine.

You think we are kidding?

At today's congressional hearing, Congressman Markey quipped, the only technology the companies seemed to be relying on in these plans was a Xerox machine.

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Five things you can do related to the gulf oil spill

Here are five things YOU can do to related to the Gulf oil spill.

Join more than 12,000 others and make your voice heard. 
Tell President Obama and Congress to restore the full moratorium on new offshore drilling in federal waters.

http://www.surfrider.org/nodrilling

Join thousands across America on June 26th as we come together to take a stand. 
On June 26 we are coordinating a nationwide event to oppose new offshore drilling. It's called Hand Across the Sand. It will take place in all coastal states in the United States.

http://www.handsacrossthesand.com/

Stay up to speed on spill details on our blog: http://www.nottheanswer.org 
Stay tuned on the latest news, ways to participate in our Not The Answer campaign, and join the conversation about the disaster unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico.

http://www.nottheanswer.org

Tweet! Related, a few relevant Twitter feeds to add to your mix are: @surfrider @envirosurf @bpglobalpr @skytruth @jimmoriarty


@chadenelsen Tweet about oil spill using #oilspill

Volunteer in Florida and Gulf. If you live in the Gulf or Florida regions you can document what you see and find with our Spill Tracker here:

http://oilspill.skytruth.org

or download the iphone app to report impacts here.

If you're in this area and have never connected with a local chapter, now is a great time to do it. Find the local dozen chapters in the Gulf and in Florida: http://www.surfrider.org/chapters.asp




5. Support alternatives. Engage. 

The United States has 3% of the world's oil and uses 20% of the world's oil. We cannot drill our way to national security. We need to find alternatives. 70% of oil is used for transportation. For one thing, we need use less fuel. If you drive a vehicle getting low MPG, think about that choice and what it means. If you can use make a phone call, Skype or video conferencing instead of flying, understand these choices save massive amounts of fuel. If you hear about local, state and national governments looking to invest in alternative energy solutions... pay attention.

http:///www.oceanamps.org

The Oil Spill’s Effects on Life Underwater

Spill’s Effects Underwater

Efforts are under way to keep the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico from reaching birds, mammals and critical shoreline habitats, but some marine biologists worry about the effects of the oil slick and the use of chemical dispersants on life underwater.

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EPA Orders Use of a Less Toxic Chemical in Gulf

One month and 700,000 gallons later, the EPA decides that Corexit, the dispersant that BP has been pumping into the gulf in massive quantities, is too risky to use.

Wow. It took our lead environmental agency a month to figure this out and then only in response from scientists and politicians who have pointed to less toxic alternatives. We must do better.

In directing BP to select a less toxic dispersant, the Environmental Protection Agency said it was exercising caution because so little is known about the chemicals’ potential impact.

BP has sprayed nearly 700,000 gallons of Corexit dispersants on the surface of the gulf and directly onto the leaking well head a mile underwater. It is by far the largest use of chemicals to break up an oil spill in United States waters to date.

Scientists and politicians have questioned why the E.P.A. is allowing use of the Corexit products when less toxic alternatives are available.

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