Please rec the new Mothership #41 here. This one has expired
The current ROV DIARY: Daily Kos Gulf Watchers ROV #174 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - Gulf Watchers Overnight / Peraspera
Rules of the Road
- We take volunteers for subsequent diaries in the sub diaries or ROV's as we have playfully coined them.
- Please rec this mothership diary, not the ROVs.
This Fourth of July weekend is a great time to get out and help with the efforts to protect the Gulf and the life that depends on it. We invited Pam LaPier to place her "How You Can Help" information to the mothership in the hope that it will get the attention it deserves from the visitors who haven't had an opportunity to see it.
PLEASE visit Crashing Vor and Pam LaPier's diaries to find out how you can help the Gulf now and in the future. We don't have to be idle! And thanks to Crashing Vor and Pam LaPier for working on this!
Pictures from Kristina40's excellent collection
Matrix among Jersey companies helping with Gulf spill cleanup
Venuri Siriwardane/The Star-Ledger
It’s been nearly a month since Erin Evertsen rushed to Grand Isle, La. — a once-picturesque barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico, where white-sand beaches and delicate marshlands are now soiled with oil.
Each day, the 27-year-old biologist from Montclair rises at dawn and sets out with two other team members in search of birds soaked in the oil that spews daily from the Deepwater Horizon well.
Evertsen spends her 12-hour workday aboard a small craft, often with nothing but a flimsy canopy to shield her from the relentless Louisiana sun. As the boat skims across bayous dotted with mangrove trees, she scans the horizon for egrets, laughing gulls and the team’s most common oil-coated quarry: brown pelicans.
Read the article here
Support The Gulf Coast Fund here
Support Papa Tortuga at the Tecolutla Turtle Preservation Project here
Support The Gulf Restoration Network here
Support The Turtle Foundation here
Some tips from the Turtle Foundation on how we can all help:
# Avoid restaurants with turtle soup, turtle eggs or turtle meat on the menu. Report the relevant restaurants to the Turtle Foundation.
# Do not buy any products made from turtles such as tortoiseshell or similar souvenirs.
# Do not disturb nesting turtles by your presence, noise or lights.
# Avoid hotels that have destroyed beaches which have been used by the turtles for nesting.
# Divers: Don´t touch – riding turtles is no fun.
# Never toss cigarette butts or plastic bags into the sea. Turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish (the favorite dish of some species); cigarette butts swell in the stomach.
# Keep yourself informed and stay up-to-date for example by visiting the various internet pages about turtles.
Support The Fish and Wildlife Foundation here
Support The National Marine Life Center here
Support The WWF here
Support Pro Peninsula here
Support The Wildlife Trust here
Support The Wildlife Alliance here
Support The Sea Turtle Restoration Project here
Support The Sea Turtle Conservancy here
Support The Gulf Coast Humane Society here
Support The Gulf Coast Canine Rescue & Rehab here
Support Trout Unlimited here
Leo DiCaprio has some ideas for activism here
Support The International Crane Foundation here
Support The American Bird Conservancy here
Support The Wildlife Society here
Support Friends of Haleakala National Park here
Support The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds here
Support The Wildlife Conservation Society here
Support The Gulf Coast Wildlife Rescue here
Support Fine Feathered Friends Sanctuary here
Support The United Way here
Support The Humane Society here
Support The Hubbs-Seaworld Research Institute here
Support The Nature Conservancy here
Adopt a shark or other fish here
You can also adopt a shark here
You can also adopt a whale shark at the Georgia Aquarium here
Support the deckhands, plant workers, and day laborers of the seafood industry and buy your little piece of our national nightmare here for a good cause
Adopt A Fisherman here
Support The Save The Manatee Club here
Support The Save The Manatee Observation and Education Center here
Adopt a dolphin and support the Ocean Conservation Society here
Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center is helping. Donate here
The National Aquarium in Baltimore is helping. Donate here
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is helping. Donate here
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is helping. Donate here
To report oiled wildlife, please call 1-866-557-1401.
To discuss oil related damage, please call 1-800-440-0858.
To report oiled shoreline or to request volunteer information, please call 1-866-448-5816
Contribute or adopt a bird to the International Bird Rescue Research Center
Mignon Faget is driven to design jewelry derived from natural and architectural forms found in her native New Orleans environment. See the site here
Buy a tie for your favorite Dad
Save Our Seabirds has a wish list of things they need
Donations to Protect Our Coastline go to fishermen and shrimpers
Put your needlecraft talents to good use by supplying the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies with knitted/crocheted or sewn towels to aid in their efforts in caring for and cleaning oiled marine mammals.
One New Orleans jeweler is giving 25% of the proceeds of one of their pendants to the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. That's a great idea!
Street Giant is selling tee shirts stating that all proceeds from these satirical shirts will be given to healthygulf.org
ALL salons, groomers, alpaca and llama fleece farmers, individuals, & pet owners... can sign up to donate hair, fur, fleece, feathers, nylons and funding here
Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary also has a wish list here
Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research needs donations
The Greater New Orleans Foundation has set up the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund and needs donations here
The Louisiana Bucket Brigade has set up an Oil Spill Crisis Map and way to report endangered wildlife here
iPhone users in the Gulf can download the Noah Project's app to document distressed animals and the spill's impact on wildlife
More information about Noah here
The EPA is looking for ideas from all you brilliant engineers and experts here
Buy Dawn dishwashing detergent! $1.00 from every bottle will go towards the Marine Mammal Center and the International Bird Rescue Research Center. Activate your donation here.
The Institute For Marine Mammal Studies needs donations
In Bradenton, FL, two local restaurants are joining a nationwide campaign to raise money for the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund.
Bradenton.com
Donate to the Natural Resources Defense Council
Donate to Direct Relief International
Donate to Second Harvest Food Bank
Donate to The Community Center of St. Bernard
Check out the Everyday Wildlife Champions Facebook page
Support the Louisiana Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue Program
Support The Marine Mammal Center
David and Goliath take on the Gulf oil spill, buy a tee shirt here!
The Southern Mutual Help Association is helping Louisiana fishermen here
Contribute to EarthShare here
Contribute to GreaterGood.org here
Contribute to Environmental Defense Fund here
Contribute to the World Bird Sanctuary here
There are a number of good ideas on how to help sea turtles here
Help manatees here
Go out to eat! Restaurants across America contributing to The Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund.
Ideas for helping to save sharks can be found here
Become an e-activist and donate to Global Green USA here
Oxfam America is helping with financial assistance and oil spill cleanup, donate here
Contribute to The National Park Foundation here
Add your voice to Defenders of Wildlife Action Center's call to the President to stop offshore drilling now!
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a highly respected organization, has put out a call for birdwatchers to add their observations about healthy and oiled birds to eBird. More info here
Donate GPS Units and Other Supplies to NWF's Gulf Coast Surveillance Teams. Information is here
Colbert Nation Gulf of America Fund is here
Urge OSHA to do more about workplace safety here
Support The Waterkeeper Alliance here
Support The Louisiana Environmental Action Network here
Help Wildlife In Crisis Now!
Buy a T-Shirt for $30. 100% of all profits will be donated to the National Wildlife Federation to help wildlife impacted by the BP oil spill. Buy your t-shirt here
Text "COAST" to 50555 to donate $10 to The Nature Conservancy providing long term recovery for the habitats of the Gulf.
Text "UNITED" to 50555 to donate $10 to United Way, who are providing emergency assistance to the people of the Gulf.
Donate $10 or more to The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies and The International Bird Rescue Research Center, get the confirmation for your donation and receive one of the beautiful sketchcards available on this site
Ten Solutions to Save at the Pump
- Employer Commute and Flexwork Programs. Major employers are saving employees billions in travel costs. Employers sponsor ride sharing, last mile shuttles from transit, and guaranteed ride homes. Some employers have web sites and lunch-and-learns to help employees in the same zip codes match-up for car pooling. 57 million Americans work at home, at least part-time, with the help of flexwork programs. Employer programs have helped with reduced car ownership.
- Public Transit. Americans made 11 billion trips on U.S. transit in 2008, a 50-year record. Use has dropped some due to transit operators being forced to cut some routes and remove buses as the recession drove down local sales tax revenues needed for public transit. Americans are eager for more and better transit.
- Walk. On an average we take 4 car trips daily, compared to 2 in Europe. Sometimes 1 of those 4 trips can be a pleasant walk to market, neighbors, or school event.
- Safe Routes. Thousands of communities across the nation are showing us how to safely walk to school, community centers, and to public transit. Route maps go on line, pot holes get fixed, sidewalks repaired, danger spots eliminated, and signs displayed. Walk to School Days are on the increase.
- One Car Households. The average suburban U.S. household has two vehicles. Some more. The average urban U.S. household has one vehicle. More American families and roommates are going from three cars to two cars to one car.
- Sharing the Gas Miser. Households with 2 or more vehicles increasingly share cars, putting the most miles on the fuel miser as the gas guzzler stays parked more often. My wife and I share the hybrid, when not using transit, and leave the other car parked 6 days per week.
- Make your next Car a Fuel Miser. You now have a wide-range of car choices that get over 30 miles per gallon. There is no reason to settle for less when you buy or lease a fuel-efficient sedan, hatchback, even SUV, turbo diesel, CNG, or hybrid car. Top 10 Cars With Lowest Carbon Footprint
- Order an Electric Car which is ideal for many who live in a city where 100-mile range is rarely an issue, and where transit, car sharing, and car rental are also available. The average U.S. suburban household has two vehicles, so the EV could be ideal as one of those two. Top 10 Electric Car Makers
- Car Sharing. In 600 global cities, cars can be used by the hour. Car sharing is popular with individuals and fleets. At many university and colleges, students with good grades can participate at age 18. Add transit and bicycling and many students live car free.
- Smart Apps for Smart Travel. Internet savvy people now use Google Maps, 511, car share apps, and smart phone GPS apps to compare car directions and time with public transit directions and time. With a few clicks on a social network a shared ride is arranged, or a shared car reserved. In the old millennium we got everywhere by solo driving in gridlock. In the new millennium we plan and use a mix of car driving, transit, and other modes to save time and money.There are hundreds of ways to save at the pump, or avoid it all together. The above are a just a few as people shift from their only choice being driving a gas guzzler, to options that include ride sharing, car sharing, walking, bicycling, buses, and rail for some of their trips.
Read it here
Ways you can help marine life from savethewhales.org
Support them here
1. Volunteer with local community groups to stencil storm drains, Adopt A Beach, or monitor the water quality of local watersheds. Organize your classroom, school club, or organization to clean litter from rivers, creeks, estuaries, and beaches.Did you know? Storm water pollution (urban runoff) is the leading cause of water pollution nationwide.Pollutants such as motor oil, antifreeze, detergents, litter, paint, pesticides, pet waste, and copper (from brake pads) are flushed off streets and into storm drains which lead straight to rivers, creeks, and the oceans.
2. Participate in Save The Whales' letter writing campaigns with your classroom, club, or church group. Invite friends over for a “letter writing” party. Print letters from Save The Whales “Action Alert” section under the Take Action. One letter from an individual to a government official represents the opinion of hundreds of people. Letters are powerful tools of influence.
3. Cut up plastic six-pac rings before recycling or disposing them in the garbage. Thousands of birds, fish, and other marine creatures die needlessly from entanglement.
4.Pick up trash while walking in your neighborhoods. Participate in National Coastal Clean Up Day (September) www.coastforyou.org to prevent pollution in watersheds and storm drains. Did you know that? One of the most common sources of beach pollution is cigarette butts. They can take up to seven years to breakdown. Last year, over one million cigarette butts were removed by volunteers during National Coastal Clean Up Day.
5. Never release balloons outside as they can travel hundreds of miles and land in rivers, creeks, and oceans. Whales, dolphins and turtles can be killed by ingesting balloons mistaken for jellyfish. See Save The Whales “Balloon Alert” flyer in English and Spanish. Educate your schools or community businesses not to participate in balloon releases. A 60 foot sperm whale washed up dead from ingesting a balloon which blocked its stomach and caused it to starve.
6. Keep your car well maintained to prevent leaks onto roadways and driveways which cause water pollution. Carpool when possible, or ride a bike. Recycle used motor oil for free. Take hazardous waste such as paint, pesticides, and antifreeze to a hazardous waste site. Call 1-800- CLEAN-UP or visit www.cleanup.org for the free drop off location near you.
7. Never discard used fishing line and hooks in the water. This can entangle birds, fish, turtles, seals, and otters and cause the death of these animals.
8.Never dump anything in the street as it goes into the storm drains which travel straight to rivers, creeks, and ultimately the oceans without being cleaned. Did you know that? One quart of motor oil can pollute 250,000 gallons of water. A drop of oil the size of a dime stuck on a sea otter can kill them. They die from hypothermia (freezing to death).
9.Recycle, Reuse and Reduce. Landfills across the nation are filling up with discarded items and refuse. Hazardous waste thrown in the garbage, ends up in landfills where it leeches into the soil and ground water causing contamination. Reduce your refuse by recycling, reusing and composting. Plant an organic garden free of pesticides.
10.Buy products that are environmentally friendly and support organic farming.
Volunteer at:
For those who want to volunteer. There is required training.
Volunteer Events
BP Spill Response Training (PEC/Premier Safety Management)
Click "See schedule" to see the class schedule & locations in PDF format.
"Thank you for your interest in participating in the clean-up effort of the recent BP oil spill. We, PEC, have been contracted by BP to conduct the BP Spill Response training for those employed to perform the clean-up as well as wildlife recovery groups, paraprofessionals, and local officials/emergency response who will be involved. This is a one-day (4 hour) general orientation class for the specific purpose of dealing with this oil spill. The course covers what to expect in the field, potentially dangerous environments, and overall health safety. This course does not include specific training on cleanup activities or the handling and care of/for oiled wildlife.
"There is no cost to you for this training. Attached you will find a schedule of our upcoming classes. Please write to this email, HorizonResponse@pecpremier.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , to let us know the location, date, and time of the class you’re interested in attending. Be sure to put "confirmation code 2664" in the subject line of the email. Pending availability we will register you for the class. You will then receive a registration confirmation email that also includes event details from Eventbrite.com.
"Please take note that once you have completed this training we will not be able to assign you to any volunteer position or employment with BP. However, this training will be required for you to work or volunteer in all projects related to the oil spill. All volunteer efforts and employment opportunities are being coordinated by BP, volunteer organizations, and wildlife recovery groups. We are contracted by BP solely to provide the necessary and required training to anyone who will be involved in those efforts.
Information and training schedule are here
Louisiana Gulf Response
The Coalition To Restore Coastal Louisiana
The National Wildlife Federation
From The Audobon Society:
The best thing that citizens can do to prepare for the incumbent oil spill disaster is to stay calm and hope that the slick does not impact the coast line as harshly as predicted. Unfortunately, things don’t look well for the marine life and breeding bird populations along the Louisiana and Mississippi Coast because it is breeding season for many shore and sea birds. Several “Important Bird Areas,” designated by Audubon and its partners for their essential habitat value to bird species lie within potentially-affected areas. Those under immediate threat include Chandeleur Islands IBA and Gulf Islands National Seashore IBA in Louisiana and Mississippi; and the Active Delta IBA in Louisiana, which includes Delta National Wildlife Refuge and Pass-a-Loutre Wildlife Management Area. We are encouraging folks to NOT run to the shoreline to capture oiled birds and to keep yourself, pets, and your family off of the beach. It is unsafe for humans to come into contact with crude oil, and larger shorebirds have the potential to inflect damage. Please leave these actions to the professionals. However, if you do come into contact with an oiled bird please call 1-866-557-1401. If you are interested in helping with the wildlife response effort, or the coastal bird survey program please Click HERE. . National Audubon is organizing efforts to compile volunteers on a national level. We will keep everyone posted on these efforts. Once again, please stay off the beaches until we know exactly where the oil will arrive. We are being inundated with phone calls for volunteer request, please use the link to submit your information.
The National Audubon Society Action Center is here
The Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program
Some More Great Ideas For Volunteering Here
Oil Spill Volunteers
Save Our Seabirds is also seeking volunteers
Alabama Coastal Foundation
Mobile Bay National Estuary Program
Volunteer Florida
Volunteer Louisiana
Volunteer Mississippi
Serve Alabama
Write to President Obama and your representatives:
Oceana Take Action
Audubon Action Center
Sierra Club
National Wildlife Federation Action Center
Audubon Magazine
”More than 13,000 people signed up to volunteer with Audubon. Have you contacted them?
We’ve mostly reached out locally because there’s no housing, no food setup. Folks have been willing to do kind of crazy things. We’ll say, we need you to drive an hour from your home to pick up a bird that was dropped off in a strange place, then drive four hours up the delta and back down another loop to the wildlife rescue center to deliver it, and then drive home. That’ll be 10 hours of driving and $40 worth of gas. A lot of the volunteer work is not glamorous, and a lot of it’s not direct. It may be chopping up sardines in a blender for a rescued bird. These actions are helping just as much as washing a bird.
How are the recovery efforts affecting birds?
Because so many people are out looking, birds injured in the course of life that would normally recover on their own or die are being detected and rescued. Birds are also being killed and injured because of the protective efforts. So many more people are driving around, hitting birds on the road. Dump trucks are driving on bird habitat, dumping sand into breaches on islands to prevent oil from going into the marshes. The National Guard is dumping sand bags from helicopters to shore up islands. We’ve heard of Wilson’s plover chicks separated from adults by a boat with a boom. There’s so much disturbance it’s hard to say what is protection and what is harm. That human instinct to rush in to rescue can put more pressure on areas and birds, and well-intentioned efforts can cause harm, so we’re trying to help direct volunteers so that their impact is beneficial.
What happens after the oil spill is cleaned up?
Audubon and its partners are planning for long-term monitoring, to see how this impacts populations now and how they respond as we continue to work on habitat restoration. In the very long time frame, we have the Mississippi River Initiative. We’re in a unique position in that we have a powerful river with a lot of sediment. We can create habitat in the Mississippi floodplain and delta with the right types of management, and that’s rare. We have a lot of opportunity, and we need to be poised to take advantage of that.
Check it out here
Plant a flag for Freedom from Oil -- to tell President Obama that we need a plan to get us off oil in twenty years.
Help The Sierra Club get the message out to move beyond oil now!
The Huffington Post Is Scheduling Meetups. See if there is one in your area or start one:
Huffington Post Meetups
Consolidated Fish and Wildlife Collection Report
Deepwater Horizon BP Oil Spill Reference Material
- from Whitis is the best source for everything.. The quantitative data diary has also been moved there.
Kossak Sillia gives a concise explanation of the mothership and liveblog:
This diary, that is, the mothership, forms the hub from which you can reach the other diaries. Or, think of it as a table of contents in the front page of a book. You use this diary to find a link to the latest discussions. You can also find links here to past discussions (previous diaries) if you wanted to read them.
The actual liveblog diaries (in this case playfully referred to as a 'submersible' or ROV) is where the discussion is--once one of these gets so long that its size is cumbersome, they start a new one. So if you wanted to join in to the most current discussion, you'd click the most recent link. But they leave the links there so that people can still go back and read the older ones if they wish.
The reason for this setup is that it prevents the recommended list from being filled up with many diaries on the same topic. Instead just the mothership will appear on the rec list where everybody can find it, which they can use to navigate to the latest discussion. (That's why we are asked to "rec" the mothership but not the other diaries, just reduces confusion.)
I hope this is sort of what you were wanting to know...
Video Feeds
The best multi-view feed
BP Video Feed
CNN multi camera view
PBS This PBS feed is security compliant.
BP videos - Links to all available live feeds from BP
WKRG - Mobile/Pensacola (contains link for an iPhone app at the bottom)
ABC News
A multi-view with feeds from BP, C-SPAN-2, WKRG, and PBS
Vote For America's awesome clickable multi-view
Courtesy of Whitis, here are two additional video links:
Primary feed
Secondary feed
Links, courtesy of several Kossacks
- Summarized tally of affected wildlife
- Visualize the spill
- Nola.com
- h/t dov12348's recommended links
- The Oil Drum
- Oil & Gas Journal
- Offshore Magazine
- Petroleum News
- Your Oil and Gas News
- World Oil
- Administration response to spill.
- Donate to SkyTruth here. SkyTruth helps environmental NGOs use remote sensing (pictures taken from space) and digital mapping to improve their scientific credibility, conservation decisionmaking, communications and public outreach.
- Images of the Oilpacalypse, from Tomtech.
- Visit the Oil Spill Crisis Map to see where oil, mousse, tar balls, and eau de crude have been reported on the Gulf coast.
- The BP Deepwater Horizon Unified Command official website. Wherein you can read latest post warning of employment scams associated with the event and much more from the folks handling this.
- Timeline of response here.
- Timeline of the Event from April 20th being maintained by blogroots.
- Bit Tooth Energy blog (technical discussions) by the famed Heading Out, well known key poster on The Oil Drum blog site.
- Department of Interior BP Deepwater Horizon Response site provides updates, reports, data, links to pictures, etc.
- Rigzone for specific disaster news and news about the offshore industry, in general.
Liveblog diaries
Daily Kos Gulf Watchers ROV #174 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - Gulf Watchers Overnight / Peraspera
Gulf Watchers ROV # 173 - Special 4th Of July Crabbing Edition - Khowell/Pam LaPier
Gulf Watchers ROV # 172 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - Pam LaPier
Gulf Watchers ROV # 171 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - David PA
Gulf Watchers ROV # 170 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe -Yasuragi
Gulf Watchers ROV # 169 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - Gulf Watchers Overnight / Peraspera
Gulf Watchers ROV # 168 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - CindyMax
Gulf Watchers ROV # 167 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - Lorinda Pike
Gulf Watchers ROV # 166 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - Tomtech
Gulf Watchers ROV # 165 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - Yawnimawk
Daily Kos Gulf Watchers ROV #164 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - Darryl House
Daily Kos Gulf Watchers ROV #163 - On Bearing Witness - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - Yasuragi
Gulf Watchers ROV # 162 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe A Small Cottage Edition - GulfGal98
Gulf Watchers ROV # 161 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - Gulf Watchers Overnight / peraspera
Gulf Watchers ROV # 160 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - David PA
Gulf Watchers ROV # 159 - Yasuragi
Gulf Watchers ROV # 158 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - Politik
Gulf Watchers ROV # 157 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - Gulf Watchers Overnight / Dave PA
Gulf Watchers ROV # 156 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - bubbanomics
Gulf Watchers ROV # 155 - Darryl House
Gulf Watchers ROV # 154 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - Hester
Gulf Watchers ROV # 153 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - Gulf Watchers Overnight
Gulf Watchers ROV #152, John Muir Edition - David Kroning II
Gulf Watchers Liveblog ROV 151 - gchaucer2
Previous motherships and ROV's from this extensive live blog effort may be found here.