From the Inbox: 100 Days of Disaster, 100 Days of Action

Making a Difference in 100 Days of Disaster It’s been a trying 100 days, but our work is not about to end… Learn more about how we’re making a difference for wildlife in the GulfLearn more about how YOU can help Keep up to date on the latest developments in the Gulf with DefendersBlog.org Dear Friend, Yesterday marked 100 days since the Deepwater Horizon oil platform exploded at sea, killing 11 workers and unleashing a torrent of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The numbers from this disaster are staggering: Up to nearly 4 million barrels of oil have flowed into the Gulf1; Nearly 3,000 birds and 500 endangered and threatened sea turtles are confirmed dead2; Hundreds of miles of coastline -- including many sensitive wildlife refuges that shelter endangered and threatened wildlife -- are in the path of the disastrous spill. Within the first 24 hours of the disaster, Defenders went to work on the ground in the Gulf, in Congress, in the courts and with White House officials to ensure our wildlife and wild places impacted by the disaster are protected -- and to prevent another terrible catastrophe like this from happening again. We’ve already won a big victory as the administration announced a moratorium on dangerous new offshore drilling in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea -- prime habitat for America’s struggling polar bears. Here are just a few other ways we’re making a difference: Dr. Chris Haney, Defenders' chief scientist and Exxon Valdez clean-up veteran, is lending his expertise to the federal efforts to protect seabirds impacted by oil in the Gulf and training diplomats on the impacts of oil spills on wildlife and wild places. Senior Marine Policy Analyst Richard Charter, an internationally recognized expert on offshore drilling and wildlife, has been educating and sharing his expertise with the media and congressional staff on the impacts of oil on sea turtles, coral reefs and other wildlife. Defenders Florida staff helped organize the Hands Across the Sand event to protest dangerous offshore drilling, coordinated volunteer beach cleanups and participated in hazardous materials training to assist in wildlife recovery and clean-up efforts. And tomorrow, I -- along with our conservation partners -- will be meeting with Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and other top officials to discuss the federal response to the Gulf oil disaster. But Defenders work doesn’t stop with our staff. Tens of thousands of caring supporters like you have made an incredible impact. Leading up to and immediately following the tragedy, supporters like you packed public hearings to speak out against dangerous new drilling along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Activists like you have sent more than 118,000 messages to the Obama administration and Congress leading to a moratorium on new drilling in the Chukchi Sea. Together, we delivered more than 61,000 messages in support of vital new protections for threatened loggerhead sea turtles. And in the past several days, Defenders supporters have sent nearly 35,000 messages and thousands of calls to their representatives urging passage of the CLEAR Act -- a bill that includes critical drilling reforms and vital funding for habitat restoration and conservation. But our work is far from finished.   Learn more about our fight to save Gulf wildlife.   Learn more about how you can help.   Keep up to date on the latest developments in the    Gulf with DefendersBlog.org In the first 100 days of the Gulf oil disaster, we’ve seen the heartbreaking images of oil-soaked pelicans, struggling sea turtles and soiled coastlines. But it will be some time before we can fully understand the impacts on our wildlife and wild places. With your help, we’re continuing our efforts to meet the challenges that this disaster poses -- and prevent another tragedy like this from ever happening again. Sincerely, Jamie Rappaport Clark Executive Vice President Defenders of Wildlife P.S. Please consider helping to save sea turtles and other Gulf wildlife with your donation through our secure website or call 1-800-385-9712 to donate by phone. ----------- 1 http://www.newsweek.com/2010/06/30/oil-spill-by-the-numbers/barrels-of-oil-leaked-per-day-35-000-to-60-000.html 2 http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doctype/2931/55963