The BP oil Spill’s Cruel Toll of Wildlife
We can react positively to what is the largest case of cruelty to animals in US history – if it changes our behaviour as consumers
by Ingrid Newkirk
BP has certainly shone an international spotlight on British business, but no one is applauding. In the US, it has more than the loss of human life, livelihoods and tourism to answer for. And so do the government inspectors who allowed the corporation to put profit before safety.
If the criminal investigation of BP and those who signed off on the drill-site inspection sheets and safety assurances shows wilful fraud and deception, dereliction of duty, bribes or who knows what else, there is one additional set of criminal charges that should be added to the list: cruelty to animals. For this is the largest case of cruelty to animals in US history.
There is no shortage of photographs of the animals that have died and are still dying – slowly, painfully, drenched in oil. It is hard for anyone to see the gulls and pelicans, blinking up through a thick coat of muck that prevents them from flying, eating, taking a drink of water or escaping the burning heat along the Gulf coast. It is even too much to come across video that shows a huge rubber-gloved hand gently plucking a tiny crab out of a puddle of black glop. Only the outline of body tells you what it is, although its struggles tell you it is still alive. For the moment.
For most of the animals, any help is too late. It is suspected that even if wildlife rescuers contain a bird in time, before much oil damage has been done, the terror of being handled by a predator, of being force-fed, doused, scrubbed and rescrubbed, is too much for their pounding hearts to endure. Even if they survive the trauma of being cleaned and re-cleaned, most will likely die after their release.
One also has to ask: “Where can they be released?” Many birds mate for life; others are lost without their flocks. Their nesting and feeding grounds now lie under the oil slick, their friends and family are dead or dying. What is there for them to return to?
And what of the turtles, dolphins and, dare I write it, the whales? Cetacean experts do not expect whales to totally escape this slick. Once killed for their oil, will they now be killed by ours?
Whether or not BP is charged with cruelty, there are many things that we can do other than just pointing a finger. Some suggestions are to provide less support to oil companies by consuming less oil, to buy fewer plastic goods (the beaches of Hawaiian atolls are inches deep in discarded plastic that floats in from all over the world), and to follow recommendations issued by the UN this month by going vegan to save the waterways, forests and ozone layer.
Paul McCartney’s Meat-Free Monday project is getting institutions and individuals to look at the environmental devastation caused by factory farming and to do something about it by reducing meat consumption. In taking responsibility, our new government would do well to announce that we, too, are to embrace at least that one baby step.
BP and the US government can never truly make amends with cash payouts. How do you “make it up” to those suffering and dying in agony out there at this very moment? But, before we look away from the photographs of the umpteenth oil-coated heron, let’s do something positive and make some personal choices ourselves so that none of the oil companies can claim consumer demand as a reason for misbehaving. It’s just a thought.
© 2010 Guardian News and Media Limited
I get very upset when I see the pictures of the animals suffering. Loving animals as I do, it breaks my heart to think of them dying a terrible death.
I was at brunch with my mom and her friends this morning and I was telling them about the 32 machines that BP has bought that can turn oil into water. Praying with all my heart that the machines work. Yet, she just wanted to condemn President Obama but wouldn’t even hear that BP is the one to blame. My mother and I are like oil and water. We just don’t think alike. I can’t think like she does. It is hard to reason with someone who goes off the deep end and doesn’t want to hear the truth. BP is the one who is responsible. President Obama didn’t cause this vocano of oil, and I believe now is trying his best. I don’t believe that President Obama is so EVIL that he is enjoying watching the animals suffer and die a terrible death. For defending Obama and trying to point out that BP is the guilty party I get her wrath. We changed the subject. so we didn’t have a big blow up.
There must be one person in the world who knows how to stop this vocano of oil? I will keep praying that God would give men wisdom to know how to stop the oil from causing the death of the gulf of Mexico and the wetlands. I also believe that BP wants to STOP the oil. They are just over their heads and need to admit they don’t know and call for help to people all over the world to help them find an solution to the problem. We need to help BP stop the vocano of oil!!!!! That has to be at the top of the list. Yet, we need to do multitasking, because we need to start the clean up and building the defenses up. That is where the local government could take charge and bill BP for the cost.
I am very worried, and I pray that the oil will be stopped soon.
Hmm, who caused all this? Well I suppose BP may be near the front of the queue but of coarse we can’t forget all the US government departments that are supposed to oversee these off shore activities, and the safety regulator and the oil commissions who approved this venture, what of the US crew that where on board and the US arrestor that failed at the sea floor?
Its a takes typical black man like obama to blame ‘British Petroleum” when he knows very well that that name was changed to BP years ago, he trying to place the blame off the US and deflecting the truth of his own administration own ineptitude and xenophobic attitude to the UK.
Once again he should be cleaning his own back yard or at least being selective about trying to clean up others. He could start with the jews for good measure then move on to the arabs.
Garfield,
How is your son doing? I hope he is fully recovered and back to being his active self. There is nothing more scary then a child who is sick and has to be rushed to the hospital.
You do bring up a couple of valid points. Yes, part of the blame goes to the MMS workers who failed to do their job in reading the applications before approving them. If they had read BP application they would have noticed that their plan was a joke because they were naming animals that didn’t live in the gulf but artic. Yes, our government is corrupted and that is just one agency that is corrupted.
Garfield, it is my understanding that President Obama knew of the problem and was trying to clean it up, but didn’t move fast enough. Yes, I agree he must take some of the blame because the corruption continued under Obama’s watch too. some people who I respect say that George W is to blame because the corruption occured during his term as President. Yes, I would agree that there is some truth, but I believe the corruption in our government was there before George W became President. I also think it is a mistake for Progressives to just blame Bush. It makes it look like we are excusing Obama for doing the same thing Bush did, when if it is wrong for Bush than it should be just as wrong for Obama.
If we truly want to live by our faith than we shouldn’t blame everything on Bush and excuse Obama. We must treat both men as we would want to be treated. It is not easy being President as Obama is finding out now. This is Bush’s 9/11. Every man I have seen hold the job seems much older by the time they leave office as they have more gray hair. Though there are those of us who dream of being in the White House someday, we also know that it is one of the toughest jobs a man can hold. He carries the weight of the whole country on his shoulders. I believe that is why as Catholics we need to pray for those who serve in government like the President, VP, Congress, and Judges etc.
BP lied Garfield. They said they had a plan in case of disaster but they didn’t. The plan they submitted named walrus as an animal in the gulf, but the gulf is to warm for a walrus to live. BP was part of the corruption of the MMS. They lied about the true amount of damage that was done and the amount of oil that is coming up. Did you know Garfield that their are science people who say that man might not be able to stop the volcano of oil. BP failed in that it didn’t have a plan. They still don’t have any idea of what to do.
I don’t think BP is as evil as some people would say. I don’t blame those people for hating BP right now, but I don’t believe that Tony Hayward is an evil man who is enjoying having this volcano of oil that is destroying the oceans and marine life, wetlands and more animals suffering. I don’t think he wanted this to happen. I don’t think he is an evil man who is enjoying the suffering and terrible death of anything that gets in the way of his big blob of oil he created in the gulf of Mexico. I think there is no one who wants to stop that oil more than Tony Hayward and BP. It is also true, that they might know that there is no way to stop the oil volcano, but he hasn’t the courage to come out and say. I am sorry but this accident is bigger than we are and I have tried to find someone who knows what can be done to stop the volcano of oil. There must be someone in the world who knows how to stop that oil. Yet, from what one Progressive man I respect said last night on the Ed show that there are science people who fear that we might not be able to stop this because the explosion was so bad.
I don’t hate anyone Garfield. I don’t hate BP or President Obama. They both have made mistakes. Sometimes one needs to face the truth and have the courage to tell the people what is really happening. We are adults and we Americans can take the truth. Just don’t LIE to us anymore. Tell us the truth. If you can’t stop this volcano of oil than tell us. At the same time you must tell us that BP and the government under President Obama are looking for people all around the world who might have a reasonable plan to try. We must not give up trying. The most important thing that we can do who do not have the knowledge to cap the oil, is pray for the success of the people who are working against the odds to stop the volcano of oil.
Garfield, it is not the time for pointing fingers out each other but it is the time where all people around the world need to be thinking of ideas to cap the oil and stop that volcano of oil. Once the volcano is stopped and the clean up is well under way, than we can take the time to sort everything out. Now is the time to find people who have the knowledge to think of different plans to try. If you don’t succeed the first time, one must try and try again. Right now I just want that volcano of oil stopped!!!!!!!!!!!!