Showing posts with label oil spill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oil spill. Show all posts
16 June 2010
inexcuseable - the impact of cleanup
...if there's a transcript for this, I'd love to get it. But it's worth watching, absorbing, and thinking about. The Gulf, My Gulf, the bounty that turned me into a birder - is not only being thoughtlessly run over by vacationers - it is being swamped with massive equipment as part of the cleanup. So the little birds that don't stand a chance against ATVs are now also subject to being smashed by giant trucks.
Edit: we now have an "oil spill" tag
10 June 2010
Impacts of oil
Trying to keep things lighthearted has been a challenge lately, so I'll just provide a few links of good reading:
The American Birding Association "gulf" blog:
http://birding.typepad.com/gulf/
And a rebuttal to the "kill, don't clean oiled birds" argument:
http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2010/06/oiled_birds_to_kill_or_not_to.php
If you've got time, there are volunteer options through National Audubon:
http://www.audubon.org/campaign/advisory/advisory1006.html#volunteer
It looks like we'll be spending most of July and a few of the following months out in the Big Bend region, more details to come eventually.
The American Birding Association "gulf" blog:
http://birding.typepad.com/gulf/
And a rebuttal to the "kill, don't clean oiled birds" argument:
http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2010/06/oiled_birds_to_kill_or_not_to.php
If you've got time, there are volunteer options through National Audubon:
http://www.audubon.org/campaign/advisory/advisory1006.html#volunteer
It looks like we'll be spending most of July and a few of the following months out in the Big Bend region, more details to come eventually.
26 May 2010
BPTransoceanLtd.Halliburton and the Infinite Sadness
(Gerald Herbert/AP Photo)
In spite of a few common name nomenclature errors...
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/05/oil_reaches_louisiana_shores.html
*edited for content. This is a family blog*
sigh.
01 May 2010
Oil spill links
BP's "Deep Water Horizon" spill is begging the question, how will it be cleaned up? ...it will be done using everything humanly possible, yes, by every organization imaginable, but hindsight is 20/20 and we should figure out how to NOT duplicate this scenario.
Some handy links to track the spill:
EPA's online response ( http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/ )
Transocean ( http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/site/2931/ )
Brown Pelicans, Mendocino Co. (?) 2004
EDIT: the WR&E e-mail is now on their blog.
WR&E sent out this e-mail a few days ago:
On Standby for Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
The Wildlife Rehab and Education Oiled Wildlife Response Team stands ready 24/7 and is on standby to respond to any and all wildlife impacted by the oil slick caused by the fire and sinking of the drilling platform Deepwater Horizon. In addition to our management team that has 26 years experience and our team members that possess hazardous waste training, J. Jill Heatley, DVM, MS, Dipl ABVP (Avian), Dipl ACZM, Clinical Associate Professor, Zoological Medicine College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University is prepared to deploy as well. In addition, Dr. Heatley brings with her Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine technicians and senior students. Over 200 volunteers at The Wildlife Center are prepared to either deploy or accept cleaned animals for care.
The Wildlife Rehab and Education Oiled Wildlife Response Team is in contact with the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Command Center and ready to respond to any and all wildlife impacted by the oil slick caused by the fire and sinking of the drilling platform Deepwater Horizon. In addition to our team that has 26 years experience in wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and Hazmat training, J. Jill Heatley, DVM, MS, Dipl ABVP (Avian), Dipl ACZM, Clinical Associate Professor, Zoological Medicine College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University will join our team for deployment. The Wildlife Rehab and Education Oiled Wildlife Response Team has a deep pool of over 200 highly trained volunteers ready to support future waves of deployment and assist with the rescue, cleaning and rehabilitation of impacted wildlife.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image of the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico on April 25, 2010 using its Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument. With the Mississippi Delta on the left, the silvery swirling oil slick from the April 20 explosion and subsequent sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform is highly visible. The rig was located roughly 50 miles southeast of the coast of Louisiana. Click here to go to photo's source.
Officials are now predicting that oil from the incident will reach parts of the Louisiana coastline today in the Pass-a-Loutre Wildlife Management Area and Breton Sound and Chandeleur Sound by Saturday. The WR&E Oiled Wildlife Response Team extensive experience in this region and has successfully responded to oiled wildlife in these areas several times a year.
Our highly experienced management team maintains the multiple state and Federal permits necessary to care for injured, orphaned, endangered, and oiled wildlife. The management team possesses 40 hr. HAZWOPER (Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response) certification, ICS (Incident Command System) training and TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Card) cards to allow for the collection of oiled wildlife in locations sensitive to Homeland Security such as ship channels and ports. In addition to an experienced pool of volunteers that possess 24 hr. HAZWOPER certification, the team also includes veterinarians and veterinarian technicians and 200 volunteers that are trained in the care and feeding of stressed wildlife. The team responds to oiled wildlife in both inland and coastal areas of the Gulf Coast.
The WR&E Wildlife Center has the following equipment available upon request for the oiled wildlife response:
A Wildlife Center in Houston, TX with capacity to accommodate over 500 adult brown pelicans or even larger numbers of smaller species.
Veterinary medical assistance and fully outfitted mobile and stationary operating facilities and medical support wards.
Response equipment that is stored in 8 “push pact” containers that can be trucked or airlifted anywhere for oiled wildlife response, hurricane response or other wildlife emergencies. The containers include over 3000 various sizes of plastic crates/kennels, 44 large cases of towels, paper towels, trash bags,feeding bowls, etc.
A 38 ft. bus with 24 stainless cages and 2 surgery tables with anesthesia machines for staging, triage or transport of oiled animals to the Wildlife Center. The bus has a generator and is air-conditioned.
A 48 ft. custom built two section enclosed top trailer with a 10,000-watt generator, three air conditioning units and a built-in water tank and fueling station.
A 12 person van for the transportation of personnel and supplies to Oiled Wildlife Response Workshops, Oil Spill and Emergency Response.
We have been overwhelmed with the generosity of all of you who have called and offered to volunteer, provide support and make donations of supplies or cash. The WR&E Oiled Wildlife Response Team is part of the response plan.
To support the lifesaving work of Wildlife Rehab and Education Center you can click here to electronically donate or you can click here to go to our website to snail mail a donation now! For more information about our Oiled Wildlife Response Team see our website www.WRandE.org under the "Oiled Wildlife" tab.
Thanks again and we will keep you posted,
Sharon Schmalz
Director of the WR&E Center
Director of the WR&E Oiled Wildlife Response Team
Wildlife Rehab & Education
7007 Katy Road,
Houston, Texas 77024
Double-crested Cormorant, Galveston Co. (2002?)
(not oiled; taken to WR&E's founder for emaciation)
Edit: the WR&E e-mail is now on their blog.
Some handy links to track the spill:
EPA's online response ( http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/ )
Transocean ( http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/site/2931/ )
Brown Pelicans, Mendocino Co. (?) 2004
EDIT: the WR&E e-mail is now on their blog.
WR&E sent out this e-mail a few days ago:
On Standby for Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
The Wildlife Rehab and Education Oiled Wildlife Response Team stands ready 24/7 and is on standby to respond to any and all wildlife impacted by the oil slick caused by the fire and sinking of the drilling platform Deepwater Horizon. In addition to our management team that has 26 years experience and our team members that possess hazardous waste training, J. Jill Heatley, DVM, MS, Dipl ABVP (Avian), Dipl ACZM, Clinical Associate Professor, Zoological Medicine College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University is prepared to deploy as well. In addition, Dr. Heatley brings with her Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine technicians and senior students. Over 200 volunteers at The Wildlife Center are prepared to either deploy or accept cleaned animals for care.
The Wildlife Rehab and Education Oiled Wildlife Response Team is in contact with the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Command Center and ready to respond to any and all wildlife impacted by the oil slick caused by the fire and sinking of the drilling platform Deepwater Horizon. In addition to our team that has 26 years experience in wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and Hazmat training, J. Jill Heatley, DVM, MS, Dipl ABVP (Avian), Dipl ACZM, Clinical Associate Professor, Zoological Medicine College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University will join our team for deployment. The Wildlife Rehab and Education Oiled Wildlife Response Team has a deep pool of over 200 highly trained volunteers ready to support future waves of deployment and assist with the rescue, cleaning and rehabilitation of impacted wildlife.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image of the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico on April 25, 2010 using its Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument. With the Mississippi Delta on the left, the silvery swirling oil slick from the April 20 explosion and subsequent sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform is highly visible. The rig was located roughly 50 miles southeast of the coast of Louisiana. Click here to go to photo's source.
Officials are now predicting that oil from the incident will reach parts of the Louisiana coastline today in the Pass-a-Loutre Wildlife Management Area and Breton Sound and Chandeleur Sound by Saturday. The WR&E Oiled Wildlife Response Team extensive experience in this region and has successfully responded to oiled wildlife in these areas several times a year.
Our highly experienced management team maintains the multiple state and Federal permits necessary to care for injured, orphaned, endangered, and oiled wildlife. The management team possesses 40 hr. HAZWOPER (Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response) certification, ICS (Incident Command System) training and TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Card) cards to allow for the collection of oiled wildlife in locations sensitive to Homeland Security such as ship channels and ports. In addition to an experienced pool of volunteers that possess 24 hr. HAZWOPER certification, the team also includes veterinarians and veterinarian technicians and 200 volunteers that are trained in the care and feeding of stressed wildlife. The team responds to oiled wildlife in both inland and coastal areas of the Gulf Coast.
The WR&E Wildlife Center has the following equipment available upon request for the oiled wildlife response:
A Wildlife Center in Houston, TX with capacity to accommodate over 500 adult brown pelicans or even larger numbers of smaller species.
Veterinary medical assistance and fully outfitted mobile and stationary operating facilities and medical support wards.
Response equipment that is stored in 8 “push pact” containers that can be trucked or airlifted anywhere for oiled wildlife response, hurricane response or other wildlife emergencies. The containers include over 3000 various sizes of plastic crates/kennels, 44 large cases of towels, paper towels, trash bags,feeding bowls, etc.
A 38 ft. bus with 24 stainless cages and 2 surgery tables with anesthesia machines for staging, triage or transport of oiled animals to the Wildlife Center. The bus has a generator and is air-conditioned.
A 48 ft. custom built two section enclosed top trailer with a 10,000-watt generator, three air conditioning units and a built-in water tank and fueling station.
A 12 person van for the transportation of personnel and supplies to Oiled Wildlife Response Workshops, Oil Spill and Emergency Response.
We have been overwhelmed with the generosity of all of you who have called and offered to volunteer, provide support and make donations of supplies or cash. The WR&E Oiled Wildlife Response Team is part of the response plan.
To support the lifesaving work of Wildlife Rehab and Education Center you can click here to electronically donate or you can click here to go to our website to snail mail a donation now! For more information about our Oiled Wildlife Response Team see our website www.WRandE.org under the "Oiled Wildlife" tab.
Thanks again and we will keep you posted,
Sharon Schmalz
Director of the WR&E Center
Director of the WR&E Oiled Wildlife Response Team
Wildlife Rehab & Education
7007 Katy Road,
Houston, Texas 77024
Double-crested Cormorant, Galveston Co. (2002?)
(not oiled; taken to WR&E's founder for emaciation)
Edit: the WR&E e-mail is now on their blog.
23 April 2010
Hold Music vs. Lesser Nighthawk
To the dear readers of this blog (there must be 7 or 8 of you now, you exclusive club, you!) we apologize for the lag in super-awesome posts lately; we're on the road. To hold you over until the next post of witty banter, we invite you to consider this post "hold music" or elevator music, or whatever it is that fancy blogs have these days to keep readers from leaving.
Today's activity: Oiled Wildlife Response Workshop by Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education, aka Sharon Schmalz, my Houston area rehabber!
Afterward we drove down to Sabine Pass and tried to unwind but the migrants kept us on our toes. Highlight: Lesser Nighthawk. Second highlight? Common Nighthawk right after the Lesser!
In fact, here's a video - you can tell how windy it was (and hear the Royal Terns in the background) One more video and two photos are now up in our RBA album.
Yes, you say, there is a clump of bark-colored something in that video. And if you're not a birder, you're probably not going to care one way or another about Common vs. Lesser Nighthawk. Basically Lessers are silent, low-flying, buffy nighthawks who stick to arid southern regions. Commons are the ones you see/hear (they have a "BEERT!" call) over parking lots and around stadium lights at football games over much of the US.
Map from whatbird.com:
...as you can see, the critter shouldn't be at the very SE corner of Texas! If it strays another mile or two to the east, that's SW Louisiana ;-)
Happy migration; 140 spp in 2 days of birding, 1 more to go.
Today's activity: Oiled Wildlife Response Workshop by Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education, aka Sharon Schmalz, my Houston area rehabber!
Afterward we drove down to Sabine Pass and tried to unwind but the migrants kept us on our toes. Highlight: Lesser Nighthawk. Second highlight? Common Nighthawk right after the Lesser!
In fact, here's a video - you can tell how windy it was (and hear the Royal Terns in the background) One more video and two photos are now up in our RBA album.
Yes, you say, there is a clump of bark-colored something in that video. And if you're not a birder, you're probably not going to care one way or another about Common vs. Lesser Nighthawk. Basically Lessers are silent, low-flying, buffy nighthawks who stick to arid southern regions. Commons are the ones you see/hear (they have a "BEERT!" call) over parking lots and around stadium lights at football games over much of the US.
Map from whatbird.com:
...as you can see, the critter shouldn't be at the very SE corner of Texas! If it strays another mile or two to the east, that's SW Louisiana ;-)
Happy migration; 140 spp in 2 days of birding, 1 more to go.
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