Since
the April 20 bursting of an offshore drilling rig near Louisiana, USA,
tens of thousands of gallons of toxic crude oil per day have been
gushing unabated into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Unlike the
major oil spill in Alaska in 1989 that came from a tanker, the current
underground source is non-finite, with contamination that if left
unchecked could inflict untold harm on marine wildlife.
Dr. Moby Solangi - President and Executive Director, Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (M): By
now we have at least 2 or 3 million gallons that’s floating out there,
and if they don’t cap it, this could be the worst manmade disaster in US
history.
VOICE: Dr. Moby Solangi, President and Executive
Director of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Louisiana, has
been preparing urgently to assist some of the marine animals that might
be affected.
Dr. Moby Solangi (M): We
specialize with dolphins, turtles and manatees. These are animals that
are most vulnerable. They are air breathing animals. When they breathe
the fumes, their lungs would be affected and they could get pneumonias
and other toxins. And so that is really a big concern.
VOICE: Dr.
Solangi is especially concerned that the oil could eventually impact
all species associated with the coastal waters and marshes.
Apart
from whales and sea turtles that would become coated with oil as they
rise to the ocean surface, native birds such as the reddish egret and
the mottled duck would have nowhere else to go once their habitats are
affected.
Still other species, including the dolphin and bluefin tuna, recently gave birth to their young who may be particularly at risk.
Dr. Moby Solangi (M):
There are a lot of baby dolphins that are going to be close to the
shoreline, then they could be affected. Just like other young animals,
they’re very inquisitive and they like to go into things, touch things.
An animal does not know that oil spill is dangerous, so they get caught
up into the oil spill and all these other issues cascade into a really
serious injury.
They are depending upon us for their security,
for their life, and it is the responsibility of human beings to take
care of their surroundings and the animals that inhabit it, because
ultimately their survival is our survival.
VOICE: We thank Dr.
Solangi for your concerned efforts to protect our marine co-inhabitants
who have become more fragile at this time. May further spillage be
swiftly stopped as we pray meanwhile for the safety of human and animal
residents alike. During a July 2008 videoconference in Formosa (Taiwan),
Supreme Master Ching Hai urged greater conscientiousness in our
lifestyles and actions toward the environment.
Supreme Master Ching Hai :
Wild species suffer similar fates because we also drain our chemical
substances, insecticides, pesticides into the rivers, into the lakes,
into the oceans.
So we lost many of these precious species, we lost
many of us, because they are us. And we also lose ourselves, many of us
humans, because of these poisonous substances – and we still did not
wake up yet.
We should have more rules, more guidelines, to
protect natural habitats. Above all, enlightenment is really what’s
needed to govern.
That’s number one. And vegan diet with right
motive, number two, will offer more compassion and insight, also will
help preserve precious natural habitats for the wild and protect the
resources for humans.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/04/28/us/20100428-spill-map.html?ref=us http://www.vancouverite.com/2010/05/10/serious-environmental-impact-feared-in-gulf-of-mexico/http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1124632920100511?type=marketsNews http://www.anneofcarversville.com/fp/moby-solangi-mobilizes-gulf-institute-for-dolphin-relief.html