Save World’s Rarest Sea Turtle From Death by Oil

Target: Jennifer Homendy, Chair of National Transportation Safety Board

Goal: Hold companies accountable for damaging oil spill and safeguard against more disasters.

Once again, a reported oil spill has become a clear and present ecological danger. This time, an oil slick detected off Louisiana’s coast is suspected to contain more than one million gallons of the substance. It was spotted near a pipeline system run by Main Pass Oil Gathering.

Oil is particularly hazardous to wetland ecosystems. A short time ago, hatchlings of the world’s smallest sea turtle species were found on a nearby island for the first time in decades. Critically endangered Rice’s whales are also known to frequent the area. A previous catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is estimated to have killed one-fifth of the region’s whale population.

These animals represent just a portion of the wildlife potentially at short and long-term risk from this latest disaster. An investigation is ongoing. Sign the petition below to demand full accountability and more stringent conservation measures to prevent the next environmental crisis.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Chair Homendy,

The Deep Horizon oil spill in 2010 demonstrated just how much devastation irresponsible special interests can inflict on critical ecosystems. At least 20 percent of the Gulf of Mexico’s entire whale population was lost. Yet despite the lessons that should have been learned, the dangers from oil spills remain.

Now, the latest spill (to the tune of one million-plus gallons of oil) is imperiling another endangered whale population and threatening the very existence of sea turtles still struggling to climb back from the brink of extinction. The consequences for other wildlife and for coastal communities is still unknown. Please ensure the investigation that is taking place yields meaningful answers and decisive action.

More importantly, take the necessary steps to hold companies accountable and to protect irreplaceable habitats from future chaos and instability.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service