“I suppose if you had to choose just one quality to have that would be it: vitality.” ~ John F. Kennedy, as quoted in One Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.
Today Manhattan Users Guide ran their daily MUG to list ways that we can all help with the efforts to clean up the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf Coast. Everyone can contribute with funds or time of every capacity, large and small, short-term and long-term. The spill destroys more life everyday – our collective efforts can help turn the tide.
From MUG:
Volunteer to the LA Gulf Coast Response, a coordinated effort among several organizations.
Seed grant money to the Gulf Coast Fund, which is distributing emergency grants.
Supply life vests needed by the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Volunteer Program.
Go to the beach on June 26th and participate in Hands Across the Sand.
Eat out as part of the Dineout for the Gulf Coast, today and tomorrow.
Fill in for Sarasota-based Save our Seabirds staff members who have been reassigned into the field during the crisis.
Give heating pads to Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida (birds covered in oil often suffer from hypothermia). Click on Volunteer Document [PDF]
Wash your dishes with Special Edition Dawn, which will donate $1 per bottle to help save wildlife. You need to activate the donation here.
Text WILDLIFE to 20222, a $10 donation to the National Wildlife Federation. NWF says 97% of the donation will go to Gulf region recovery efforts.
Follow 1,000,000 Strong Against Offshore Drilling on Facebook.
Download Not One Drop: Betrayal and Courage in the Wake of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill by Riki Ott (free) and donate to Global Green.
Volunteer for Audubon’s response efforts.
Urge Senators to pass a comprehensive climate and energy bill.
Buy a book today through Monday at Borders with this coupon and the company will donate 10% of sales to the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana.
Travel to New Orleans and spread those tourist dollars around generously.
Donate to the Greater New Orleans Foundation.
Get a haircut or get your dog, sheep, or llama groomed and save the hair (or fur or fleece); then send it to Matter of Trust which will stuff booms it.
Use less plastic and take the pledge at Save My Oceans.
Support the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in Florida, the largest wild bird hospital in the country.
Host a Clean It Up event under the Sierra Club umbrella.
Form a branch of the Krewe of Dead Pelicans.
Rely on science over big business when it comes to the planet by supporting Manomet, the Center for Conservation Sciences.
Let the President know that we shouldn’t be doing more offshore drilling until and unless we have remediation technology commensurate with drilling technology and—better yet—we should fully commit to clean technologies. Petitions here, here, and here.
The image above appeared on the EPA website and depicts a pelican overlooking the tragedy in the Gulf. Gulf Coast wildlife has been a silent victim in the disaster.
Christa Avampato 