Timing is everything: Crisis in Gulf offers tragic proof that lifting drilling moratorium off our coast was a mistake
The mantra of the 2008 elections “Drill, Baby, Drill” has sadly turned into words of warning “Spill, Baby, Spill” as more than 200,000 gallons of oil continues to leak daily into the Gulf of Mexico, nearly three weeks after the oil rig exploded off the Louisiana coast. Make no mistake, this spill is THE environmental catastrophe of my lifetime, threatening to destroy the sensitive coastal marine ecosystem of the Gulf and the countless barrier islands along the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. In addition, it promises to destroy the $41 billion recreational fishing industry, estimated $900 million commercial fishing industry, and $100 billion tourism industry.
For those of us who live along the Georgia coast, this catastrophe hits close to home. What would our coastline look like were this spill to have taken place off our barrier islands? A representative with Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources paints a grim picture…
Q: Can you provide a list of species that would be impacted in Georgia in the event of a similar spill?
A: That list. if I had one, would include every plant and animal, including invertebrates, from deep coastal water up to and into near-shore coastal uplands. You should be thinking of the total collapse of ecosystems and natural communities rather than from an individual species perspective. The intertidal lands of our coast would be dead with a persistent or repetitive exposure to crude oil.
Visit the Georgia Conservancy’s homepage for more information on the risks of a spill and what you can do to protect Georgia’s coast.
