Hands Across the Sand – And Facts Across the Gulf

Hands Across the Sand at Dauphin Island, Alabama, photographed June 26, 2010 by Dawn McKinney

Federal gulf waters closed to fishing due to potentially hazardous conditions

Surface oil in gulf pictured by NASA satellite

Surface oil in gulf, photographed June 19, 2010 by NASA's Terra satellite

Theresa Robinson, Hands-Across-the-Sand participant, summed it up, “I’m into the positive direction of this. I know we can’t stop off-shore oil tomorrow, but I know we need to be moving in that direction.”

Consider the following facts:
• There are over 78,000 square miles of federal gulf waters closed to fishing. A large portion of that water has surface or sub-surface oil or both. The spill area if centered in Montgomery would stretch down into Florida, encompass Birmingham and Gadsden, and stretch into Georgia encompassing Atlanta and surrounding communities.
• Despite better technology including insulation and more efficient cars, Americans now use 50% more energy per capita than Americans did in 1950 (we can learn valuable lessons from those days).
• Domestic off-shore oil only accounts for 8% of the American liquid/gas energy consumption.
• Less than half of the currently erupting oil is being collected even with the cap in place.
• The oil wells are less safe than advertised.
• We do not know how to control or stop the current eruption.

So what can I do responsibly for our priceless gulf? Lowering my energy consumption or conserving helps. Recycling helps. Riding bicycles and using public transportation helps. Affecting public policy to support and invest in clean energy helps too.

The huge area of spoiled environments is home for sea turtles, dolphins, birds, fish, crabs, etc. How would we feel if the oil was erupting in our neighborhoods from Atlanta and Birmingham, to Montgomery, to Florida with no end in sight?

Today, I am so grateful to everyone who came to Hands Across the Sand, not just on Dauphin Island, but everywhere. It was great experience meeting new people and joining hands together for a new direction that needs to happen. We would love to have more pictures of our event, so please send your pictures to uheditor@gmail.com. Thanks!