"Disaster in the Gulf: How You Can Help"

[DeBo]

There are many ways we can help those affected by the oil spill. We can volunteer, we can make a donation, and we can stay informed.

Thousands of birds, fish and other animals are dying and in need of immediate help. People who depend on abundant natural fisheries and tourism are experiencing a financial crisis. Long term recovery will require money and many years of effort to restore the Gulf Coast natural habitat upon which both animals and humans depend.

Please tune in this evening to Larry King Live's "Disaster in the Gulf: How You Can Help" to learn about the many ways these organizations are working to help those affected by the oil spill.The Nature Conservancy will be one of three charities featured on CNN Larry King Live's "Disaster in the Gulf: How You Can Help" telethon this evening, Monday, 21, from 8-10pm EST.

Ryan Seacrest will be co-hosting with Larry King. There will be a live broadcast with Anderson Cooper in New Orleans. Keith Ouchley, The Nature Conservancy's Louisiana State Director, will appear live from New Orleans with Anderson Cooper.


Two other organizations that are helping out are the United Way and National Wildlife Federation. People will be asked to donate to help people in the region (UW), wildlife (NWF) or habitat restoration (The Nature Conservancy).

Also see this: http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=54932" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[lbaker]

Bump...
Hope you don't mind my adding a bit, DeBo, this is near and dear to my heart. As a teacher with the summer of I contacted several organizations about volunteering (I have a friend who lived in Valdez at the time of that spill and she helped clean birds) and was told that unless I had hazmat training, etc, not to come. They are trying to use locals put out of work by this disaster for a lot of the work, which I am sure they are grateful for.
Anyone thinking of volunteering, read the link below carefully about volunteering. As for donating, which is what I ended up doing, Charity Navigator is a wonderful entity to help know where your money really goes. There are many areas in which to donate as the Larry King telethon makes clear. I'm a member of the Nature Conservancy, so that's where my Ozark Society dues, as well as several other donations went last month....sorry OS,et al, hope you can forgive this time around.
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmen ... -2010-0503" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Leigh

[DeBo]

Thanks for the post and thanks for the added information Leigh. I really appreciate those who respond to environmental matters.

I agree 100% with giving money to The Nature Conservancy; I too am a member and that is where my donation will go.

Of the billions of dollars BP was forced to put in the fund to help the Gulf none has yet been allocated to restore habitat. That money is going to the immediate needs of people whose livelyhood has been lost.

That money is badly needed for people right NOW but if they are to regain their livelyhood in the future it will require massive restoration efforts to replace the habitat which forms the base of the pyramid of life in the region including those fisheries humans also depend on for food and jobs. Those marshlands provide irreplaceble ecosystem services.

The Gulf coastal region was already severly stressed by the massive amounts of sediment, nutients and pesticides pouring out of the mouth of the Mississippi River creating a dead zone the size of Lousiana. What they face now is truly horrifying.

So, everyone please help if you can.