Six Japanese Theatres to Show "The Cove"

Freedom of speech made progress in Japan this week as six theaters stood their ground and agreed to start showing "The Cove" movie beginning July 3. Several cetacean species stand to benefit from a rise in public awareness about dolphin slaughter in Japan's village of Taiji: more than 20,000 bottlenose dolphins, pilot whales, porpoises and Risso's dolphins are routinely slaughtered for meat and sold to the Japanese public or captured for use in aquariums.

Ric O'Barry, who trained dolphins for the television series 'Flipper," is campaign director for Save Japan Dolphins, featured in the film. He and his team of activists have been at this for years and are making great progress, but they still need our help. According to O'Barry, most of the Japanese public isn't aware of the brutal slaughter in Taiji.

Would you like to be part of the wave that helps this campaign reach the tipping point? If so, please sign the letter below!

Gulf of Mexico Wildlife Casualty Update

Credit Tyler Karaszewski

June 22 was Day 63 of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and the wildlife death toll that has been recorded is: 957 birds; 387 sea turtles; 47 marine mammals. Obviously these are only the numbers that the NOAA and the wildlife rescue organizations in the gulf have managed to record. Countless other species up and down the food chain have been decimated.

I'm all for a balanced work/life ethic, but President Obama spent the weekend golfing and BP CEO Tony Hayward, staying true to his earlier comment about wanting his "life back," spent the weekend yachting in British waters.

Perhaps even the CEO of BP deserves a day off, but to publicly engage in a water sports activity truly shrieks "I don't CARE" from across the channel, no? Talk about adding insult to injury! In any case, it was a clear demonstration of either his insensitivity or his indifference to the magnitude of suffering by the oil spill victims: humans and animals alike.  

We are the solution, dear friends. If you would like to do something to help right NOW, here are a few immediate ways you can help both animals and humans in the gulf immediately: 

1) Text "NWF" to 20222 to donate $10 to the National Wildlife Federation.

2) Call 1-866-404-5826 to donate to the United Way Gulf Recovery Fund, which provides emergency assistance, including food, rent and utilities now.

3) Text COAST to 50555 to donate $10 to the Nature Conservancy.

We've all felt helpless at one point or another and there's no end in sight. Let's stick together and take action. Let's vow not to be helpless. Let's stop looking up the ladder of command for answers. We can be the solution in numbers.

Jay Holcomb Named Ocean Hero for 2010

Before and After Oiled Brown Pelican
Credit IBRRC

New dirt on BP: it's more like 60,000 barrels per day. Not five. So sue me. No, sue BP. Wait! We don't want to boycott them or sue them, else how are they going to pay for the massive cleanup that should take the next four decades? Wow. What a sticky mess.

Sticking to the mission of this blog, let's focus on the positive and celebrate the organizations that are performing holy work to save wildlife, one creature at a time. I've got a soft spot for the International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) because their work is so painstaking - it can take more than one hour to clean just one bird. Jay Holcomb, IBRRC's executive director, is leading the center's rescue work in the gulf and was recently named Oceana's Ocean Hero for 2010. Oceana, an international organization focused solely on ocean conservation, created the contest in 2009 to recognize individuals making a difference for the ocean and winners are announced on World Oceans Day.

Jay Holcomb (left) and the IBRRC team Cleaning an Oiled Bird
Credit IBRRC

In an interview with Oceana, Holcomb emphasized the power of individual action: “I have always approached my work one bird at a time,” he said. “My hope is that this award reminds people that whatever we can do personally to protect our oceans does make a difference, no matter how overwhelming the task may seem at times.”

Bless your heart, Jay. Thanks for providing a beacon of hope during this horrific crisis. We salute you!

Mucking through the Oil Spill

© Jenny Rollo

OK. I straight up admit it: I've buried my head in the sand. Yep. I am a self-proclaimed broken-hearted whimp and I just can't bear hearing and seeing the details of the damage done by the BP oil spill. I know that's unacceptable if you have journalistic aspirations, but I've drawn the humanity card and I'm only just now beginning to watch the news and look at all the images.

I'm confused about the government's response to the oil spill. I'm also perplexed by the way BP handles (or doesn't handle) the media, though in some ways I also find it reassuring: "Sorry Anderson, we're busy plugging a hole at the moment. We'll have to get back to you." Maybe it's just that simple. 

More likely, BP knows and has known from the beginning just how grave the magnitude of this event is and decided early on that to say anything would be to unleash total mayhem. Let the locals and then the world digest this mess one tragic day at a time.

I do feel for the local fisherman and their families. And what about the BP employees who lost their lives? It's kind of sad how little we've heard about them throughout this disaster. Meanwhile, the wildlife disaster unravels before our eyes and the fact that it's spawning season makes the situation even worse. So. What is being done to help the various species? Which organizations are involved? And most importantly, what can we do to help? After denial, comes action. I speak for myself, so forgive me if you already jumped in weeks ago!

Oiled Brown Pelican
Marie Travers/IBRRC

Let's start with the birds. Tri-state Bird Rescue and Research is leading the wildlife rescue efforts in the gulf, along with the International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC), the Louisiana State Animal Rescue Team (LSART) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

Want to volunteer? You can register to help out with the oil spill recovery! The Louisiana Gulf Response volunteer program will contact you based on their needs. Want to make a contribution? Donate whatever you can now for the oil spill recovery effort.