Dolphin and Sea Turtle deaths only the tip of the iceberg: By The National Wildlife Federation

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have confirmed at least one dead dolphin and one dead sea turtle have visible signs of oil damage. So far, 29 dead dolphins and 227 dead sea turtles have been collected within the BP oil spill area, but the vast majority have not been tested for oil.

As NWF senior scientist Dr. Doug Inkley explains, these numbers tell only part of the story: “The deaths of dolphins and sea turtles are particularly tragic, because we know we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg with those that have been washed up onshore and tested.”

Researchers have reported at least two massive underwater plumes of oil, each hundreds of feet deep and stretching for miles. The effect of these plumes on marine life remains hidden beneath the ocean’s surface, making it impossible to capture the full scope of the oil spill’s impact.

To better understand what is happening below the surface, members of the National Wildlife Federation along with Dr. Kevin Boswell of Louisiana State University recently lowered a remote operated vehicle 200 feet down into waters off the Gulf shore. You can watch a video of what they found here.

As officials warn that oil from the spill could keep spewing until August, the National Wildlife Federation continues to work around the clock to be the voice of wildlife during this crisis.

Obama administration needs to step up role in BP oil spill: By Letters to the Editor/The Star-Ledger May 28, 2010

Government must step in
It’s been more than a month since the oil rig Deepwater Horizon began leaking thousands of barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, threatening to destroy centuries-old fishing and oyster industries and to contaminate the food supply of fish and mammal populations. Despite its efforts to stem the leak, BP has only been moderately successful.
In reaction, all the Obama administration has managed to do is put Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar in front of the cameras and have him wag his finger at BP. While Salazar is busy assigning blame to a company that has clearly acknowledged it’s at fault, the oil keeps leaking into the environment.

Who Cares About Carbon Emissions?

Carbon emissions are created all the time, all around the world. So what? Carbon dioxide creates the largest man-made contribution to the greenhouse effect, which is what is slowly, yet persistently, warming our globe. That makes it the most important greenhouse gas out there. It's currently responsible for about 25% of the greenhouse effect. Methane and ozone, the next two on the list, incidentally, don't crack the double digits, so carbon emissions are in the lead, in a bad way, when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions.
We live not only in a carbon-based world, but a carbon emission-based society, and the scope of activities that produce carbon emissions is just huge. Anything involving petroleum, coal, natural gas has a carbon emission ticket attached; that includes all cars and most transportation, the vast majority of our nations' electricity production (about half comes from coal alone), and a whole lot of home heating systems, just as a small snapshot. So if you don't care, you should start to care.