Since first hearing the news of the BP oil spill on Earth Day, my heart has had a big ol’ hole in it. Recognizing that I am living in a state of grief, my mother sent me a St. Francis medal to wear around my neck, believing that this could give me strength and that it would help me pray for the wildlife affected by the disaster. The medal has helped a little bit, but as the days pass and the volume of oil gushing into the gulf grows, so does the break in my heart. It seems a ridiculously high price to pay, but my only consolation is hope that this can serve as a lesson. The lesson is for us all: we all drive cars and use petroleum-based products every day. There is oil in every room of our homes. And, quite simply, the price we pay for fuel and other petroleum-based and supported goods and services DOES NOT REFLECT THE TRUE COST.
Please educate yourselves and others by viewing and sharing this amazing list of resources prepared by Dr. Ouida Meier, who I’m sure feels this heartbreak even more acutely than I do, as she grew up in New Orleans and spent much time in the marshes and barrier islands of the Gulf Coast.
-Christian Ryan-Downing
