News

It’s one thing to say that the Gulf oil spill is the worst environmental disaster of our time. It’s quite another to see the reality of it unfolding before your eyes.
 
 I recently flew over the Gulf in a helicopter and was stunned at the sheer size of the oil slick that is now threatening the shores of four different states. I spent hours talking with local shrimpers, oystermen and environmental justice leaders. Their fear and heartbreak are palpable. Thousands of livelihoods could be destroyed in the weeks ahead.

 This is no simple spill on surface water. This is an ongoing deepwater catastrophe in one of our planet’s richest marine environments. The potential toll on vulnerable species from bottlenose dolphins to sperm whales, from Kemp’s ridley sea turtles to bluefin tuna — is truly frightening to contemplate.
 
 NRDC has had a rapid-response team on the ground for the past month -- documenting the environmental impacts, advocating for local communities and getting important stories to thousands of news outlets.
 
 Meanwhile, dozens of NRDC attorneys and scientists are working around the clock to hold BP accountable for the damage it is causing.