One Oiled Sea Star at a Time
I’ve always loved that email message that has probably made it around the world several times over the past few years. The one about the storm that leaves thousands of starfish stranded on a beach. A man is walking the beach early in the morning after the storm, and discovers a little girl picking up starfish, one at a time, and flinging them with all her might back into the ocean. She hardly seems to be making a dent in the numbers, and the man asks her whether she really thinks she can make any difference.
She holds a starfish up to him and says, “For this one, I can make all the difference in the world.” And then she flings the starfish into the sea.
Yesterday I was at a friend’s place in Coquitlam and happened to spot the cover story of their local paper: “Dozens of dead sea stars at Belcarra.” Last month’s oil spill continues to take its toll. Unseen, unheard. But the evidence will out, and people care — enough to take photos, call the media, call park services, call the city. The NOW called the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife but did not hear back before their publication deadline.
We are not letting this off the radar this time. Both last summer and this have been blackened by oil. But is it enough? How much oil will be enough? Enough to make changes? Change the laws, change the penalties, change the response mechanism, change the emergency prep situation and the response funding situation?
Is this enough oil?
Are there enough dead starfish? Oiled geese? Toxic whales?
How many? How many until we’re prepared to make a difference?
There are four things we need to do:
- use less energy (drive less, consume less at home and at work)
- have less kids, or none (we are at 6 billion and headed for 11 billion within four years)
- eat less meat, or none (deforestation for the purpose of feeding “meat” animals is the number-one cause of global warming, whatever your carnivorous, slogan-shouting politicians may say)
- speak up — write City Hall, take a photo, call your MLA or MP, march, volunteer, DO … something
Do something. It does make a difference. One small star at a time. You matter. Do something.