Poster of the Week

We Are Opposed To Oil Drilling and Exploration Off Our Coast

Greenpeace

Offset, 1970

Los Angeles, California

Estimates on the ongoing British Petroleum (BP) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico range widely. Some scientists say an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 gallons a day are spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, five to ten times more than BP officials originally admitted. Others estimate 600,000 to 1.2 million gallons are leaking per day, and still other scientists studying the flow say the actual daily rate may be between 798,000 gallons and 1.8 million. Daily! Prior to the current disaster, the worst oil spill in US history was the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in the Gulf of Alaska. The Exxon Valdez spilled nearly 11 million gallons and contaminated 1,300 miles of coastline. Over 20 years later, scientists are still finding persistent effects of the Exxon Valdez spill. Many species of birds and sea life have never recovered.

Every week, the BP spill now dumps more oil than the entire Exxon Valdez spill, and it has been going on for nearly 2 months. Our poster of the week is 40 years old. When will we ever learn?