The current oil spill in the Gulf

Near the Pass A Loutre State Wildlife Management Area in Louisiana, there’s a new, “shocking” spill in the Gulf. Capped more than decade ago, an older well has sprung a leak.

The U.S. Coast Guard is working to plug and contain it. Said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Phillip VanderWeit, “The well is older, and because of that, it’s a complex site as well: shallow water, challenging conditions.”

America is rooting for the Coast Guard team. And because spills in ocean waters are messy and complex, and because they can spread quickly and harm wildlife, most are rooting for a future when offshore drilling is no more.

Moving away from offshore drilling

To the east of the spill, Florida’s Republican-controlled legislature just sent a bipartisan bill to Governor DeSantis. The measure bans oil drilling and petroleum production in the area surrounding the Gulf’s Apalachicola Bay.

For some time, lawmakers in both parties in Florida have opposed offshore drilling in Florida waters and Florida-adjacent waters.

The Gulf is beautiful

Whatever we choose to call it on a map, the Gulf is beautiful (see photo above), with sea turtles, dolphins, recently discovered whale species, thousands of seabird species and more calling it home. It’s worth protecting.

The Gulf is also home to oil production. But as this current spill reminds us, oil production threatens the beauty and wildlife of the area. So let’s accelerate clean renewables and move away from offshore drilling.

If you want to see more, you can watch this national news story on the spill and the Coast Guard’s efforts to try to limit the damage.