Starving orcas narrowly missed 2,500 gallons of diesel

Dear Friend, This oil spill was a warning. The next one could be the nail in the coffin. Donate $27 to Friends of the Earth by midnight. If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $5/month immediately]( [Donate $27 immediately]( Southern Resident Killer Whales are among the most iconic species in the world -- but their numbers continue to decline: they are down to only 75 in existence. Among these threats, one disaster could render this species extinct -- a single oil spill -- and they JUST came very close to that demise. [Help protect endangered orcas from extinction by donating $27 to Friends of the Earth today and help us reach our goal of $5,000 by midnight tonight.]( A few days ago, a fishing vessel sank in the region these orcas call home, leaking 2,500 gallons of toxic diesel fuel! By sheer luck, at that moment, the Southern Resident orcas were heading away from that area. Had they swam into the contaminated water, it could have spelled the end of this beloved species. The lack of Chinook salmon -- their main food source -- is also starving these orcas to death. The recent oil spill could affect the salmon in the area, reducing the fish available for orcas to eat and for coastal communities to sustain themselves even further. We know oil spills are a constant threat -- they are guaranteed to happen in areas with oil tankers and other big ships fueled with heavy oil. Planned megaprojects along the west coast, including a massive oil pipeline expansion, could put the final nail in the coffin for orcas if we don’t act now. Southern Resident orcas have never needed you more than now -- will you take a stand and fight for them? Help save orcas from extinction and rush your $27 donation today. If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $5/month immediately]( [Donate $27 immediately]( Southern Resident Killer Whales are the only endangered species of killer whales in the United States -- with only 75 left in the remaining pods. Once thriving in the waters of Washington and British Columbia, this incredibly precious species has been on the decline for years largely due to oil spills. And yet, private companies are looking to build the Roberts Bank T2 shipping terminal and expand the Trans Mountain Pipeline -- both are direct threats to the Southern Resident pods’ survival. Studies show that large ships coming within 1,200 feet of orcas can dramatically disrupt their feeding habits. They become disoriented and cannot use echolocation to hunt for food -- some giving up feeding entirely -- resulting in severe malnourishment and stress. Building the Roberts Bank shipping terminal would increase vessel traffic and ship noise in these orcas’ critical habitat. The increased ship traffic resulting from these disastrous megaprojects would further disrupt the migration patterns of endangered Chinook salmon in these regions -- the main food source for these orcas. The Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion would also carry additional threats to these orca families. It would add 590,000 barrels a day of the dirtiest toxic tar sands oil while increasing oil tanker traffic from one tanker a week to more than one per day! This activity would significantly increase the risk of a catastrophic oil spill -- one that could render these endangered orcas extinct forever. On top of this, an oil spill would wreak havoc on nearby coastal communities. Mass die-offs of fish would mean that people would be unable to make a living or sustain themselves from fishing. The oil residue would contaminate water sources, fumes could cause medical problems, and the impacts would last for decades. The consequences would be extensive, which is why we must do everything to prevent this. Baby orcas need your help for a chance to survive. Make your $27 gift to Friends of the Earth today and help us reach our goal by midnight. If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $5/month immediately]( [Donate $27 immediately]( The odds are not in orcas' favor. From increased oil tanker traffic to less Chinook salmon available for consumption, to high miscarriage rates and the potential threat of an oil spill, we need to fight for a better future for Southern Resident killer whales. Orcas are crucial to a thriving ocean habitat and our own health. Whales release vital nutrients for phytoplankton, providing half of the oxygen we breathe while absorbing hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon each year. We depend on this flow of nutrients for healthy ecosystems and a functioning planet, which is why we must protect these orcas at all costs. But the shipping and oil industries want to disrupt this for their own profit without a second thought to the consequences. Big Oil and the shipping industry are looking to add fuel to the fire, disrupting and threatening the existence of these orcas with their proposed projects. Just as we rely on orcas for the health of our ecosystems, they are relying on us to fight for them at a time when there is potential for hope. Friends of the Earth is working to protect orcas, coastal communities, and our planet, but we need your membership support to step up our fight. We need you to be the hero in this story so that orcas can have a future. We already had one close call a few days ago, and we need to make that the last. Stand up to Big Oil and the shipping industry to protect Southern Resident orcas. Rush your $27 donation before midnight and help us reach our $5,000 goal. If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $5/month immediately]( [Donate $27 immediately]( Standing with you, Marcie Keever Oceans & vessels program director, Friends of the Earth Contact Us: Friends of the Earth U.S. Washington, D.C. | Berkeley, CA 1-877-843-8687 [Contact us]( Email Preferences: [Click here to unsubscribe]( Learn more: www.foe.org/news www.foe.org/about-us www.foeaction.org Connect: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Flickr]( © 2022, Friends of the Earth. All Rights Reserved. [supporter]