Last week, I met with one of our members from Florida. We talked about what first got them passionate about conservation and protecting the environment. It turns out they grew up in the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill, which released over 100 million gallons of crude into the Gulf, blackened coastlines, and devastated coastal communities and ecosystems.

Unfortunately, it looks like yet again, oil is spilling in the Gulf, this time just southeast of New Orleans. Oil sheens were first noticed on the water’s surface at the end of last week, and a 67 mile stretch of pipeline has been shut down. The Coast Guard, state, local, and other officials are working closely to identify the source, because it still hasn’t been found.

We’ve known for decades that when we drill for oil we spill oil and we risk irreparable damage to our coastal ecosystems and the seabirds, turtles, dolphins, and whales that inhabit them. Sadly, the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon spill are still evident in many places in the Gulf, and that was over 13 years ago.

In today’s day and age, the feasibility of renewable energy has skyrocketed and we should prioritize its use as fast as possible. In our recent Renewables on the Rise report, we outline just how achievable a clean energy future is becoming, a future in which our energy system doesn’t pollute the environment when things go wrong.

You can read more on the recent Gulf spill here.