Dear Friend,
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Falling short: Stop the shipping and fossil fuel industries from wiping out Southern Resident orcas and our planet, and donate $27 or more
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With only 73 Southern Resident killer whales left IN THE WORLD, every one of these orcas is precious not only to the survival of the species but to their entire family. That is why when Cappuccino, Marina, and now young Ripple tragically died, the impact was devastating. What’s worse -- this didn’t have to happen. Help us fight Big Oil and shipping industry megaprojects to protect endangered orcas and our planet and make your $27 gift before it’s too late.
The reality is that Southern Resident orcas are starving -- slowly and mercilessly -- to death. This is because of the lack of their primary food source: Chinook salmon. But these salmon are already scarce and becoming more so as loud oil tanker noise and massive ship traffic continue to disrupt their home.
But soon, container ship traffic could increase exponentially -- further worsening the food crisis -- while a proposed tar sands pipeline expansion would massively increase oil tankers in the region carrying the dirtiest kind of oil, adding yet another threat to the survival of these endangered creatures. Oil spills are not hypothetical -- they are practically a guarantee in any area where oil is shipped and Southern Resident orcas can’t survive another major spill in their habitat. We are working to fight back against these projects to help protect Southern Resident orcas and our planet, but we are falling $3,900 short of our goal. Will you join us in our fight before it’s too late?
Take action to protect endangered Southern Resident killer whales and our planet, and make your $27 contribution before midnight tonight.
If you've saved payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
The pain of losing Cappuccino, Marina, and Ripple is reminiscent of the tragic death of Tahlequah’s calf Tali, who died just thirty minutes after her birth, prompting this mourning mama orca to carry Tali’s body over the following two weeks in a heartbreaking display of grief.
As the situation worsens, these scenes could become more frequent. As they suffer from a perpetual cycle of starvation, grief, and stress, Southern Resident orcas are in grave danger. Now, more than 2/3 of whale pregnancies are failing, and the chances of survival for any new calves dropped sixfold with the death of Marina, the matriarch.
Neither the proposed Roberts Bank T2 container shipping terminal nor the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion can exist alongside endangered Southern Resident orcas if we want them to survive. There is no way around it. The only way to save these whales from extinction is to stop these disastrous megaprojects in their tracks.
Stop Big Oil and the shipping industry from wiping out Chinook salmon and Southern Resident orcas and protect our planet. Support Friends of the Earth with a $27 donation and help us reach our goal before midnight.
If you've saved payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
Every species is important, but orcas play a special and irreplaceable role in our ecological systems. Whales and other large sea animals are key to combating climate change and protecting our own future.
Whales serve as ecosystem engineers and provide crucial nutrients to phytoplankton -- tiny ocean plants that produce over 50% of our oxygen -- sequester hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon per year, and make up the foundation of the marine food system upon which all ocean life depends. We are interdependent: We rely on these whales for our future -- just as they are counting on us now.
With their food supply dwindling, the whales are getting skinnier and skinnier. We still have a chance to save these incredible creatures, but time is running out.
Your membership gift to Friends of the Earth today can help us close the $3,900 gap and help protect endangered orcas, their marine ecosystems, and our planet. But it’s an uphill battle -- and if we don’t have you by our side now as we work to stop these latest mega-projects, we could miss our window of opportunity.
People power and donations from members like you can make the difference. The fate of these Southern Resident orcas hangs in the balance.
Help protect the most endangered orcas on the planet and make your $27 contribution today.
If you've saved payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
Standing with you,
Marcie Keever
Oceans and vessels program director,
Friends of the Earth
