Dear Friend,
| 13 Southern Resident orcas listed as "vulnerable." Make twice the impact with your $27 contribution by midnight TONIGHT. If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: |
I have dire news: 13 of the 75 critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales are now designated as particularly "vulnerable." They are at 2-3 times greater risk of death due to their emaciated bodies, also risking the progress of several pregnancies. The survival of these orcas and their calves is under threat from polluting megaprojects that could wipe out their entire pod. Help protect vulnerable orcas and our planet, and rush a $27 donation in honor of World Orca Day -- when your gift will be matched up to $36,000, but only until midnight TONIGHT.
Do you remember the story of Tahlequah, the orca mother whose public display of grief moved the world?
Tahlequah gave birth to a calf that died thirty minutes later. The lack of nutrient-rich salmon for her pod to feed on was a key factor in the calf's death.
Then, in an unprecedented show of mourning, the young mother kept its body afloat next to her. For 17 days -- mirroring the 17 months she carried the calf in gestation -- Tahlequah kept vigil, carrying her calf with her on a heartbreaking 1,000 mile journey. Her "tour of grief" captured headlines and hearts around the world.
There is fear of the situation repeating itself with the current pregnancies. Normally, pregnant orcas would be a moment of celebration, but the truth is, these pregnancies and the future of the baby orcas have never been more at risk. They are facing dire threats: The Roberts Bank T2 shipping terminal expansion and the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion. These megaprojects could drive away these whales forever -- or push them to extinction.
Stop the shipping industry from wiping out Southern Resident killer whales. Support Friends of the Earth with a $27 donation and have double the impact.
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
The Roberts Bank T2 project is a massive, proposed container shipping facility that developers plan on building at the mouth of British Columbia's Fraser River. If allowed to be built, it could wipe out Southern Resident killer whales and the Chinook salmon they depend on. The impacts would be felt throughout the orcas' entire ecosystems.
Roberts Bank will immediately disrupt the migration patterns of Chinook salmon, the main food source for these endangered orcas. It will force young salmon into open ocean waters before they are strong enough -- creating a chronic lack of food for the 75 Southern Resident whales that remain.
As if that wasn't enough, the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion would ship more than 890,000 barrels per day of highly toxic tar sands oil through orca critical habitat. It would exponentially increase oil tanker traffic, which disrupts the sonar that orcas rely on for food -- at a time when the Southern resident pods are desperately working towards recovery.
And the projects would pollute and threaten nearby communities. Indigenous communities in the region rely on the fish in these waters as well. Their livelihoods, lands, and waters are under threat by both of these projects.
If an oil tanker carrying tar sands from the Trans Mountain Pipeline has a spill, Southern Resident killer whales will be unable to detect and avoid it. Orcas would suck the toxic tar sands into their lungs -- leading to infections and death. The fumes alone are so potent it could knock out a full-grown whale -- causing them to drown. And the orcas that survive would struggle to find food as the salmon they depend on would be poisoned as well.
A major spill in the orcas' habitat could mean their extinction.
We must stop these disastrous megaprojects and give Southern Resident orcas a chance at survival. Support these orcas today and make a $27 donation and have it MATCHED.
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
Orcas are fighting for their lives, but Big Oil wants to increase pollution and industrial noise in the only habitat these creatures have.
Southern Resident killer whales have long been struggling to survive and repopulate. Their mortality rate is increasing and their birth rate is decreasing as the whales become skinnier and more malnourished. Experts say that a lack of salmon -- and resulting hunger and stress -- has kept them from reproducing successfully. They are also threatened by water pollution, which affects their health, and underwater noise, which disrupts their sound-based ability to hunt.
The Roberts Bank T2 terminal and Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion are force multipliers for every single threat these orcas face.
What's more, Chinook salmon are also listed as an endangered species. 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.
The odds are against Southern Resident orcas -- two-thirds of the pod's pregnancies end in failure. But we know that people power and direct support from members like you, can make the difference. Together, we can work to stop these new megaprojects, save these whales, and protect our planet. Make your $27 membership contribution before World Orca Day ends and this match opportunity expires!
Take action to protect Tahlequah, Southern Resident killer whales, and the Chinook salmon they rely on. Make your $27 gift now while you can make double the difference!
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
Thank you,
Marcie Keever,
Oceans and vessels program director,
Friends of the Earth
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