The Exxon Valdez Disaster


env_cutePhoto kindly provided by Michele Scarabelli.

Michele Scarabelli is more than just an ordinary actress. She has many other non-acting activities that occupy her time and one of the most important of these is her compassion for the welfare of the environment.

As viewers of Michele’s TV performances, most of us can only experience her passion in this area through her portrayal of Jessica McKenzie in the series Okavango.

One example of Michele’s commitment to the environment is in regard to the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill disaster.

goggles

“The photo with the goggles is of when I went to Alaska to wash and dry sea otters after the Valdez oil spill.

They were sedated (of course) while they went through the process. Then they were put into swimming tanks for observation while they recuperated.

We saved a couple of hundred… a drop in the bucket compared to all that did not survive.”

Unlike many other people who simply say that they care about the planet, Michele’s compassion is demonstrated through direct action. Michele is less of a talker and more of a “do-er” when it comes to her commitment to the environment.

As soon as she learned of the Exxon Valdez disaster, Michele journeyed to Alaska and spent many weeks helping to clean the life-threatening oil sludge from the soft fur of otter pups.

When recently asked about the disaster, Michele replied…

otter

“I have been keeping abreast of what devastation the Exxon Valdez wreaked on the Alaska coastline.

Apparently over 40 species of birds and animals were seriously affected and only 2, the bald eagle and the river otter, have fully recovered. The shoreline in many places is still covered in clumps of oil sludge and many fisherman still can’t make a living fishing the waters of the Sound.

Exxon refuses to acknowledge the damage and in fact denies it. They have not paid the court ordered settlement to the fishermen, and have kept up a PR campaign that makes them look like the good guys doing their best to right a wrong, but privately have done very little to reverse the damage. In the last televised news bit on the problem, aired on 60 minutes on CBS, Exxon refused to speak with the reporters.”


Like Okavango itself, we’re not here to preach to you. You must make up your own mind about how much you care. However, for further information, you may wish to click below…

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill on Wikipedia