This was posted on the Capercaillie message board:

Antonia (Spain)
Posted - 29 Nov 2002 : 01:05:47   

Hi friends!!

You know that Galicia is suffering the biggest catastrophe of the last 25 years thanks to Prestige ship. Its poisoning fuel oil is engulfing our coast, killing our marine richness, our natural paradises and ourselves. Fishing, shellfish and tourism are the mainstays of the Galician Economy. Many families are seeing their future seriously threatened. But worst is the ecological harm.
My Galicia is suffering, my people is suffering and my heart is broken.

Complains and oppinions are being collected in this web page http://www.leliadoura.com/prestige.asp If you want to add yours don't doubt writing in. They are waiting for your oppinion.

What are all these complains for? To avoid this kind of catastrophes happening again in our Sea. You can get more info here http://personal.telefonica.terra.es/web/ies-leliadoura/informacion.html

Many thanks to you all, guys.

Antonia
Galicia-Spain


Now I know that this is not exactly news any more, but just the other day I saw footage of the devastation on WorldLink TV's Deutsche Welle news program, and it made me cry. This is much worse than Exxon Valdez, and far less remote than Alaska.

Right after that, WorldLink aired a documentary called "Trinkets and Beads" about the effects of oil drilling in the Ecuador rain forest on the indigenous Huoarani people, whose way of life is being irretrievably changed by the building of roads through their forest habitat, and by the pollution of their drinking water supply by oil runoff.

Add the current Iraq situation, and it's clear that fossil fuel is ALL BAD. Do you think it's possible to end our dependence on it, and switch to other energy sources (assuming the political will to do so were there?)

Cheers,
Michael