In recent days as crude oil leaking from the British Petroleum well continues to fan out across the Gulf of Mexico unabated, we've witnessed a number of responses beyond sheer visceral outrage.  No human-caused environmental disaster, in the history of America, comes close to matching the impact of the "spill" both in scale and illustration of imcompetence.

In Britain, there are reactions from worried BP stockholders who say the American president and others are being too hard on the oil company, as its shares plummet amid the certainly that clean-up and remediation will take decades and billions upon billions of dollars.

U.S. citizens are aghast at the thought of their cash-strapped government being expected to absorb the cost of de-fouling the waters and trying to make right the devastated ecosystem, tourism and fishing economies, and quality of life for millions of coastal dwellers.  The photo at right pertains to a sign posted at a BP gasoline service station that informs customers filling up their tank:  "Warning:  Do Not Leave Pumps Unattended;  You Are Responsible For Spills."

In the art world, we've heard from artists who, while angry and horrified over the rising toll on wildlife, have been reticent to speak out for fear of alienating some of their collector clients whose own fortunes have been made in the off-shore drilling industry.

This speaks to the modern conundrum in the debate over environmental regulation on issues ranging from energy development in sensitive areas to policy pertaining to climate change:  Rational self economic interest in the short term versus doing what is necessary to safeguard the natural world.

Wildlife Art Journal has heard from several readers who want to see examples of how artists are providing a commentary.  We already mentioned the efforts of Robert Bateman and David Shepherd, two of the most successful nature artists ever, who have been most outspoken about threats to wild places. If you are an artist and in the past have produced a work that speaks to pollution or habitat destruction, send us your work at:  editor@wildlifeartjournal.com  We want to hear from more of you and next week will feature some poigant examples.

In the meantime, consider this:   In 2010, two decades after oil leaked from the Exxon Valdez tanker in Alaska's Prince William Sound, toxic residue can still be found just beneath the surface of the North Pacific shoreline.  The herring fishery, a major food source for sea life, crashed shortly after the spill and still has not recovered.  The Valdez disaster was then the worst in modern maritime history.

Given the new numbers that have been released by the U.S. government and other experts, the amount of oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico since April is equal to an Exxon Valdez spill occurring every five days. 

What can artists and collectors do?  Here is one modest case study presented courtesy of an 11-year old girl named Olivia Bouler.  Heartbroken about the plight of avifauna and other marine animals, she started drawing pictures of birds, selling them, and then donating the proceeds to the National Audubon Society.  Watch the attached video.  Her story, told at AOL Artists, will warm the heart.