People oftentimes don’t understand or choose to ignore the impact that we have on our world. We drive in vehicles that exert ridiculous amounts of carbon emissions into the atmosphere; we frivolously dispose of trash instead of recycle; and, among others, we pollute our clean waterways with toxic chemicals. Whether or not we’re still alive when all of this comes back to haunt us is one thing, but doing nothing to help remedy it is another.

An example of the aforementioned defilement happened in Chesapeake over the weekend, when a tank that holds more than one million gallons of jet fuel leaked into the Elizabeth River. Though the headlines only said that locals were evacuated from their homes for several hours, the sad truth is that the story is much worse.

I was informed by my girlfriend, who works at the Virginia Beach Society for Prevention and Cruelty to Animals, that more than 60 ducks and geese were brought into their clinic to be treated. Staff and volunteers alike have been working around the clock to scrub every bird before they absorb the fuel through their skin or inhale the fumes.

That said, the SPCA urgently needs donations of large bath towels and Dawn Original Dishwashing Liquid. They’ve used every towel in the building — and had to throw them out — and supplies of soap are running low.

Though the spill was not an intended consequence of our actions as humans, it’s not difficult for us to help these animals that cannot help themselves. Please consider in the next couple days dropping off at The Tidewater News, 1000 Armory Driv, Franklin, soap and old bath towels that you may have lying around.

They need all the help they can get.

ANDREW LIND is the sports editor and staff writer at The Tidewater News. He can be reached at 562-3187, andrew.lind@tidewaternews.com or at @AndrewMLind.