Reports of a spill of coal ash waste at the Widows Creek Fossil Plant in Alabama again confirm the dangers of burning dirty coal to make electricity. Even when toxic byproducts like mercury and arsenic are removed before they are released from the smokestack, these poisons must still be disposed of. Several spills in the last three weeks demonstrate that when stored in the customary ponds at a plant site, coal ash and other residues threaten nearby residents and waterways.
The spill in Alabama is also noteworthy because the pond that is reported to be leaking contains material slated for sale as recycled construction material. Entergy recently claimed that coal waste should pose no obstacle to the conversion of its Little Gypsy generating plant to burn coal and pet coke because it asserts that it will recycle the waste as it claims to at its Westlake facility. (Note: we have been unable to confirm sales of waste material in quantities greater than 36 lbs. from that facility.)
According to John Atkeison, Climate and Clean Energy Director for the Alliance for Affordable Energy, "Making electricity from coal contributes nothing special except a grave and growing threat to the climate and poisons in the air and water."
"Our creeks, bayous and rivers and all who rely on clean water are threatened by dirty coal plants. It's time we got serious about clean energy solutions," said Aaron Viles, Campaign Director with Gulf Restoration Network, a member of Louisiana's Say Yes to Clean Energy coalition, which is challenging the spread of coal-fired power plants across the state.
According to media reports, after the TVA coal-ash spill the Alabama Department of Environmental Management inspected all the coal ash retention ponds and announced they were safe.
"This clearly demonstrates need for better regulation of coal waste and the coal plants themselves," says Jordan Macha, Conservation Organizer for the Sierra Club. "The EPA must improve regulations to better protect our communities and the environment."
"Coal is dirty, destructive and unsustainable," said Maylee Orr, Executive Director of Louisiana Environmental Action Network. We must phase out the use of coal while increasing the use of sustainable energy sources. Our natural resoucres, our health and our economic future depends on the choices we make today. Say yes to clean energy and no to dirty coal."
The Associated Press reported this morning that, "Millions of tons of toxic coal ash is piling up in power plant ponds in 32 states, a practice the federal government has long recognized as a risk to human health and the environment but has left unregulated. An Associated Press analysis of the most recent Energy Department data found that 156 coal-fired power plants store ash in surface ponds similar to the one that collapsed last month in Tennessee."
Recent coal waste spills include the infamous billion gallon disaster in Kingston, TN, which has been economically wrecked as well as environmentally assaulted. The TVA has also admitted to poor maintenance and releases into the Ocoee River in East Tennessee.
"Clean coal is a lie that was made up by a marketing department," said Paul Orr, Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper. "The removal of coal is destroying whole mountain ecosystems in Appalachia. The burning of coal releases carbon, carbon that was neatly sequestered into the earth over millennia, into the atmosphere in huge quantities in the face of mounting global climate change problems. And now we are realizing how dangerous and destructive the leftover coal ash is."
Clean, renewable solutions exist to our energy needs. These tragic incidents underscore the need to both prioritize energy efficiency and require that utility companies purchase a certain portion of their energy from renewable sources, instead of relying on the dirty, 19th century technology of burning coal.
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Brought to you by SAY YES TO CLEAN ENERGY COALITION
NEW CORPS COASTAL STUDY, SIGH: NOLA TIMES PICAYUNE
GRN would never advocate rushing into coastal protection and restoration. We're certainly opposed to the "Great Wall of Louisiana" approach to storm defense. But we feel a great sense of urgency to get big restoration projects underway sooner rather than later.
We therefore greet this news of a new Corps of Engineers investigation into coastal protection and restoration alternatives with a mixed mind. If the Corps and the state would simply keep the levees BEHIND the wetlands as opposed to in front of the wetlands, this study likely wouldn't be necessary.
In addition, we remain concerned about the Corps failure to meet Congressional mandates (deadlines, content requests, etc.) for the LaCPR (cat 5) plan. On that note, check out our new campaign, here.
Since Gulf Restoration Network's inception, the members of our Board of Directors have been a constant source of wisdom, information, and inspiration in the fight to protect the Gulf Coast's environment and communities. This year will mark GRN's 15th Anniversary, and, to acknowledge this milestone, several board members have contributed their thoughts on the past year and their hopes for the future.
GRN's current chair, Robert Hastings of Prattville, AL says,
"Having grown up along the Gulf coast (in Pensacola), I have witnessed first-hand (for more than 60 years) many changes in the Gulf and its coastline. Beaches where I once swam, fished, and beachcombed are now covered by condominiums, motels, and beach-front houses. The bayou where I learned to swim has been closed because of pollution. Thankfully, some coastal areas remain natural and have become even more valuable and worthy of protection. Organizations such as the Gulf Restoration Network have played a significant role in helping to protect and restore natural areas along the Gulf coast, reduce water pollution, and protect fisheries populations in the Gulf. With our help GRN will continue this mission of protecting America's magnificent Gulf of Mexico."
Page Williams of Houston, TX says,
"I begin the new year, 2009, with high hopes for the future of the Gulf of Mexico, thanks to Barack Obama's appointment of Jane Lubchenco to head NOAA. With her special interest/expertise in marine protected areas, perhaps we shall see a revival of interest in a string of MPAs across the Gulf. Perhaps our fishery management council will finally be guided toward ecosystem management, instead of their spectacularly unsuccessful single-species management policy. Perhaps science will replace politics as the driving force behind Gulf fishery management. Finally, I dare to hope!!"
Jose Miranda of New Orleans, LA says,
"My first year of board service with the GRN has been extremely rewarding and quite an eye-opener. My professional background is financial, which means that I often feel quite inadequate at board meetings where everyone is an expert in fisheries and environmental issues. I can still remember the eyes rolling when in the middle of a fisheries discussion I asked "What are menhaden?". However, Lynn, our star financial person, seems quite pleased to have a board member with whom she can discuss financial statements presentation.
GRN's board members and staff are the most knowledgeable, and dedicated bunch with whom I have ever had the pleasure of working. We all contribute in our way. The mission is far too important to sit around and expect others to do the work.
God bless and have a happy and environmentally safe 2009."
As a “Save Our Cypress” intern over these past months I have worked to educate the public on the dangerous of using cypress mulch, push for more sustainable mulch alternatives, and hold corporations accountable for their destruction of the Gulf Coast. Through all of this, I have gained invaluable knowledge about the Gulf Coast, confidence in grassroots organizing, and stronger people skills.
Starting out I was a little shy about talking to complete strangers about environmental issues, but I set my fears aside and dove right in and I couldn’t be happier that I did! I spent the bulk of the semester interacting with people, and whether it was reaching out to rally them for an event or tabling at garden shows around the city with the Mulch Matters Kit, I built my public speaking skills and confidence. The Mulch Matters Kit contains samples of sustainable mulches and the truth behind the dangers of cypress mulch. Along with my outreach, garden clubs, teachers, or Girl Scout Troop leaders across the Gulf Coast can use the kit to educate their communities as well. So far, we have had great success with these kits and people have been passing them on to their friends’ organizations, building a strong network of people united for a healthy Gulf.
While I had been to a few events with the GRN prior to being an intern, I had never organized an event from the ground up. Collectively, the Cypress team worked on rallying people nationwide for a “Cypress Day of Action” that took place in early December to show big corporations like Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, and Home Depot that communities do care about protecting the Gulf, and to put pressure on them to stop selling cypress mulch altogether. We had a special event in Atlanta at the Home Depot corporate headquarters. I specifically focused on rallying student groups at different universities in Atlanta. It was hard, and at first I felt discouraged, but I kept my head up and continued calling and calling for weeks. Although only a few student groups responded, it was enough to make the day a great success . Persistence really pays off.
I also organized an event here in New Orleans at a Home Depot in Mid-City. As this was my first event to organize solo, I was a little anxious, but excited at the same time. The event ended up being a hit–over 25 people came out in the rain to show their support for the Gulf (double what I had expected). We were able to reach out to many people in the community to ask them to help hold Home Depot accountable for continuing to sell cypress mulch when the clear-cutting of cypress forests for mulch is damaging our natural storm defenses, wildlife habitats, and water filtration systems. We had a great response from the public that day, and I was very pleased to see everyone coming out to show their support. It turned out to be a really fun day!
Overall, I learned more than I had ever expected to during my semester at GRN. I had such an amazing time I am going to continue my work here as an intern through next semester as well. The work environment here at GRN is very positive and everyone is passionate about the conservation and restoration of the Gulf Coast. Working with such amazing people for such an important cause has been the highlight of my semester, and I look forward to doing it all over again next semester.
Jen Pipitone is a Senior at Loyola University studying Sociology.
An edgy online action... The Fast Food Junkies are still at it – trashing our forests to make their throw away packaging! And during the holidays even more so…
This is a busy season for food on the go, and all that food is still being wrapped in Southern forests. Before Thanksgiving we made over 500 calls to the CEO of Wendy’s/Arby’s, Mr. Roland Smith, to make sure he took some Dogwood Alliance activism with him to the turkey table. Now this week, before Christmas, we can send him another message loud and clear -
Click here to send a message on your own fast food billboard!
We’ve whipped up a very special holiday gift for Mr. Smith and we need you to deliver it to him. Take a few minutes out of the hustle and bustle to put your own thoughts on a fast-food billboard.
Use your creativity and humor to let him know that our forests should not be used for fast food packaging!
UNUSUAL EDUCATION: CONSERVATION GROUPS THROW A PUB CRAWL TO TEACH GLOBAL WARMING SOLUTIONS
It’s unconventional, but we figured in these economic times, people don’t need to feel more depressed. We need to start dealing with global warming pollution now but talking about the climate crisis doesn’t have to be a downer. That’s why local conservation groups working on solutions to global warming invited concerned citizens down to the Marigny for the Crawl for the Climate. Over a hundred curious people filled up Frenchmen street to get tips to save the climate in a festive atmosphere. Marigny clubs supported the event by offering free cover, drink specials, and live music to crawlers. The message at the crawl was clear: global warming is a problem that has solutions. Yes, there are solutions. The scary predictions are just that: predictions. There are many ways we can avert the crisis. We make personal decisions everyday that affect our own carbon footprint (see some carbon saving recommendations below). This list is hardly exhaustive and we encourage you to do as much as you can on a personal choice level, but that is not the end of it. We also need state and federal leadership to tackle the big global warming pollution emitters. It will take a concerted and united effort to pull back from our fossil fuel burning ways, but it can be done! Click here to take action now. Some do it yourself solutions: 1. Save water! Water treatment plants use a lot of electricity. So, turn off the water while brushing your teeth. 2. Powder! Powder detergents take less water to make and less fuel to transport. 3. CFL! Change bulbs to compact fluorescents, they use 75% less energy. 4. Kill the Vampires! Electronics use a lot energy even when they are off. So, plug electronics and cell phone chargers into power surge protectors and switch off the surge protector when not in use. 5. Park the car! Use public transportation or rideshare. 6. Inflate! Properly inflated tires make cars use fuel more efficiently. 7. Turn down the heat! Turn your water heater thermostat to 120°F. 8. Burn carbs, not carbon! Ride your bike or walk to your destination. 9. Slow the flow! Install low flow shower heads. 10. REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!!! We must start now though. Louisiana’s coastal wetlands are already under severe stress because of oil and gas canals, subsidence, and navigation projects. We need to rebuild the coast but we cannot ignore climate change because the effects of global warming could easily overwhelm our reconstruction efforts. We must address coastal restoration and climate change simultaneously and quickly if Louisiana is to remain strong and thriving over the next century. For more tips on how to lower your carbon footprint you can visit the New Orleans BuildSmart Learning Center. Phone: (504) 208-9761 Map Thanks goes out to • Lazizza • Tomatillo’s • Blue Nile • Dragon’s Den • The Other Planets Read press coverage about the crawl here. The Crawl for the Climate was also featured on WTUL radio New Orleans 91.5 FM. You can listen to interviews with Climate Crawl sponsors and The Other Planets, one of the bands who played live at the crawl here.
Conservation groups that sponsored the crawl are the Gulf Restoration Network, the Sierra Club, the Alliance for Affordable Energy, the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, and the US Green Building Council. Casey DeMoss Roberts is the Special Projects Coordinator for the Gulf Restoration Network.
Folks from the alternative weekly in Atlanta, Creative Loafing, came out to our Crab Boil to Save Cypress at the Home Depot headquarters last week. Amazingly enough, the photos their professional took are quite a bit better than mine. Check out the slideshow:
We say it a lot: the Gulf is an amazing natural treasure. Here's some fantastic proof of that from a charter boat captain out of Orange Beach, AL. The largest pod of orca or killer whales documented in the Gulf. The charter boat captain estimated there were as many as 200 whales from four distinct pods - a superpod! Apparently they were drawn to a school of tuna.
All over the country on Thursday, December 4th, at over 50 scheduled events, Home Depot was urged to stop selling unsustainable cypress mulch! Thanks to everyone who helped make the December 4th Cypress Day of Action a success.
I just got back from Atlanta where our soggy Day of Action at the Home Depot Corporate Headquarters made a splash! The fifty pounds of Louisiana blue crabs I brought from Lake Pontchartrain were a big hit, and we made sure corporate executives at Home Depot heard about the cypress mulch issue. From having a crab boil and holding banners in plain view of their giant headquarter building to passing out flyers to employees leaving work and dropping off over 10,000 petitions, we made our presence in Atlanta felt (check out pics on GRN's flickr page). We got a blurb in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and you can head over to read our press release.
At the same time we were boiling crabs in Atlanta, activists from all over the country were calling CEO Frank Blake asking him to come down to have some crabs and learn about how the company can help save cypress forests.
In New Orleans, over 25 people came out to our local event (more pics on flickr), and successful actions are being reported in Brooklyn, South Carolina, and throughout Louisiana. If you made it out to a store, send an email and let us know how it went!
Yesterday, we came one step closer to ensuring real and lasting protection for our cypress forests! Thanks for all you’ve done to save our cypress.
Local conservation groups and clubs concerned about global warming and the impacts to New Orleans are inviting city residents to a pub crawl on Frenchman street to hear about solutions to the problem while enjoying free cover, drink specials, and great music.Conservation groups say “Don’t get depressed.Solutions exist!”
BACKGROUND— Louisiana is ground zero for the effects of global warming. From sea level rise to stronger storms to ocean acidification, Louisiana residents face an increasingly daunting future.Scientists conservatively predict that sea-level will rise 8 to 20 inches this century. According to the U.S. Climate Action Report, a sizable chunk of the Gulf coast could be swallowed if sea-level rise continues unabated.Combined with subsidence and salt water intrusion into salt sensitive habitats, the result will be a devastating loss of coastal wetlands which offer storm protection to coastal communities and homes to valuable species.
Our coastal wetlands are already under severe stress because of oil and gas canals, subsidence, and navigation projects.We need to rebuild the coast but we cannot ignore climate change because the effects of global warming could easily overwhelm our reconstruction efforts.We must address coastal restoration and climate change simultaneously and quickly if Louisiana is to remain strong and thriving over the next century.
Conservation groups sponsoring this event are: Gulf Restoration Network, the Sierra Club, Alliance for Affordable Energy, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, and New Orleans Green Building Council.
Casey DeMoss Roberts is the Special Projects Coordinator for the Gulf Restoration Network.For wristbands or more information about this event contact Casey at (504) 525-1528 x212 or casey@healthygulf.org.
STRONGER FLOOD SHIELD, COMPREHENSIVE WETLANDS PLAN, DELAYED YET AGAIN
The Times-Picayune continues to watchdog the Corps of Engineers and their failure to launch on our coastal protection and restoration initiative. Check out Pulitzer winner Mark Schleifstein's most recent piece on the NOLA area's "Category 5" protection plan here.
Clearly, the Corps is dragging their feet, and no one in DC is willing to hold said appendages to the fire. Louisiana's newly minted delegation needs to get on this immediately, and MOST importantly, needs to get other members from other states to see the value of this region. If this coastal restoration and protection effort is seen as a parochial interest of Landrieu, Melancon, Scalise and Vitter, then welcome to Team Irrelevant Congressman Cao, good luck pushing your levees to nowhere.
One thing works for our coast and communities - the current push for "green jobs" to jumpstart the economy. Clearly, rebuilding wetlands and swamps will help create carbon sinks, so that should fit into that broad agenda item, and we've got plenty of projects ready to go down here to put boots and backhoe's on the ground.
One thing that works against our coast and communities - The push on green jobs is due in part to the new administration's view of climate change as a mission-critical initiative. Our delegation (and the state, and the Corps) see it more as an irrelevant side discussion to our coastal crisis. Unless and until we can get some legitimate analysis and acknowledgment of the need to address both in order to have a sustainable NOLA means we've got a painful inconsistency that the new EPA/CEQ will likely point out, undercutting our chances of being the federal priority we'd like to be.
CONSERVATION GROUPS AND PARIS PARKER AVEDA SALON HOST FREE MERCURY HAIR TESTING EVENT IN NEW ORLEANS
Thirty women came to the Paris Parker Aveda Salon during lunch, not for a stylish hair cut, but because they were concerned about their risk of mercury poisoning. A simple hair-test can tell you if your body has dangerous levels of mercury. The Sierra Club, the Gulf Restoration Network, the Alliance for Affordable Energy, the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, and Aveda sponsored this free event out of concern for how mercury pollution from coal-powered plants affects women and children.
One in six women of childbearing age in the U.S. already has enough mercury in her body to put a fetus at risk of learning disabilities and developmental problems. Currently Entergy Louisiana is working to obtain permits to repower their Little Gypsy natural gas power plant in Saint Charles Parish to coal-fired power.Coal-fired plants are one of the largest man-made sources of mercury pollution in the country.Local residents are concerned that the proposed Little Gypsy coal repowering project will expose them to dirtier air and serious health problems.
“There are cleaner alternatives to coal,” says Jordan Macha, Regional Conservation Organizer for the Sierra Club’s New Orleans office, “and by looking at our alternatives we can improve public health, boost the economy, and protect the environment. Entergy’s current proposal puts our environment and the health of our community at risk.”
Mercury is linked to learning disabilities and other developmental problems in young children. When coal is burned, mercury is released into the atmosphere and falls back to earth in rain, running into our lakes, rivers, and streams.There it is converted to the toxic form of mercury – methylmercury - which accumulates in fish and shellfish.When contaminated fish are eaten it is absorbed by the body. Currently, 41 of Louisiana’s waterways, including the Gulf of Mexico, have a mercury-in-fish advisory.
"We all recognize outer beauty, but often we forget to take care of what's happening on the inside," says Debra Neill, CEO of Neill Corporation, owner of the Paris Parker Salon and Spa group. "We applaud the Gulf Restoration Network, the Sierra Club and their partners in their quest to help raise awareness of the mercury issue to women in Louisiana."
Stylists with the Paris Parker Aveda Salon took small samples of hair from participants, which were then sent to an academic laboratory for testing.The data will be anonymously included in a University of North Carolina research study, which has the largest sample size of any study to date, on the effects of mercury in the U.S. population.
Notes Casey DeMoss Roberts, Special Projects Coordinator with the Gulf Restoration Network, “Together we are working to ensure that the Little Gypsy plant and other coal plants across the state reduce their mercury pollution and update their pollution controls to comply with new, more protective health standards.”
GRN POLL - WHAT GULF GREEN ISSUE SHOULD P-E OBAMA TACKLE?
Now that President-Elect Obama has announced his economic and international teams, many (okay, some) are on pins and needles to hear about his Enviro team (EPA, Department of Interior, Department of Energy).
To weigh in on which environmental issue President-elect Barak Obama should tackle right out of the gates, head to GRN's first-ever poll here.
Time magazine has already weighed in with this intelligent, five-part editorial which outlines the environmental and political challenges that President-elect Barak Obama will face in 2009. It also offers some (strong) words of advice on what it will take to fix the economy: "(It) means billions for energy-efficient and climate-friendly infrastructure…but nothing for new sprawl roads that ravage nature and promote gas-guzzling. (It) means stronger levees and restored wetlands…but no more traditional pork-barrel water projects that destroy wetlands and waste money." GRN supports this approach and urges Louisiana's critical coastal restoration efforts as part of a significant green jobs push from the federal government. Read it here.
YOU CAN HELP STOP WETLANDS LOSS NOW (AND GET A FREE CD)
Everyday a critical piece of the Gulf region's natural resources is destroyed - our wetlands! What I find most disturbing is that the very thing we are destroying is what makes our communities healthy, attractive, and sustainable. In many respects, it is the only reason why we exist. Scientific evidence points to the necessity of these ecosystems for the environmental health of our region, yet day by day we chip away at them. How long can this continue?!
I'm writing to ask for your support today because the Gulf of Mexico has lost approximately 50% of its historic wetlands, and those remaining are under increasing threat.
This rampant wetland loss is due to many reasons, most of which are caused or exacerbated by human influence. Some of the causes of wetland loss include:
oil and gas canals
construction and run-off
salt water intrusion
subsidence
sea level rise
hurricanes and other storms
logging
This year brought us a very active hurricane season and Gulf Coast communities were once again reminded of the delicate balance between our development footprint and healthy communities and ecosystems. Wetlands provide natural flood protection and every 3 to 4 miles of intact wetlands can reduce storm surge by 1 foot! Wetlands help to keep our waters clean by acting as natural filters and are home to the myriad of diverse and unique plants and creatures that make the Gulf Region so special.
Wetland destruction is threatening the health of our communities and the consequences reverberate through Gulf ecosystems affecting: water quality, endangered and at-risk species, and nursery and breeding grounds for our commercial fishing industry.
No matter what the cause, we cannot afford to stand by while the most fundamental elements of the economic and environmental health and safety of our communities are filled in or washed out from under us.
GRN advocates for the protection of our wetlands through:
monitoring wetland destruction permitted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
preventing the clear-cutting of coastal forests,
watch-dogging state and federal agency actions affecting wetlands , and
supporting efforts to build resilient and sustainable communities post-hurricane.
This is why your support is so important. The future of the Gulf Region lies in the hands of individuals like you and me who simply cannot sit by and watch while our community's most precious natural resources are destroyed.
The Gulf Restoration Network works to ensure that decisions impacting the health and sustainability of our communities are made using sound science, and with an overall concern for the long-term sustainability of our communities. We work in partnership with our network of environmental groups across the Gulf to hold decision makers accountable for the impact their decisions have on our communities, seeking to ensure that short term business interests do not take precedence over a community's long term sustainability.
Please take a moment now - before this email gets lost in the daily shuffle - to make a contribution in support of our work. For contributions of $30 or more GRN is offering a free CD with songs from local artists. Put together with the support of Basin Street Records, the album features fantastic Basin Street artists like Kermit Ruffins, Irvin Mayfield and Theresa Andersson, as well as other notable Louisiana acts such as Galactic, Marc Broussard and the New Orleans Bingo Show. All these musicians are committed to our coast, and are working to help spread the word about our coastal crisis.
Your contribution to the Gulf Restoration Network gives us the resources to fight for the coast every day.
United for a Healthy Gulf,
Cynthia Sarthou Executive Director
P.S. Our wetlands provide critical flood and storm surge protection. They improve our water quality and are important habitat for wildlife and commercial fisheries species. The Gulf region has already lost 50% of its historic wetlands and is continuing to lose them everyday. With your donation to the Gulf Restoration Network we can continue our work protecting and restoring the natural resources of the Gulf!
The Gulf Restoration Network and Save Our Cypress Coalition continue to call on Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Wal-Mart to stop selling unsustainable cypress mulch in order to live up to their own environmental commitments. Cypress forests contain incredible ecological value, and they defend communities from storms and flooding. Unfortunately, these beautiful swamps are being clear-cut solely to produce garden mulch. Many positive steps have already been taken, and tens of thousands of acres of cypress forests have been saved due to the efforts of the Save Our Cypress Coalition. There is, however, more that retailers and government must do to ensure full and just protection of cypress forests throughout the Gulf region and the Southeast.
To help ensure expanded and lasting protection of cypress forests in the Gulf, please join us for the December 4th Cypress Day of Action. Visit this website to sign up and receive more information.
The nationwidegrassrootsefforts are already paying off! Wal-Mart, who is no longer selling cypress mulch that is harvested, bagged, or manufactured in the state of Louisiana, is the current leader on cypress sustainability. Lowe’s has instituted a temporary moratorium on cypress mulch from “coastal Louisiana”, yet further promises and negotiations have stalled. Home Depot, a self-proclaimed environmental leader among retailers, also claims to avoid mulch from coastal Louisiana, but the company has not directly responded to the Save Our Cypress Coalition. All three companies must do more to uphold their corporate environmental policies as they pertain to endangered cypress forests.
The steps the companies have taken are a good start, but there are lingering concerns. In response to announcements made by Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, and Home Depot and Coalition efforts to end illegal logging, cypress logging activity has gradually come to a halt in coastal Louisiana. Thousands of acres of cypress forests have been saved from the mulch machine!
Unfortunately, there is no mechanism to ensure lasting protection of Louisiana’s swamps, and success in Louisiana may lead to increased production in other vulnerable areas outside of the state. Without a transparent and credible certification program, retailers are unable to truly verify the source of their cypress products, and suppliers have proven willing to hide the real source of their mulch in the past.
Since the campaign began two years ago, the Save Our Cypress Coalition hasgrown, and reports of cypress logging in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and other states continue to surface. A recent Clean Water Act legal challenge in Georgia saved one cypress swamp and demonstrated that much of the cypress logging occurring today would be deemed illegal if properly examined. The retailers have done nothing to address cypress logging outside of Louisiana.
In order to live up to their stated environmental policies, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Wal-Mart must stop selling unsustainable and illegally harvested cypress mulch, no matter where it is logged.
Wherever you live, join GRN and the Save Our Cypress Coalition on December 4th for a Cypress Day of Action to help build on our successes for a future full of cypress forests!
This November the 9th marked Gulf Restoration Network’s (GRN) 2nd Annual Mississippi Fundraiser. This event is a great opportunity to meet some of Mississippi’s most well-known environmental activists, environmental scientists, local business owners, and environmentally conscious citizens.
The fundraiser takes place on the Captain Pete, one of Ship Island Excursions’ boats. The boat ride begins and ends at Gulfport Yacht Harbor. Our guests experienced a 3 hour cruise in the Mississippi Sound enjoying a cool November evening in Mississippi, the occasional dolphin swimming alongside the boat, and a beautiful sunset. Party goers also enjoyed some delicious local fare. Food for the event was donated by Confusion Sophisticated Casual Dining and the beer was donated by Lazy Magnolia Brewery (thanks guys).
This year’s hosts were Louis Skrmetta, owner of Ship Island Excursions & Board member of GRN, Robert Wiygul, Board Member of GRN, and Terese Collins, long time supporter of GRN and Mississippi activist.
Funds raised from this event will support GRN campaigns like:
Protect Our Wetlands Protect Ourselves: GRN Works to protect wetlands that are critical in providing flood protection and clean water. We watchdog government agencies to ensure that wetlands are not unnecessarily destroyed by new development.
Healthy Waters:GRN works to protect and restore rivers and bayous throughout the Gulf of Mexico that are critical to recreation, fisheries, wildlife habitat, and drinking water. In Mississippi, we are committed to stopping the withdrawal of 50 million gallons of water a day from the Pascagoula River as part of the Richton Domes project.
Every Fish Counts:GRN is calling on the Gulf Council and National Marine Fisheries Service to develop and enact effective regulations to end overfishing and provide for sound management of fisheries that is based on science.
Thanks to everyone for their support! And if you weren’t able to make it this year, we sure hope to see you next year.
Make It Right Foundation Does It Right for Cypress Forests
The Make It Right Foundation and BNIM Architects have joined the Save Our Cypress Coalition, making yet another real commitment to sustainability and the long-term survival of New Orleans. Cypress forests are important natural storm and flooding protection, but they are being clear-cut solely to produce garden mulch.
By choosing alternatives to cypress mulch and explaining the choice to residents and project participants, Make It Right is helping to enhance the sustainability of the entire Gulf region.
Cypress forests are the best natural storm protection for coastal communities and defend inland communities by absorbing flood waters. If historical wetlands and cypress forests had still been in place, the impacts of Katrina on places like the Lower 9th Ward would have been greatly reduced. Unfortunately, Louisiana is rapidly losing its coastal wetlands, and cypress harvesting for mulch exacerbates the problem. Along with natural storm protection, cypress forests provide important habitat for wildlife and many recreational and eco-tourism opportunities.
Many homeowners and gardeners choose cypress mulch because they just don’t know the impact the product has on our natural wetlands. As a model for sustainable building and landscaping that chooses sustainable alternatives like pine straw and recycled building materials, Make It Right is informing concerned consumers.
Upon learning of the dangers of cypress mulch, Make It Right and Berkebile Nelson Immenschuh McDowell Architects (BNIM), the group in charge of the landscape design, moved quickly to ensure cypress mulch would not be used on the project in the future. They will also help to educate the public about sustainable mulch alternatives. ******** The Save Our Cypress Coalition is a group of over 160 environmental organizations, churches, eco-tourism businesses, landscapers, and civic groups from all over the country that are working to end unsustainable harvesting of cypress forests for mulch products. The Coalition has focused on educating consumers and calling on Home Depot, Wal-Mart, and Lowe’s to live up to their environmental commitment by halting the sale of unsustainable cypress mulch, wherever it is logged. www.saveourcypress.org
The Make It Right Foundation’s mission is to be a catalyst for redevelopment of the Lower 9th Ward, by building a neighborhood comprised of safe and healthy homes that are inspired by Cradle to Cradle thinking, with an emphasis on high quality design, while preserving the spirit of the community’s culture. www.makeitrightnola.org
BNIM Architects is committed to producing work that maximizes human potential, productivity, and health. Each of their projects works to minimize consumption of resources, reducing waste and pollution and restoring natural systems. They have provided the landscape design services for Make It Right at no charge. www.bnim.com ********* Dan Favre is the Campaign Organizer for GRN who knows more about mulch than he ever thought possible.
REM GIVES GRN A SHOUT-OUT AT NOLA VOODOO EXPERIENCE!
For the second year in a row, the Gulf Restoration Network partnered with the Voodoo Experience to educate festival attendees about the issue of Louisiana's coastal wetlands crisis. Voodoo Experience is one of New Orleans' largest and most popular musical festivals. As the festival's official nonprofit partner, GRN worked with event organizers to educate performing artists about the issues.
GRN had a major presence in the private musician's lounge and organized a press conference in the media tent with artists Marc Broussard, "Big Sam" Williams and Dan Dyer. GRN's artist gift bags proved to be a big hit, and featured our Defend New Orleans - Defend the Coast tee (printed on Alternative's 100% organic cotton tee) a green AlternativeEarth blank tee, a signed copy of Bayou Farewell (special thanks to author Mike Tidwell, a dvd of Walter William's coastal documentaries, some Aveda beauty products (thanks Aveda) and some other great items.
A highlight of the musician's outreach came when REM lead singer Michael Stipe announced to the crowd that they should support GRN and visit our table at the festival. (Though our volunteer Liz might disagree and point to the photo below of her with NIN's Trent Reznor as the highlight).
A team of fantastic volunteers worked hard all three days to illustrate to festival goers the fate of the Gulf coast, letting people know with every song they heard at Voodoo, an area of Louisiana wetlands the size of the massive main stage turned to open water due to our national need for oil & gas and dependable shipping lanes. The message apparently sunk in with hundreds of people texting "COAST" to 77007 to support the cause, or stopping by the table to sign up as a member (and receive GRN's special limited edition CD No Coast – NO Music featuring Louisiana Voodoo artists Marc Broussard, Theresa Andersson, Galactic, the New Orleans Bingo Show and others). Head here to support the cause that the musicians were so fired up about. On Monday we took our artist outreach to new heights (HA) by arranging a coastal flyover for Clint Maedgen (Bingo, Preservation Hall, Liquidrone, etc.), Stanton Moore (Galactic, above, rockin' the defend the coast tee), and a great last second addition, Angelo Moore from Fishbone! As a longtime Fishbone fan, I was thrilled. Special thanks to Gulf Coast Aviation for cutting us a great deal, and our pilot Leigh Smith (also known as the guy that threw javelin for the USA in Beijing). We look forward to continued collaborations with the great musicians who are helping spread the cultural value of coastal Louisiana to a national and international audience.
There is one thing the coal industry deserves credit for: they are persistent. Now that everyone is touting national security from every direction and trying to decrease our dependence on foreign oil, the coal industry has stepped in with the perfect solution, put coal in your gas tank! The technology is called coal-to-liquid, first developed by the Nazis and then later used by South Africa during Apartheid. Do you see a pattern? This fuel is for people who don’t care about human beings!
At a recent Energy Conference hosted by LSU, Bill Anderson, CEO of Anderson Global Innovation Group, offered up coal-to-liquids as the right solution to our transportation and electricity problems. Here are a few gems from his presentation:
Bill Anderson: We can become energy independent if we switch coal from the electricity sector and use it to supply our nation’s transportation fuel needs. Nuclear power can fill the gap for our electrical demands. Reality Check: Over half of our electricity comes from burning coal (315,000 megawatts). We would have to build a whole lot of nuclear power plants to meet that kind of demand which would take billions of dollars, many years to achieve, and the construction would greatly increase global warming pollution. Furthermore, switching to nuclear power does nothing to decrease our dependence on foreign sources of energy since we import most of the uranium we currently use (Canada, Australia, and Kazakhstan are the largest producers).
BA: Coal-to-liquids is clean. RC: Coal is full of impurities which are released at both the extraction and manufacturing processes. While these impurities were once safely stored inside a scenic mountain, the extracted coal releases toxic mercury, sulfur, carbon, and other dangerous pollutants into our surrounding environment that contribute to acid rain, childhood asthma, and global warming. The EPA states that replacing petroleum with liquid coal would increase global warming pollution 119%. If you catch the emissions, global warming pollution still increases by 4%. Then, the captured global warming pollution must be permanently stored, which is expensive.
BA: Coal-to-liquids is efficient. RC: This process creates 2 waste streams – 1st the coal must be turned into a liquid which creates waste and takes energy and 2nd the waste that is created from burning fuel in the vehicle. According to the Department of Energy’s 2006 report “Emerging Issues for Fossil Energy and Water: Investigation of Water Issues Related to Coal Mining, Coal to Liquids, Oil Shale, and Carbon Capture and Sequestration” a coal-to-liquid plant needs approximately seven gallons of water for every gallon of diesel fuel produced from eastern coal. How much available fresh, cool water will be on hand as the planet warms is anybody’s guess. It seems logical though that as air temperatures rise and rain patterns shift, coal-to-liquid plants might face water shortages that put them at odds with residential and agricultural consumers.
BA: We can perfect the technology and then export it to China and India. RC: We should be putting our research dollars into harnessing local, clean, and limitless resources, like solar and wind power. We can export that technology. Energy from coal is inherently limited because the supply of coal is finite. It is a waste of money to fund research into utilizing a resource that will run out.
There is a coal-to-liquid plant coming soon to Natchez, Mississippi. I sincerely hope that the federal and state regulatory agencies in charge will carefully consider the availability of current and future surface and groundwater sources, agricultural and residential water consumers, and the environmental impact of the plant’s wastewater discharge and global warming pollution before permitting this experimental coal-to-liquid plant!
Casey DeMoss Roberts is the Special Projects Coordinator for the Gulf Restoration Network.
Alabama Governor Bob Riley put the final stake in the heart of open-loop LNG in the Gulf of Mexico. When he signaled he would veto the project, the foreign energy company sponsoring it pulled their permit application. This is big news for the marine fish populations out around the Pinnacles Reef area, and shows once again, that when fisherman line up with environmentalists, big things can happen. Special credit goes to Casi Calloway at Mobile Baykeeper and the great folks in the Gulf Fisheries Alliance. Check it out here.
IN ORDER TO FIX THE DEAD ZONE, LOUISIANA HAS TO ADMIT TO IT
Back in July, I blogged that the second largest Dead Zone ever measured had developed in the Gulf. Though the Dead Zone was almost 8,000 square miles, you might be surprised to know that Louisiana does not officially acknowledge that this polluted area exists! The New Jersey-sized Dead Zone is a real problem that threatens Louisiana's fishing economy and the health of the Gulf every year. Admitting that there is a problem is always thefirst step in solving it.
The Clean Water Act requires States to list all waters that are polluted - the first step in prioritizing them for clean-up. Currently, most of the coastal waters nor the Mississippi River are listed by Louisiana as being polluted, despite the fact that they are loaded with the nutrient pollution that causes the Dead Zone.
Please take a moment tosend a letter to EPA and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and tell them to make sure that Louisiana admits there is a problem and works with the EPA to clean-up the Dead Zone and the Mississippi River!
I still remember the first time I saw oil and gas rigs from the beach. I’m a native and life-long Floridian, used to open vistas and sunsets not marred by industrial facilities offshore. I was on a road trip in college and visited Dauphin Island, Alabama and Grand Isle, Louisiana and was both amazed and disheartened to see rigs offshore. It’s a sobering experience, and one that I have never forgotten.
This year, in the “silly season” of elections, the issue of expanding offshore oil and gas drilling along the OCS (Outer Continental Shelf) has been given renewed life as the oil industry realizes the Bush Administration gravy train may be ending. A bad economy, high gas prices, and election year posturing have combined to create a political window for the oil industry to seek eliminations of the moratoriums and restrictions that protect most of the OCS around the United States. Candidates seem all too willing to sacrifice the public interest to keep big oil happy, and as you read this Congressional moratoriums that have been in place for years to protect the OCS from drilling have been allowed to expire.
Perhaps folks supportive of the oil industry in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas wonder why Florida seems so concerned about offshore drilling. And, in fairness it should be noted that even a slight majority of Floridians now seem to support some expansion of drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The multi-million dollar campaign of lies from Big Oil connecting drilling to lower gas prices has worked, and people who are scared as our economy worsens (understandably so) want some sort of solution now. The reality is, spin and falsehoods aside, there is almost no connection between expanding drilling in the OCS and gas prices going down.
The Presidential, Congressional, and other legislative moratoriums and restrictions on drilling in the OCS go back 20 years in some cases. For years, Democrats and Republicans came together to agree that protecting our oceans, our nation’s fisheries, critical state tourist economies, and military training areas was more important than drilling. Billions of dollars were spent to buy back oil drilling leases in environmentally sensitive areas. The common ground found was underscored by the idea that we need to protect our coastal ecosystems, communities, and economies.
Now, with a race for the White House and the fear of high energy prices being used to scare Congress into some action (Drill Baby, Drill anyone?), decades of good policy is being thrown out the window. What is best for America is secondary to what is best for Big Oil. If we can’t get it right on an issue like this, how will we ever confront and address climate change?
Despite the lapsing moratoriums, Big Oil won’t be drilling off the Gulf Coast of Florida anytime soon. Legislation passed in 2006 (a compromise between Democrats and Republicans, and between coastal communities and the oil industry) both opened more of Lease Area 181 to drilling and created a 125 to 230 mile buffer zone off the Gulf Coast of Florida. Lease Area 181 is a large lease area on the border between the MMS eastern planning area and central planning area. In this compromise protections were put in place for Florida’s coastal ecosystems and economies, as well as protections for military training areas in the eastern Gulf. In exchange for that Big Oil got access to large areas of Lease Area 181 previously off limits to them. Whether or not that legislation will hold remains to be seen.
Perhaps after the November elections some common sense will return to Congress (if only fleetingly) and we’ll see energy legislation that solves the real problems and promotes a sustainable energy future for America.I drove out to Cedar Key, Florida the other day (I like to consider it the unofficial capitol of the Nature Coast) to ponder the future of the Gulf Coast of Florida.
At sunset I gazed out across the intact and healthy open coastal marsh and the Gulf of Mexico and rejoiced that the only lights I saw were stars as day faded to night. Gulf Restoration Network is committed to the idea, and the reality, that Florida’s Gulf Coast should stay rig free. The risk to our economy and environment is too great. Shifts in the political winds aside, the right thing remains the right thing and that is the standard by which future generations will judge us as we chart the energy future they will inherit.
I'm sure with all the challenges this overactive hurricane season has presented, the New Orleans race for Congress is probably the last thing you have been thinking about. But that doesn't change the fact that election day is fast approaching. October 4th is the primary - do you know who you'll be supporting?
GRN is excited to invite you to come out Saturday to hear directly from the candidates on issues related to responding to global warming, building a green energy economy, and creating green jobs now! Given New Orleans vulnerability to the effects of climate change such as rising sea level and stronger storms, as well as the opportunity that our recovery represents, we think the next member of Congress from Louisiana's Second District (your district) should be a leader in advocating for the transition toward a cleaner, greener New Orleans.
Please come out and hear from the candidates yourself!
The forum will be moderated by WWL News Anchor Dennis Woltering, and we have confirmation from 6 of the 7 candidates (unfortunately, Representative Jefferson will be unavailable).
The forum is the capstone event in a day of New Orleans activities for the National Day of Action for Green Jobs Now, so please go to www.greenjobsnow.com to find out details for all the other great events being planned. For questions about the forum, please contact Jonathan Henderson.
With just a few months left in office, it looks like the Bush Administration is angling for a big legacy: a legacy of increased extinctions! We need your help to get Congress to prevent the Bush extinction plan from becoming law.
The Administration is proposing drastic changes to the Endangered Species Act that threaten to undermine our nation's commitment to endangered fish, plants and wildlife. The changes would massively weaken one of the most important measures of the Endangered Species Act-the responsibility of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or National Marine Fisheries Service to ensure that federal agencies, like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, do no harm to endangered species such as the Louisiana Black Bear, Florida Panther, West Indian Manatee and other endangered species throughout the Gulf states and the nation.
Using backdoor, regulatory changes, the Bush administration is working to implement their extinction plan, despite the fact that Congress and the American public have already rejected these proposals in the past!
Four days ago, Hurricane Ike swept ashore across Galveston Island. The enormous storm whipped up the Gulf and brought massive storm surge destroying coastal communities along Texas' northern coast and into Louisiana. While millions swelter without electricity and begin to clean up and repair their homes, the full extent of the damage is just beginning to be revealed.
Once again we are students in the 'School of Big Storms.' We hope we will learn from our mistakes as we begin to rebuild for our future. GRN supporters and member groups in the impacted region need our help to ensure our coastal wetlands and barrier islands are protected. Our natural storm defenses must be spared from continued development and allowed to do their job of reducing storm surge and absorbing rain and runoff.
Today, the Houston Chronicle featured an important article on limiting development and the need to follow building setback requirements proposed by the state. You can also read this article from The New York Times about the potentially harmful toxic sludge left behind by receding floodwaters. And, Dr. Jeff Masters has been contributing to his Weather Underground blog with updates on the damage including photos of the destruction and more details on how individual communities were impacted by Ike. Check out this assessment of the damage in southern Louisiana from LEAN, a GRN member group. And you can read this article from the Houma Courier on the fisheries disaster in the Gulf declared by the NOAA Fisheries Service.
GRN will continue to work across the Gulf to ensure our natural storm defenses are protected and restored. We will get back to our supporters on opportunities protect our natural defenses and protect ourselves. We wish our supporters and member groups in the impacted area a safe and healthy recovery.
This past week has been difficult for many of us in the Gulf. However, I have some great news to share! On September 2nd, the EPA took the final step to veto the Yazoo Pumps Project, an antiquated Army Corps of Engineers project that would have destroyed over 200,000 acres of wetlands in Mississippi, including habitat for the endangered Louisiana black bear.
Last March, we asked you to send a message to the EPA urging them to veto this project, and you answered our call. This victory would not have been possible without you, and we thank you for your support!
These are anxious times with hurricane season upon us, but please join us in celebrating this victory. This is only the 13th time in history that the EPA has used its veto authority to protect wetlands, and this is by far the most destructive project ever stopped. You can read the news story here.
Thanks again for your efforts to protect the Gulf of Mexico.
AS GUSTOV POUNDS GULF COAST, TIME TO BRING OIL COMPANIES TO TABLE
I hope everyone is safe, and staying dry. I'm typing this from my evacuation-vacation in Seattle, safe with my family.
We're all on pins and needles as we watch the storm batter our coast and communities. Instead of just being glued to cnn/weather channel, GRN friend and collaborator Walter Williams put his nervous energy to work and cut a new film which captures our coastal crisis, and hopes to help inform the teachable moment that Gustav is presenting to the nation.
Take care,
Aaron
Here's Walter's blog and film:
No one understands the stress New Orleanians live under. No one else in this country has to stare down total annihilation not only every year, but often several times a year, while trying to rebuild their lives. We’ve been in the bull’s eye for seven days now and it’s time for us all to leave home.
Can anyone out there really relate to this? An entire major city having to flee from their homes, not knowing if they’ll see them again…not knowing if they’ll see their family and friends again…not knowing if they’ll see the city they love again… From my talking to people around the country, they evidently can’t.
And the shame is that this did not have to happen. They would not have built the oldest Cathedral, a US Mint, the biggest federal building on the beachfront facing utter destruction every year. That’s because we were 80 miles from the coast and never worried about flooding from the gulf. Now our protection has been eaten away and we sit here living under a strain that few could endure.
And the people proven to be responsible for fifty percent of our land loss continue to deny their culpability. They’ve known about this dirty little secret for decades, have the money to rectify it, but thumb their noses at us, because the state and federal government refuse to take them to task. That’s because they appear to all be one in the same. As far as I’m concerned, they all have Katrina blood on their hands and unfortunately may have more coming this week, by refusing to fix what they broke.
We have one of the largest land building machines in the world, the Mississippi River, to build new land to regain our protection. It’s not rocket science, it’s mud and gravity. They’ve tried to convince us that levees are the problem. We didn’t even need levees just forty years ago when Betsy slammed directly into us, because we used to have the state of Delaware between us and the sea. There were no seawalls on the 17th Street canal or the others, yet they didn’t overtop. Something has changed drastically in the last forty years, coincidentally the height of oil and gas activity in southern Louisiana.
I hope we survive this one and the one following close behind, but regardless, Americans should not be forced to live like this particularly when there is a viable solution. Please watch the video I cut together today about this, before high-tailing it. It’s called “Blood and Oil” and is on YouTube.
COMMIT TO THE COAST AND GET A CHANCE TO SEE REM AND OTHERS AT NOLA'S VOODOO EXPERIENCE
What ifI told you that you could help GRN protect and restore the natural
resources of the Gulf region for less than a cup of coffee a day?! Making a monthly giftto the Gulf Restoration Network is the easiest way to have a large and lasting impact on our organization and not on your finances.
And now, thanks to our friends at the Voodoo Experience, we will be drawing from our universe of sustaining membersfor two FREE passes to the music festival on August 31st, and September 30th.We will also award the grand prize of 2 LOA VIP 3 Day passes tothe sustaining member who gives largest monthly donation between now and September 30th.
This year's headliners are R.E.M., Nine Inch Nails, Stone Temple Pilots, and Erykah Badu. You have the opportunity to hear some of your favorite bands and help save the Gulf coast at the same time! Only GRN could offer a deal like that!
Last year, we had a fantastic time at Voodoo, setting up a great tent, educating Voodoo goers about the coast, and getting rock stars and radio djs to help us pitch our coastal text messaging campaign. This year will be even better, with a "NO COAST, NO MUSIC" promotional CD in the works that will feature Voodoo artists and some great ideas about other ways to educate fans about the coast. You're going to want to see what we come up with.
Now, we pride ourselves on having some pretty savvy supporters and we understand that your decision will not be taken lightly. I just wanted answer a few more questions that you might have, so you can make an informed decision. Donations are entered into a secure online account and once entered only the last four digits of the account are visible. Charges will appear as the company that processes the transactions for us, Democracy in Action.
For just $1 a day or $30 a month you can provide a sustaining stream of funding for GRN to accomplish its goals. Become a sustaining member today!
United for a Healthy Gulf,
Cynthia Sarthou
Executive Director
P.S. On this third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Gustav looming in the Gulf is a poignant reminder of the importance of our coastal lines of defense, our wetlands. Louisiana continues to lose a football field's worth of coastal wetlands every forty-five minutes. This loss threatens our nation's energy resources, fishing, and most importantly is leaving New Orleans and other coastal communities more vulnerable to future storms like Katrina. We have a long road ahead of us to ensure the protection and restoration of the Gulf's natural resources. Please consider a sustaining membership for the health of the Gulf coast, our home.
MR. BILL GIVES SHELL THE BILL FOR COASTAL DESTRUCTION
As lunchtime foot traffic filled the halls of One Shell Square, a fantastic group of concerned citizens and activists carrying signs and shouting “Shell Fix the Coast You Broke!” followed a major celebrity and his entourage into Shell Oil’s New Orleans headquarters. The star carried an oversized invoice charging the company $361,984,000 for the cost of restoring wetlands that the company has destroyed.
Who was this Hollywood star, using his megawatt smile to help ensure a sustainable response to hurricane Katrina? Brad Pitt? John Goodman? Harry Shearer?
Oh nooooooo! This cause has been championed by the one, the only, the play-doh, Mr. Bill of classic Saturday Night Live, and a current national MasterCard “priceless” commercial. Mr. Bill (seen below with security detail and starlets in tow) waltzed into One Shell Square to hand Shell the bill, and helped kick off a new campaign aimed at holding oil and gas companies responsible for the role they have played in wetlands loss.
Working with a fantastic coalition that included Advocates for Environmental Human Rights, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, Rodnreel.com, the Sierra Club, United Houma Nation, the Alliance for Affordable Energy and of course, Walter Williams, New Orleans Filmmaker & Mr. Bill Creator, GRN fired a shot across Shell's bow that even the massive energy corporation can't ignore.There is solid evidence that forty to sixty percent of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands loss can be traced to oil and gas activities, and it is only fair that companies like Shell pay for the cost of the damage they have caused.
While Shell’s fortunes continue to rise, coastal Louisiana’s marshes are disappearing at an astounding rate and thus leaving the whole region more vulnerable to future hurricanes. According to records from the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Shell Oil has dredged 8.8 million cubic yards of wetlands while laying pipelines since 1983. These activities alone have caused the loss of 22,624 acres of wetlands in the last 25 years. “I am very optimistic that the oil industry will step up and do the right thing,” said Walter Williams, at our press conference “because it is in their own self interest. The wetlands not only protect New Orleans, but they are the only thing protecting their oil infrastructure. Pipes that used to be underground are now exposed to open water and are being battered. What will the price of gas be if the strategic oil reserve suddenly starts emptying into the Gulf?”
We feel the current situation in southern Louisiana informs the national debate around expanding offshore drilling on the Atlantic and Pacific Coast. Increased off-shore drilling would be detrimental to coastal communities, which is clear in the case of Louisiana. Decades of oil and gas activity along the coast have left the Mississippi River’s once mighty delta a pale comparison of its former glory.
Restoring Louisiana’s coast would benefit the state and nation’s economy in countless ways. Every three to four miles of wetlands reduce storm surge by one foot, so reversing the land loss crisis would help guard thousands of homes and businesses from future devastation. “The recreational hunting and fishing industry in Louisiana is a major driver of the state’s economy, but it is increasingly threatened by coastal land loss,” stated Mike Lane, publisher and co-owner of RodNReel.com. “Irresponsible corporations such as Shell Oil have made billions of dollars in profit from the resources of our state and it is time that they gave back to the coast.”
The state of Louisiana and Governor Jindal recently made a laudable commitment to spending more than a billion dollars in state funds on coastal projects in the next four years, but even this massive sum of money is only a down payment to fix the problem of coastal land loss. To truly restore the coast and protect South Louisiana communities will likely require a commitment of upwards of $50 billion dollars, a burden which outstrips the currently identified state and federal revenue streams.
While significant projects have been authorized by the federal government, appropriating these funds will be far more challenging. To ensure Louisiana’s coastal needs are met, parties responsible for the coastal wetlands crisis must be brought to the table. Oil and gas companies like Shell have played an integral part in creating the problem, so it only makes sense for them to help to fix the coast they broke.
REM, PEARL JAM, 90 OTHER MUSICIANS SOUND CALL FOR COAST TO CANDIDATES - GET TO NOLA AND DEBATE!
I never really expected we would get such an amazing response to our request to musicians to help us ask the two men who would be Prez to get thee to NOLA and talk about the coast.
I'm really thankful that VOW helped get the ball rolling, and that the folks from Pearl Jam's PR shop helped us spread the word. Of course the question remains as to whether John McCain has any idea of who REM, Pearl Jam, the Meters, Jackson Browne, NIN or Indigo Girls actually are (let alone My Morning Jacket or Ok Go or other shorter discography groups). Unfortunately, my outreach efforts to Lawrence Welk were ultimately unsuccessful...
Of course the big ask in the letter, which is to get McCain and Obama to commit to the New Orleans Google/YouTube debate, seems to have been written off by the Times-Picayune and one of the event's main sponsors. I personally think we should be making an even louder stink about this, and folks who support NOLA and a more active and engaged democracy need to push hard to get the candidates to debate MORE not less. Do that here.
Here's the question they should answer:
Also, big thanks to Walter Williams for shooting Amanda at her 18th Birthday Party, Stanton Moore, Rueben Williams, and Clint Maedgen, Nicole and Sarah at Vandenberg Communications for outreach assistance, Harry Shearer for feedback, and Trevor Fitzgibbon for making the whole thing possible.
THIRD KATRINAVERSARY APPROACHES - HELP US BUILD A NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO THE COAST
As we near the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina we are reminded of the importance of our coastal lines of defense, our wetlands. Louisiana continues to lose a football field's worth of coastal wetlands every forty-five minutes due to erosion caused by oil and gas canals, subsidence and rising sea levels. This loss threatens our nation's energy resources, fishing, and most importantly is leaving New Orleans and other coastal communities more vulnerable to future storms like Katrina.
On Friday, August 29, 2008 we are asking you and all of our supporters to host houseparties to commemorate the storm and ensure that the nation learns its lessons.
Last year we organized over thirty houseparties that were both informative and a lot of fun. This year we would like to organize fifty! We will send our hosts a series of short documentary films by filmmaker Walter Williams (the creator of Mr. Bill of classic Saturday Night Live) which detail our coastal crisis and the steps necessary to avert it.
We really need you to step up and open your home, church or community center to build the support necessary to make coastal restoration a national priority. It's easy, just head to our website, fill out the form and instead of sending an e-mail, you will be signed up to host a houseparty. Then, invite your friends, family, colleagues, church group, bowling team, whoever!
As the nation's memory of Katrina fades, so too does our opportunity to teach the nation about the importance of our coastal lines of defense. Please help us remind our friends and neighbors through these events.
Once again, the Dead Zone has reared its ugly head in the Gulf of Mexico. Last week, Dr. Nancy Rabalais from the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMOCON) made her annual cruise to measure the Dead Zone and despite high seas caused by Tropical Storm Dolly, the Dead Zone measures about 8,000 square miles this year, which makes it the second largest ever recorded! In my time at GRN it has been frustrating to see so little done to fix this ecological nightmare. Think about it...we have an area in the Gulf of Mexico the size of New Jersey where there is so little oxygen that shellfish and fish must swim away or suffocate.
The Dead Zone is a national catastrophe that has been overlooked for decades and it is time for EPA to step up and bring the Gulf of Mexico back from the brink of ecological disaster. Recently GRN and conservation groups that border the Mississippi Riverpetitioned EPAto take decisive action. Please join us in this call!
It is important to let EPA know that the citizens of the Gulf and the United States want EPA to utilize its authority to make sure that the Dead Zone does not continue to grow. Please take a moment to send a letter to EPA to tell them to clean up the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico!
Matt Rota
Water Resources Program Director For more information on what the Dead Zone is and what causes it, visit our website
RIVER OIL SPILL PAINTS MESSY PICTURE IN OFFSHORE DRILLING DEBATE
With 100 miles of dark, slick oil covering its surface, the Mississippi River winds its way towards the Gulf of Mexico, leaving citizens across the nation once again reminded of the many reasons why we must move beyond our dependence on oil. As a 600 ft. tanker crashed into a barge spilling almost a half million gallons of diesel fuel oil into the river on Wednesday, Hurricane Dolly approaches Texas and prevents Senator John McCain from visiting a “clean” oil rig off the coast of New Orleans. All too familiar with the costs of natural and human disasters along the Gulf Coast, such snapshot events speak loudly to the offshore drilling debate.
Cynthia Sarthou, Executive Director of the Gulf Restoration Network (GRN), explains, “The costs of opening up new areas for drilling along the Gulf vastly outweigh the benefits. Gas prices will be virtually unaffected, but future spills, wetlands destruction and increased pollution are guaranteed.”
Ultimately, increased drilling means more oil spills. The Mineral Management service predicts one spill of at least 42,000 gallons a year in the Gulf with at least 420,000 gallons expected to be spilled every four years. While the oil industry is justifiably proud of increased safety in drilling procedures, there is still great risk in transporting that oil from sea to land. These incidences not only create economic crises for small businesses and cause property damage, but they also make humans and wildlife more vulnerable to toxic fumes, contaminated drinking water, and serious illness in the short and long-term.
A recent report from the Journal of the Human Environment explained that the storm protection value of America’s coastal wetlands are $23.2 billion annually—Louisiana is currently losing a football field of this valuable protection every 45 minutes due to coastal erosion caused in part by the oil & gas industry. By committing to expanded oil and gas development these ‘horizontal levees’ are jeopardized in the short run by pipelines and offshore oil field support infrastructure, and in the long term by the global warming fueled sea level rise a continued reliance on oil will cause.
“The supply of oil off the coast is peanuts compared to world demand for oil, and any benefit at the pump pales in comparison to the costs of drilling, such as decreasing tourism and Hurricane protection, and the loss of the natural beauty of Florida beaches. In addition, new drilling means new pipelines, oil barges, storage facilities, refineries, and the pollution and public health threat they inevitably bring,” said Joseph Murphy, the Florida Program Coordinator for GRN.
SOUND A CALL TO THE CANDIDATES: DEBATE IN NEW ORLEANS FOR OUR COAST AND COMMUNITIES
Outrageous cartoons, foreign policy differences, oil drilling flip-flops, the fight for
the White House is really underway. With Louisiana's Governor Bobby Jindal in the running for the McCain veepstakes the Republican contender seems to spend a lot of time in Louisiana, but it is time that we put the issue of the Gulf Coast environment and recovery front and center in this race.
In the almost three years since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf Coast we've seen significant steps from federal leaders towards a more sustainable coast and safer communities, but these efforts will need substantial resources, funding, and time to succeed.
Now is the time to make sure that the future president of the United States commits to the Gulf States. Help us ask the candidates to commit to: tackling the Dead Zone, a hurricane recovery that includes safe and sustainable communities and rebuilt coastal lines of defense, and spotlighting their plans for recovery at the Google/YouTube debate in New Orleans.
Head here to sound the call for the coast and send that message to the candidates: http://action.healthygulf.org/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24937The Google/YouTube event should be a fantastic opportunity to see our coastal issues put on display - but we need the two candidates to commit to the event now. Thanks for helping make that happen.For our coast and communities, Aaron Viles Campaign Director
Summer along the Nature Coast of Florida is defined by movement and change.Manatees leave the spring fed rivers that provide them warmth in the winter and wander up and down the coast.Swallowtail Kites are here for the summer nesting and they swoop and soar over the landscape.If we get the rains we need the black water rivers swell and rise, and flow strongly out into the coastal marshes that separate the land from the sea.In this landscape defined by the pronounced lack of white sand beaches it is not the summer of tanning and beach postcards so common in the rest of Florida, it is a summer of nature at its most grand and most intimate.
Stretching from just north of TampaBayto ApalacheeBay in the Big Bend region, the NatureCoast is one of the longest, wildest coastlines left in America.It is the embodiment of nature at the landscape scale, a powerful reminder of what once was along the gulf coast and what still could be if we summon the grace and wisdom to keep it as it is.This is the Florida that John Muir walked through in 1867.This is the Florida of William Bartram.This is the Florida of my childhood, and I hope and pray it will be the Florida of my grandchildren.The Gulf Restoration Network, working with our allies and partners in the region and across Florida, is working hard to ensure that this happens.
This is has been an exciting and challenging summer thus far for the Nature Coast of Florida.The environment has seen victory and loss, and the challenges remain great.
The GRN was proud to have been one of the groups that spearheaded a successful campaign to convince Florida Governor Charlie Crist to veto a bill passed by the Florida Legislature that would have weakened protections for seagrass beds in Florida.This successful call for a veto was a major victory to protect the coastlines, fisheries, and marine species of the gulf coast of Florida.Stretching the length of the NatureCoast is the Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve.These world class seagrass beds are essential to the life cycle of hundred of gulf species.Governor Crist, in vetoing this bill, ensured that protections for Florida’s seagrass beds and for the NatureCoast would not move in the wrong direction.In the 2009 session of the Florida Legislature a coalition of conservation groups is committed to passing strong legislation would protect Florida’s seagrass beds.
While we had a victory in our work to protect seagrass beds in Florida, efforts to protect the NatureCoast suffered a setback when the Suwannee River Water Management District approved some of the early permits for the Reserve at Sweetwater Estuary in the northern NatureCoast.We have been fighting this massive development project since it was Magnolia Bay.We continue to believe that a development of this size, that would involve the loss of coastal wetlands and would set a dangerous precedent for the NatureCoast, is the wrong project in the wrong place.And while the first permits were granted, we believe progress has been made.This project still needs local, state, and federal permits and GRN is continuing to organize a coalition of groups to stop this project (over 40 Florida conservation groups called for these permits to be denied).We won some of the early rounds, and we’ll win the next ones as well. Stay tuned to keep up with the latest developments with this and other FloridaNatureCoast issues.
Summer along the NatureCoast continues as it has for thousands of years.Tides come and go, the sun and moon rise and set, and the next generation of life bursts forth in the woods, wetlands, and wilderness of the special place.Florida Black Bears seek solace from the heat, and powerful thunderstorms form daily in dazzling testament to the power of nature.It is an amazing time to be out and about along the NatureCoast, and it is an amazing place.GRN is committed to ensuring that all that is wild and free along the NatureCoast stays that way.
The Gulf Restoration Network is a diverse network of individuals and local, regional, and national groups committed to uniting and empowering people to protect and
restore the resources of the Gulf of Mexico region for future generations. Founded in 1994, the GRN has members in each of the five Gulf states.
