Thank you for your invitation to sing the BP Blues, at the rally against the moratorium on July 21 here in Lafayette. I really want to help the people of Louisiana. My main main concern is for the safety of fishermen, oil workers, and citizens along the Gulf Coast. We are in a state of emergency…. after almost 3 month of oil spilling into the Gulf, clean-up workers are still not allowed to use respirators. Citizens are moving out of the lower parishes with breathing problems. I’ve been on the coast since BP showed up, and I know from my own experience that sometimes I have trouble breathing while on the water – oil is burning, dispersants are being sprayed, and there’s no way to know way to know to what effect. We don’t know if the air we are breathing is safe.
Simply put, Divided we fall- It’s time to unite.. I will play free of charge if one of the rally’s sponsors will fund the rental air quality testing machines for Venice & Grand Isle for the next two months – machines to be operated and monitored independently by local citizens. This first step will show a good faith commitment on the part of oil companies and our State government – giving citizens more information toward informed decisions about their health.
When I’m not playing music, I also enjoy spending time in the Atchafalaya Basin. Currently, my crawfish co-op is in litigation with oil companies that dug canals across the Basin. The spoil banks keep the water from flowing through and leave us with traps full of dead crawfish. On the other hand, much of my family works in the oil field. As you well know our state economy is facing the same fate as our fragile ecosystem.
Much like Katrina, the White House & the Governors Mansion are on opposite sides of the political spectrum, My old National Guard Unit is deployed, and more scary the state emergency fund is tapped. Without cooperation with the federal government I fear our citizens will again suffer the brunt of partisanship.
After playing a gig in New Orleans in late April, I went to Venice to volunteer. I got there the first day BP set foot on our soil. Since then I have documented the plight of fishermen from Cameron Parish to Florida. In my eyes, it’s the burden of oil companies to ensure the safety of employees and the job of our state to ensure the safety of our people on the coast. That’s why I want these air monitoring machines. As important as jobs are to our people, their health and safety is more important.
I look forward to hearing from you soon. Like I told the members of the Presidential Commission last week- Do the right damn thing.
Town Hall meeting 6 PM Thursday, July 1st followed by a National Gulf Coast Fundraiser -
Acadiana Venues and artists donating their services for Fishermen & Wildlife
In an effort to unite the citizens of Southwest Louisiana and help those in need on our coast a Town hall meeting with experts and those affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon spill will take place Thursday. We will discuss the effects of the oil leak on our way of life and how to deal with a toxic Hurricane season. The panel will include Dr.Paul Klerks from ULL, Warren Perrin (working on behalf of the fishermen in district court & the president of CODOIFIL), Chris Gilbeaux- From the Louisiana state HAZMAT RESPONSE TEAM, state senator Nick Gautreaux, Kindra Arnesen and many other community leaders. We are waiting for word from BP & Coast Guard Reps and have more fishermen & residents from the affected areas.
*Final word on guest speakers will be updated thursday morning @ www.dirtycajuns.com
MUSICIANS and VENUES in ACADIANA – Suggested donation is $10 and money collected will go to Gulf Restoration Network & other worthy non-profits
10:30 Keith Blair/Eric Adcock/MJ NUNEZ w/ Carol Fran
12:30 all- star Jam w/guest *TBA
*Final word on bands TBA will be updated thursday morning @ www.dirtycajuns.com
06.21.2010 – Nationwide Benefit Concerts July 1st benefiting the Fishermen & Wildlife affected by the Gulf Coast Oil Spill
June 25, 2010 — In the spirit of Independence Day, nationwide concerts will be hosted by music venues on July 1st, 2010 to benefit those directly impacted by the Gulf Coast Oil Spill.
The organizers have created an ambitious goal: Gather music venues around the country to donate ticket sales on July 1st and create an online giving platform that encourages donations to the relief efforts. The fundraising goal is set to $500,000, which will be directed to our nonprofit partner the Gulf Restoration Network, (http://www.healthygulf.org/), which provides assistance to the people, wildlife and wetlands affected as well as advocacy work throughout the Gulf Coast.
The organizers of the event include: Nic Adler, owner of The Roxy on the Sunset Strip; Megan Jacobs of The Roxy, Casey Phillips, talent buyer for venues including Tipitina’s in New Orleans and Viper Room & The Mint in Los Angeles, and Sloane Berrent, founder of Answer With Action and creator of The Causemopolitan.
Revenues from ticket sales will be donated to help the fishermen and their families along the Gulf Coast cope with this disaster in addition to wildlife and wetlands restoration for the Gulf Coast. Over 25 venues have been confirmed and more are being added every day. Artists performing include national as well as local acts across the US.
“We know through music and the generosity of people that we can help make a difference in the Gulf Coast.” Adler says. “We hope this inspires others to make a donation, attend an event and get involved.”
The wetlands and wildlife are in desperate need of our attention now and can’t wait for BP to take care of those in need. Many of our fellow Americans in the foreseeable future will have no livelihood, are preparing to leave their homes and are now lining up for food handouts. With hurricane season on the horizon, there is reason for great concern and it’s crucial the affected communities be prepared for the worst.
Details on how to make a donation or find an event to attend in your area can be found under the URL: www.GulfCoastBenefit.com. Both the online giving platform and an online auction is going to coincide with the benefit concerts.
Confirmed venues include:
The Roxy (Los Angeles, CA)
Viper Room (Los Angeles, CA)
Echoplex (Los Angeles, CA)
The Mint (Los Angeles, CA)
Fais Do Do (Los Angeles, CA)
The Comedy Store (Los Angeles, CA)
Saint Rocke (Hermosa Beach, CA)
SoHo (Santa Barbara, CA)
Mojito (San Francisco, CA)
Fox Theatre (Boulder, CO)
Belly Up (Aspen, CO)
Eddie’s Trackside (Monroe, WA)
Tipitina’s (New Orleans, LA)
The Blue Nile (New Orleans, LA)
The Shed BBQ, Bourques SSC, Blue Moon, Somewhere’s else (Lafayette, LA)
Josehph Edgar Bar (Montreal, Canada)
50 days after the Deepwater Horizon explosion, Louisiana Sweet Crude is still bleeding into the Gulf of Mexico. The President is talking about “kicking somebodys ass” and claims he would fire BP CEO Tony Hayward if… Well, do it. Get the perpetrators off the clean up site and let them focus on getting the toxic waste out of our ocean. Kick Hayward’s ass for lying aboutthe existence of oil plumes and making his friends at Goldman Sachs richer by using half of the world’s supply of COREXIT. Then beat him down again for sending teams of people into communities along the Gulf Coast with no rhyme or reason (only the intension of limiting his company’s liability). Hold him to the “clean every drop of oil” speech, and once you finish mopping the floor with the Brit, figure out how you’re gonna keep your “boot on the Neck of BP“. The way this thing is being handled is disrespectful to the 11 men that died on the Deepwater Horizon. Right now, do something about the fishermen & poor people who are forced to work without respirators (they’re getting sick everyday). Next, give local and state agencies what they need to take care of themselves. 50 days is too long to keep pissing in the wind!
BP BOATS SIT AT THE STATE DOCKS IN BAYOU LA BATRE, AL
PEOPLE BRAVE TAR BALLS FOR A LAST DAY @ PENSACOLA BEACH
CONTRACTS KEEP FISHERMEN & THOSE EMPLOYED BY BP QUIET
I just got back from Mississippi, Florida, & Alabama. Let me tell you, it don’t look good for the rest of the Gulf Coast. Do they really think they are hiding anything by keeping the media out of areas where fisheries and wildlife are being decimated? OPA 90 gives Britishpetroleum full reign and responsibility over the clean-up, but has minimal provisions for oversight and enforcement of environmental laws. The truth is by keeping federal employees from talking about the spill our government has enabled BP to control the media. The Coast Guard & MMS are Militant about anyone (including oilfield employees, the USGS, and clean-up crews) taking pictures or video offshore, fly overs are largely prohibited, many public beaches are blocked off, and I don’t see current satellite images anywhere. BP has done a less than honorable job of helping fishermen and is still using archaic techniques to clean the mess. After this MAN MADE DISASTER- that is poisoning our people, decimating our wetlands and crushing our economy is over, where will British Petroleum be? Since BP showed up in Venice, I’ve been watching folks lose everything. How much longer will we allow BP to keep us from protecting ourselves and our homeland? Once they shut down the oilfield and nobody has a job down here, people will be throwing photos and footage of this mess out like candy. In Vermilion parish alone 1,000 oilfield employees are already out of work. Like I said in April- the time is now to prepare for Hurricane season & block off inlets to the marshes.
System of Helplessness
Instead of aggressively preventing oil from hitting beach heads and marshes, BP hires a few local people who make the most noise. These upstanding citizens and community leaders are legally bound by contract not to talk to the media and in most cases sit on a dock where they can’t fight the spill. Sure they train local fishermen with HAZMAT classes and boast about those numbers, but only deploy a small percentage of them. This keeps the folks who know the waters best from taking action. I was hoping the rest of our Southeastern Conference brethren would learn from our mistakes as the oil headed east, but now I realize that BP may soon have to deal with another SEC.
GET LOCAL PEOPLE THE MEANS AND PROTECTION TO DEFEND THEIR HOME LAND NOW AND BILL BP FOR IT. Each state has a list of folks that have commercial fishing licenses. Instead of making this a gold rush for anybody with a boat, they should start by employing local fishermen.
Dauphin Island
The beach at Ft. Gaines was well prepared with a trench of hay at the tide line. More susceptible beaches on Dauphin Island were protected by 2 layers of sand berm. Until I asked local people what was going on it looked like this was the best response yet. Like Louisiana a month ago, the good people of South Alabama don’t know much about the spill and just hope to spend a few more days fishing in the waters they love.
Alabama natives fear that contractors are cashing in on the spill with illegal Immigrants and convict labor. Families on vacations were scared to let there kids go near the water or near the employees working there. The people think this is another big money grab for contractors and multinational companies. I will say I talked with 3 groups of folks doing cleanup on the beach; the first (nearest to the roadblock) was mostly native Bama boys, the second spoke only Spanish and had a translator. At City Hall I heard a contractor ask another employee about background checks for buses full of mostly African Americans from faith based organizations in Houston, TX. Again, no one could tell me where local people could volunteer.
BAYOU LaBATRIE
At a town hall meeting the Fire Chief of Bayou La Batre linked BP to COREXIT through a safety fact sheet (claimed they manufactured the dispercent). What is being posted on the web is that 3 weeks before the explosion our friends a Goldman Sachs sold 44% of their BP stock. They also went short on Transocean stock just before the well plummeted to the sea and share ownership in NALCO (the company that makes COREXIT). Even BP CEO Tony Hayward dropped a third of his holdings in BP a few weeks before this mess started.
An official at Bayou La Batre city hall let me know BP money was drying up and they were going to run out of funds while prepare for the oil to hit. He also gave me directions to where the fishermen had blocked off vessels contracted with BP from leaving the state docks.
I went down to the docks and talked to fisherman, William Moroux. A host of airboats and other vessels were sitting at the dock while people in white suits congregated under a sizeable white tent in a makeshift BP compound. He’s got plenty to be mad about. It’s funny how the stories that matter get so little media attention.
ORANGE BEACH
In Orange Beach local businesses were already feeling the affects of the spill as they wait for the oil to hit. We visited the legendary Florida-Bama and Silver Slipper for open mic night.
The next morning we went down to Zeke’s Marina. Much like Venice a month ago- the only way they can make a buck is to take reporters out to see the oil. Thanks to Captain Ed Sims.
Captain Thad Stewart says he witnessed various species of fish eating off the mattress sized rafts of the toxic oil laden dispersants. He then fought off tears as he explained that the only Boat Captain working in the oil was very ill. Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon reacts to the BP response below
PENSACOLA
Pensacola/Navarre was the most puzzling. While tar balls hit the sand the beach was packed with locals and tourists wanting to surf, fish, walk the pier, or just get a last breath of fresh of air in their sacred place. I walked from Navarre a few miles back toward Pensacola and found a vast number of fresh tar balls baking in the sun near a bird sanctuary.
COL. BADASS
We passed by the USS ALABAMA for a few pictures of the battleship and ran into war hero Glenn D. Frazier. He shed some light on where we are in history and made me appreciate my freedom. People as diverse as Frazier and Doctor John are saying the same thing, “It’s time to let go of the anger & ego and come together as a country before it’s too late.” Taking our country back will not be an easy fight. We can start by helping each other clean this mess.
MOST ALARMING are the moves made prior to the explosion. I’m simply not buying the submarine story for several reasons, but here’s an article written by Matt Savoy that made me sicker than any oil I may have inhaled over the last month. It may connect some dots and give people a place to go fishing for the truth.
on the way back, through Ocean Springs, Ms. I talked to a surgeon who was walking his dog. His thoughts were, “They’d never let me cut somebody open unless I could stop the bleeding”. It was dark and the beach was groomed like a horse track . I saw no oil, but who knows? If they shut down the casinos it will be tough for the local economy.
Last, I called a podnuh in Pascagoula working for BP on Barrier Islands. He said the place pretty is well blocked off and no one there could talk about the situation. At least he was working.
Cajun Conspiracy Theory- (Hear say and Rubbish)
From what I understand you can blow a well by pumping the wrong grade of mud below. A family member of one of the survivors told me the Rig was “circulating seawater”…. So, there was no mud, the Halliburton cement job did not hold, and Transoceans blowout preventor (made by Cameron) failed. Now they point the finger at one another.
What we know is they were trying to cap the well when it blew. People told me on the road that the force and pressure of water and oil below the Deepwater Horizon Rig is beyond human comprehension. Rumors persist that BP got the rights to drill from Exxon and will lose them if they don’t drill the relief well. Who really knows?
It was reported weeks ago that there were numerous leaks (3) from the explosion. Just because we are only being shown footage of one pipe don’t mean the other leaks went away. Sen. Bill Nelson had the balls to go on television and confirm that oil is leaking from the sea floor. The Coast Guard is readying itself to defend the leak for the entire summer and it’s questionable if a relief well will stop the Gusher.
My crystal ball says it’s more likely that the sea floor had been a problem before the well blew. The Deepwater Horizion was the Titanic of Rigs in the Gulf. It stood as the model for safety and was the poster child for Deep Sea Drilling. From what I gather they started having issues long before the explosion and the warning signs are well documented. Maybe folks who knew the well was a time bomb were also privy to conditions on the Horizon. Either way, it’s not hard figure out who sold off their shares of BP, shorted Transocean holdings, and made numerous other moves that can be found on paper. Personally, I’d rather get to the bottom of this mess now than watch some hearing in four years once the gulf is a dead zone.
*The progress of Louisiana fishermen will help their brothers along the coast. I will post an interview with Warren Perrin tomorrow about what legal steps have been taken on behalf of the fishermen.
*AC Cooper (rep for the fishermen in Venice) says Oil is almost to Empire, La
* from wikipedia- On March 10, 2010, a BP executive emailed MMS that there was a stuck pipe and well control situation at the drilling site, and that Halliburton said it had finished cementing 20 hours before the fire, but had not yet set the final cement plug. A special nitrogen-foamed cement was used which is more difficult to handle than standard cement
Sunday, a group of Louisiana Natives left Lafayette to inspect the beaches west of Marsh Island. We came across some oil and had an enjoyable day walking beaches.
Because the currents and winds have shifted there is still time to prepare in Southwest Louisiana, but Alabama will reportedly see oil in the near future.
I got a call from the BP about my inquiry for work on May 2nd. They simply wanted to send me another email about volunteering. I followed up and am still waiting for a way to help. Cpt. Richard Blink called to let me know that most of the fishermen in Venice are out of work and that many of those employed by BP are already having health problems from dealing with the toxic fumes. I asked him to keep us posted this was his response;
Drew,
I still haven’t been called to go to work by BP after completion of their hazmat and safety training nearly a month ago. Only a few boats are working, this massive number that they give to the press is false. Some fishing boats are getting standby pay tied to the dock. Not much progress is really happening.
I quit my job for this. I was already doing environmental work before the leak started. I resigned from a great job so I could be the more useful. I feel so stupid now. The responsible party does not seem to want any help. They look at us like we’re some backward bayou people but we know this place good and without our help this disaster is going to be even worse.
BP needs to put a bounty on the oil. If you bring in a barrel then you get your daily pay plus a few dollars per gallon. If they just cut some boats loose we could get so much done. I can’t get my head around this inaction? The fishermen here are at the point where we’re about to go out on our own, picking up oil, bring it back to the dock and show the world. These people are fishermen, catching things is what they do!
It breaks my heart to sit at the dock wishing I could go to work to protect this place but can’t. Its almost to the point where I’m going to do it anyway. A cattle rancher has some boom from a spill years ago on his property that I’m about to put out in front of a little bay. If I can save just that one little area it will help me sleep a little better at night.
Thats just the boom situation. Boom doesn’t work in bad weather. What we need is the barrier island plan because It’s harder to clean oil out of the canes and marsh than scrape it off an artificial beach. BP is sitting on a public relations gold mine. They can look like heros and fix this or they can keep doing what they’re doing: nothing. I’m tired of being promised the world and not seeing results.
The school aged kids around here are nervous. They remember the instability they felt after Katrina. They’re worried that they might have to move. Its sad. Even they know that our entire way of life is threatened.
Drew, whenever you come back to south Plaquemines give me a call, we’ll go out in the bayou one last time.
I started off the day hoping to get back to Grand Isle, but fate and a broken truck would not allow it. After looking for answers last week from the USGS, I realized government employes are not allowed to speak publicly about the leak. So, I spent Friday morning in Baton Rouge. Professor Andy Nyman shared details about a LSU study on the effects of COREXIT and Louisiana crude oil on marine life.
Big props to Governor Jindal for not calling out the President. Obama obviously does not have much oilfield experience. So, whether BP bussed in fake workers to deceive the president or just wanted to look good for the cameras they didn’t help the cause. Also, a fake BP rep on twitter announced they would be,”sponsoring the New Orleans Blues Festival this summer w/special tribute to Muddy Waters,”. I promise they could use another 400 people out there.
Politics as usual will not work for this catastrophe. We have to be smart and fiscally responsible. Remember 2007 when democrats gave republicans got a tax break to raise the minimum wage ? Irresponsible compromises that don’t have the best interest of our citizens will not be tolerated. While demanding swift action and criticizing the White House our homeboy David Vitter is already trying to limit BP’s liability for the leak.
On the other hand, suspending drilling would be the knockout blow for our economy. Sure, we need to start finding clean energy and curb our demand for Black Gold, but until you can put anything else in you gas tank don’t depend on the rest of the world for oil.
I went to BP headquarters and saw a lot more military folks. A Louisiana National Guardsmen I served with confirmed that 1000 of our troops were working. I also confirmed that the cleanup is not a 24 hour operation yet. Every morning they get up and have to start all over with an oily beach.
I met Marc Gauthier, a biologist/film maker last week in Grand Isle. Since then the place has become toxic. Hopefully the tragic lessons learned there will help us protect the rest of the Gulf Coast.
As we make our way down Hwy 23 the air is smokey and unsettling. While some of this is from Louisiana sweet crude burning off our shores the distinct smell of dispersant treated oil baking in the sun is enough to make Gauthier put on a respirator. We laughed as I made fun of him, but what will this place be like in the coming years? Is the air safe to breathe?
I’m not sure when Oil Companies started controlling the actions of our government or had the power to keep our citizens from defending the homeland, but that is where we are at today. There is little time left to prevent this mess from getting through the marshes. Watching BP respond to keeping their mess off our coast is much like watching the clock run out on Les Miles during the LSU – Ole Miss Game. This time our lives are at stake and no apologies for their lack of competence and preparation will suffice. Worse, because the quarterback is telling the media the reality of this ugly situation they are kickin him off the team.
The Battle of New Orleans
Well, the only thing that people can agree on is the impact of the oil on our environment and economy.
Justice?…
Rumor has it that this may be the biggest oil strike in history. Word on the street is that BP did not close the hole sooner because of fear they would not get another permit to drill. Theorists on the other side would have you believe this accident was created to end offshore drilling. Shutting down oil wells in the Gulf will be devastating to our economy and give our fishermen no other way to earn a living. The truth is nobody has dealt with anything quite like this before and BP is working closely with the White House.
Now that this has been declared the biggest oil disaster in history why not make BP give all the oil under the well to those affected by the leak? They can prove how safe deep water drilling is, and once the coast is restored, have it back. We can’t afford to quit drilling anytime soon and this would be a great PR move (a chance to show the world what new safety measures have been put into place).
If BP refuses to help Nunguesser & the State of Louisiana deal with their disaster we got friends all over the world that will never buy another drop of their gas… and maybe get em out of Gulf Completely this time
We fired our guns and the British kept a’comin.
There wasn’t nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and they began to runnin’ on
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.
I haven’t been back to the old BVHS Gym since BP finished saftey training and presented fishermen with at least two different legal documents. Many of these people are still waiting for a call. So far, all I have seen is more, “don’t call us we’ll call you”; incompetent infrastructure for two way communication, no way apparent way to guide or hire the hundreds of thousands of volunteers trying to help, and varying technologies are being ignored. This lack of preparation and apparent misuse of resources comes off as a lack of respect for our people and our State.
The Fall Guy
I first ran into Cpt Edwin Stanton almost a month ago. After a frustrating 3 days of trying to volunteer in Venice I had a heated discussion with members of the Coast Guard about the apparent, “lack of a plan”. Not realizing I was talking to the Commander of the clean up, he offered me a chance to see the plan. Two days later we visited BP headquarters and saw the expansive operation. He answered every question I had with candor, warned us about the ineffectiveness of boom, introduced us to the worlds leading experts, and let us know the plan from day one was to use COREXIT. Now that the effect of this chemical can be seen on our shores and BP has still not capped the well he is being thrown under the bus. A qualified man who worked through countless oil spills in the gulf and lost his home in Katrina and is being relieved of his duty.
*Grim new estimates are that a million gallons may be pouring into the gulf each day.
*Because of pressure from the media and new reports on the scope of the spill the Nunguesser/Plaquermines berm plan is a go
*Fishermen and anyone employed by BP or contracted to clean the spill must sign a gag order
* The President ordered a 6 month ban on offshore drilling and expansion
*Liz Birnbaum quit the Mineral Management Services (they oversee US offshore drilling).. Later CNN reported the administration said she was fired?
*Most fishermen are still out of work and a only a few hundred are working for BP
*Dr. John demands the Government use NASA scientist to aid with the response. Work is still on going for The Solution to Pollution Tour. His comments about BP’s part in the clean-up “Get the Perpetrators off the scene”… he prays nightly with the people of Mother earth
*Folks are in Baton Rouge making plans for an oily Hurricane Season
*BP has still not put me and most of the fishermen to work… I volunteered in May
*Thanks to Marc Gauthier for his service to our state and use of footage from his upcoming documentary
*Even if the Top Kill Method works we must not sit around and rejoice while our wetlands are being decimated. Swift, Competent, Effective Action must be Taken now.
*Because of OPA 90 BP (the primary owner of the well) assumes responsibility, but this is a Global Suit. Switzerland-based Transocean, which provided most of the rig workers. Halliburton provided the cement, M-I SWACO the drilling mud, Schlumberger had a team on the rig to run tests, and Cameron supplied the Blow out preventer.
This was a busy and tragic week. The wheels of bureaucracy turn slow and sometimes our best efforts seem useless. Since the EPA stopped the use of COREXIT, oil is washing up on Louisiana beaches and marshland. Until the last few days, the toxic dispersant had kept the oil off the coastline, but who knows what is going on below the surface? Now we have the worst of both worlds… Oil on the shoreline and toxins on the seafloor. What to do is not clear, but it is apparent that BP doesn’t have the manpower or infrastructure to deal with this catastrophe; Worse, they may not be around after the entire world sues their ass for the mistakes of multiple oil companies and substandard safety practices in the Gulf.
So when I woke up and read the apathetic front page of the Sunday Advertiser, I almost lost it. “Cleaning oiled wetlands may be impossible- Official say nothing may be best option“… F*ck You!
What you need to understand is fisherman are out of work and oilfield employees are scared of losing their jobs. BP is responsible for this mess and largely controls not only the cleanup, but also the media covering this event. Because of the Oil act of 1990 – it’s their game and they are motivated to do nothing more than “nothing” (that is to handle this as cheaply as possible with the least liability). That’s why they are wasting boom on the open seas and balking at the 350 million dollar Plaquermines Parish plan to fill the gaps on our barrier islands… And much like Katrina, the State of Louisiana and the Governor are on the other side of the political spectrum. Mr. President, we could sure use that hope and change you promised us when you got elected. The plan is in place, the boats and manpower are waiting on shore – If we are going to do something about the mess we have ALL CREATED FOR OURSELVES now is the time for action. This may mean burning the marsh, HAZMAT training for large numbers of people, changing how we prepare for hurricane season, and taking the fight further inland to bayous, lakes, and cuts – MAKE IT HAPPEN CAPTAIN!
“This spill fundamentally threatens Louisiana’s way of life. The oil is here and the time to act is now. We are asking the Corps to approve our dredging plan today without any further delay. We have already asked the Coast Guard to approve advancing the resources we will need to implement this plan, including barges and other dredging ships, so we can get to work quickly.” - BOBBY JINDAL, May 20th
Oil on our beaches is a direct result of our own apathy and lack of respect for ourselves. I don’t want to think of the countless miles of oily marshland no camera is filming, but we all must. The media has been shying away from telling story of the people… allowing only a few pictures of wildlife and dirty beaches to surface. The majority of our fishermen are out of work, waiting for a call from BP to clean their shores. Those employed are risking their lives working with toxic chemicals, but what kind of life will we have without life on the coast? Think about how we got to this ugly place and what we can do to insure this never happens again.
Yesterday at Rutherford beach a group of concerned citizens worked a full day in the sun. They were able to get the human debris (trash left by human hands) off the beach. Some folks at the beach joined the effort, others continued to throw trash on the sand. As long as there are boats on the shore doing nothing and people sitting on their asses there’s work to be done. We changed a few minds today and had a good time!
You don’t need permission from BP or a group of folks to make a difference. Get to the coast and clean up for a few hours… then go fishing, hiking, boating, crabbing, or creeping. Just try to leave the place a little better than you found it. * I’m not telling you to jump into a pool of oil without the proper training and safety equipment, but there are still trashy beaches along our coast that have not yet been affected by the leak
****** A Great Urgency ****** To All World Religious and Spiritual Leaders ******
My Relatives,
Time has come to speak to the hearts of our Nations and their Leaders. I ask you this from the bottom of my heart, to come together from the Spirit of your Nations in prayer.
We, from the heart of Turtle Island, have a great message for the World; we are guided to speak from all the White Animals showing their sacred color, which have been signs for us to pray for the sacred life of all things. As I am sending this message to you, many Animal Nations are being threatened, those that swim, those that crawl, those that fly, and the plant Nations, eventually all will be affect from the oil disaster in the Gulf.
The dangers we are faced with at this time are not of spirit. The catastrophe that has happened with the oil spill which looks like the bleeding of Grandmother Earth, is made by human mistakes, mistakes that we cannot afford to continue to make.
I asked, as Spiritual Leaders, that we join together, united in prayer with the whole of our Global Communities. My concern is these serious issues will continue to worsen, as a domino effect that our Ancestors have warned us of in their Prophecies.
I know in my heart there are millions of people that feel our united prayers for the sake of our Grandmother Earth are long overdue. I believe we as Spiritual people must gather ourselves and focus our thoughts and prayers to allow the healing of the many wounds that have been inflicted on the Earth. As we honor the Cycle of Life, let us call for Prayer circles globally to assist in healing Grandmother Earth (our Unc’I Maka).
We ask for prayers that the oil spill, this bleeding, will stop. That the winds stay calm to assist in the work. Pray for the people to be guided in repairing this mistake, and that we may also seek to live in harmony, as we make the choice to change the destructive path we are on.
As we pray, we will fully understand that we are all connected. And that what we create can have lasting effects on all life.
So let us unite spiritually, All Nations, All Faiths, One Prayer. Along with this immediate effort, I also ask to please remember June 21st, World Peace and Prayer Day/Honoring Sacred Sites day. Whether it is a natural site, a temple, a church, a synagogue or just your own sacred space, let us make a prayer for all life, for good decision making by our Nations, for our children’s future and well-being, and the generations to come.
Onipikte (that we shall live),
Chief Arvol Looking Horse
19th generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe
Whether you agree with his political views, no one can’t doubt the faith and effort Mac Rebbenack has put into preserving our coast. His spirit and the truth in his words carry the weight and wisdom of generations. He asks that in our time of great need we join together in prayer for mother earth. No matter what you believe in, please consider setting a few minutes aside each evening at twilight to pray for our planet, reflect on what you can do to help this situation, and send support to those who are working towards a solution.
We hope to get more people involved and revisit the Grand Idea of The Solution to Pollution Tour. Thank you Mac for letting us into your sacred space. You are an inspiration to us all.
First, we are going to Rutherford Beach Saturday May 22nd to clean-up debris that may later become toxic. Oil from the leak has not been reported there yet, but this is something we can do now to prepare for the worst. Please mark your calendar and let us know if you would like to help… Bring a rake, long pants, a light- long sleeve shirt, tennis shoes, gloves, water, lunch, and don’t forget the sunblock and bug spray…. if interested email us at gulfchange@gmail.com
Back to the Blog…
Friday May 14
A podnuh that works on BP Atlantis came by Friday afternoon. He’s not happy about the leak and knows folks that died on the Deepwater Horizon Rig. We talked about all the fuss on Capitol Hill, public opinion, and where the oil industry is headed. We both left for the coast and agreed that this could be a catalyst for changing industry procedures for deep water drilling and cleaning up the Gulf.
As majority owner of the Well, BP is responsible for the mess, but Transocean operated the Rig, Halliburton provided the Cement, and Cameron manufactured the Blowout Preventer. This diagram from the Times Picayune (nola.com) may shed some light on what went wrong.
On the way back to the Coast I met Bobby Charles’ son, Robby, in Kaplan. He gave me some tapes and books Bobby made for kids in the 90’s. The Solution to Pollution hand book and 3 songs “Clean water”, “The Solution to Pollution”, and “Environmental Harmony” became the theme for the trip. I got an email back from the folks organizing the first beach clean-up of volunteers and headed Grand Isle….
SATURDAY, May 15
The solution to pollution is simple as can be
Look in the mirror and you will see
The answer is the problem, strange as it seems
The solution to pollution is you and me
RIP BOBBY CHARLES
I left at Noon to get back to Venice. On the way I talked to Cpt Stanton and he said to keep my fingers crossed around 4PM for BP’s next attempt at diverting the leak. My mom called to let me know the Carmelite nuns were praying.
I was late for a fisherman’s meeting at the Riverside Restaurant with Rikki Ott (a fisherman, marine biologist, and plaintiff in the Exxon Valdez spill) and Clint Guidry from the Louisiana Shrimp Association. By meetings’ end, the fishermen had decided to call their own press conference and demand protection from the chemicals and oil in the Gulf.
In Venice there’s still an oily stain on several buildings where water had settled after Katrina. As It poured down Saturday night en route to New Orleans, I can’t quit thinking about hurricane season, wondering how much oil is on the water, and how much orange byproduct rests below the surface.
Sunday, May 16
The next morning I took a lap around Audubon Park and let my dog chase some squirrels. Funny, If I’d never started working in the Basin a golf course and a few hunts a year would be my only connection to nature. I say again, if you have a chance, get out to the coast now.
Soon after the jog, torrential rains hit the city and I drove down to Canal to get cleaned up. For a second there I thought I was in Nashville. I found some high ground for my truck near the bridge and took the ferry across the river. After a few calls for press credentials, I was off to Mardi Gras World for the Gulf Aid Concert. Thanks to Dwayne Brashears, The Louisiana Bucket Brigade, Rehage, & WWOZ for their effort and hospitality.
I thought about staying for the show, but my instincts were pulling me back to Grand Isle. There I found the first Cajun (Coon-Ass) beach protest in history. It was just honest people who surf, fish, and work in the area that wanted to say something…. and they did. WTF?!
* this video has some profane language
* the tube placed to divert the leak is working. -BP Senior VP said,”It’s not clear how much of the overall leak is being captured”
* Sunday evening I got word that BP shut down Atlantis to make sure all safety measures were in place
* the press conference held by the fishermen of Venice got minimal exposure from major media
I got word oil had hit the coast and engulfed many of the islands of Southeast Louisiana. Cpt. Richard Blink called to let me know there were 200 fishermen working to do everything they could. He quit his crew boat job and was going to try to pump some sand in to protect his oyster grounds…hopefully BP will hire him and implement his plan.
I found out the state had re-opened the shrimp season today. So I brought my dog and a camera from Acadiana Open Channel to the docks of Delcambre, La. From there I headed to Cypremort Point… At the point, an oily boat had game wardens concerned and fishermen made the most of the last hours of shrimping. It quickly became evident how much the oilfield impacts our economy and our environment… because fishermen in Delcambre got to the media and folks like Butch Shouest got in touch with their state reps they earned themselves a few more days of fishing.
I recently came back from New Orleans where they had a rally for the Gulf Coast, and I wanted to share with you what I saw and heard…
My journey began at 8:45 Saturday morning as we departed Lafayette for Baton Rouge to pick up more people in a large charter bus. There were only 5 of us at first including myself. A mother with her daughter sat in front of me and I listened to her talk about how important it is to voice your opinion when so much is at stake like this. The trip organizer (a representative from the Sierra Club) was friendly and had snacks and juice boxes for us as we all discussed how this was going to affect not only us but the generations to come after.
