What’s that in the Gulf?

Mardi Gras is over but it was a roller coaster weekend for the Gulf following the siting Saturday morning of a possible oil spill off the Louisiana coast. On Sunday an oil-like substance began washing up in the marshes, sending environmental advocates and Coast Guard officials scrambling to solve the mystery.

Reports varied almost hourly throughout the weekend, claiming both the material in the water and the substance on shore could be anything from natural sediment flows to a miles-long oil sheen connected to last year’s Deepwater Horizon explosion. After several citizen scientists on regular fly-overs of the Gulf reported to the Coast Guard seeing miles of “rainbow sheen” resembling oil on Saturday, the investigation began. It was “confirmed oil” on Sunday morning according to local news sources and officials who reported patches of oil stretching several miles into the water and reaching Louisiana beaches. (more…)

Walk the Walk: Gulf Residents March to Washington

This weekend, a brave (and hopefully strong-footed) team led by Cherri Foytlin – journalist, mother of six, and wife of an oil rig worker in Louisiana – will begin a month-long, 1,200+ mile walk from New Orleans to Washington, D.C. Cherri and her Road to Washington team will stop at towns and cities along the way to talk to local residents, raise awareness of the continuing impacts of the BP spill, and garner support for the impacted communities of the Gulf Coast.

Her message and mission are simple. Nearly one year after the spill began, Cherri Foytlin and her family have “had enough.  As her family’s livelihood is increasingly threatened by financial deprivation, Ms. Foytlin has run out of time.” (more…)

World Oil Roundup

originally posted on the RACblog

Update (March 8, 6 pm): it’s been a rough week for oil production. A rig explosion off the Louisiana coast on Tuesday forced two workers to escape on a life boat and the Coast Guard to scramble in response (luckily, with no fatalities), and just two days later an onlooker spotted an oil leak in Ventura, California.

From the streets of Libya to the halls of Capitol Hill, one word has been heard over and over in recent weeks: oil. As always, the price spikes caused by current global unrest are prompting a forceful debate about America’s energy policy (or lack thereof). Though the United States’ oil imports from Libya are a drop in the bucket of our overall consumption, the violence in North Africa will still become a rallying point for advocates of increasing domestic fossil fuel production. Yet, short-sighted responses in the name of energy security exacerbate our long-term energy crisis, threaten our health and environment, and undermine support for truly sustainable solutions. (more…)

Call for letters from the Gulf

Bridge the Gulf, a storytelling initiative focused on economic and environmental justice for the communities of the Gulf Coast, is currently collecting testimonial letters to be delivered during an upcoming series of meetings with congressional leaders. Delegates will hand distribute all letters to federal entities and leaders, and a sampling from each category will be posted online for public viewing.

Faith voices are important to this conversation, and we hope faith leaders across and beyond the Gulf Coast will submit one page letters about their experiences with the oil spill and its long-term impacts. Suggested topics include the impacts of dispersants, the claims process and media coverage of the spill. Letters must be submitted by email by  this Friday, March 11.

For more information about the project and the process, visit Bridge the Gulf’s Call for Letters page.

Videos for the Gulf: Deepwater Deliberations

The latest episode of Gulf Tides, a series of online videos from the Gulf Restoration Network, went live this week. The video features the testimony of coastal residents directly impacted by the oil spill, from environmental scientists to the President of the Louisiana Shrimp Association. The bottom line: both BP and the government have made many promises since the Deepwater Horizon exploded nearly one year ago, but little action has been taken.

It’s time for that to change! We’ve studied the Gulf and watched the harm from natural and man-made causes decimate the coast, and it’s time for a serious response. Watch the video and learn how you can take action today.

And if you need another reminder of why we should act, check out these amazing photos from Bayou Grace Church, where they asked congregants of all ages “Why Should We Save Coastal Louisiana?” Answers range from preserving the state’s natural beauty to stopping hurricane erosion. What’s yours?