Two Years After the Spill: Much Accomplished, Much to Do

NASA's Terra Satellites Sees Spill on May 24, 2010

April 20, 2010, began as an ordinary day for residents of the Gulf Coast. Fishermen woke up early to head out for the daily catch, and news outlets reported on the perils of the U.S. economy. Outside, the skies were overcast with temperatures in the high 60s, standard conditions before summer’s suffocating humidity settled in. But by the end of the day that began as so ordinary, the lives of Gulf residents would be changed forever.

An explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that day killed 11 workers and injured dozens more, and the spill caused approximately 5 million gallons of crude oil to gush into precious underwater ecosystems and vital fishing areas by the time the leak was stopped in July. The more we learned about the disaster, the more we mourned for the human, environmental, economic, and cultural devastation the region would experience. But as people of faith, called to care both for God’s creation and for our brethren in need, we were inspired to respond immediately to the disaster.

(more…)

Time to RESTORE the Gulf

(originally posted on the RACblog)
by Rachel Cohen

I’ve heard the axiom around Washington that when disaster strikes, Congress responds. But in the case of the BP Gulf oil spill, the worst environmental disaster of our time, this axiom has failed – until now. Still, advocates and activists have not given up, and momentum is building behind legislation crucial for the Gulf and our national energy and environmental future. This week is the time to speak out and urge Congress to invest in restoring the Gulf, empower citizens and community leaders to work effectively with oil and gas companies to protect their communities, and enhance health and safety across the offshore drilling industry.

Today you can join advocates from across the Gulf and people of diverse faiths from across the country by making a call for the future of the Gulf. This nationwide call-in day urges the Senate to pass the RESTORE Act, a bill supported by nine Gulf Coast Senators and designed to ensure that the Clean Water Act penalties collected from BP as a result of the spill are invested in Gulf restoration. This legislation would provide a desperately needed infusion of funds for restoring the ecosystems and economy hit hardest by the spill, many of which feed and fuel our nation. Nearly 500 miles of Gulf coastline in four states remains oiled, and the need for restoration is immediate. (more…)

People of Faith Agree: Gulf States Deserve BP Fines

It’s a critical time for the future of the Gulf with conversations taking place all over Capitol Hill on efforts to protect and restore coastal ecosystems and communities and enhance offshore drilling safety. That’s why, next Monday, July 25, Gulf groups and people of diverse faith nationwide will join together in calling on the Senate to pass the RESTORE Act (S. 861) and create a  Regional Citizens Advisory Council for the Gulf. You can help – make the call on July 25.

The RESTORE Act is needed now to ensure that Clean Water Act penalties resulting from the spill are invested in restoring Gulf ecosystems and communities. A recent op-ed from evangelical Christian leaders explains why this is an issue of justice for the Gulf. As the Rev. Mitch Hescox, president of the Evangelical Environmental Network (an After the Spill campaign partner), and Dr. Randy Brinson, president of the Alabama Christian Coalition, explain, “We need to support Gulf Coast residents and clean up the economic and environmental disaster. There can be no room for theoretical debates as whole communities are at stake.”

They go on to say, “We must ensure — now and in the future — that legal fines resulting from any ecological disaster provide for those impacted, and are not simply held in trust or deposited into the treasury.” We could not agree more – read the  op-ed today and get ready to take action as part of next week’s call-in blitz for the Gulf!

Movie Night for the Gulf

Looking for a fun way to engage your community in Gulf Coast restoration but don’t have the time and money to travel to the Gulf? Our friends at Gulf Restoration Network have an idea for you – host a movie night for the Gulf! “Defend the Gulf” screenings are a fun and easy way to help protect and restore the Gulf, and remind the public that the impacts of the oil and chemical dispersant continue to be felt by Gulf communities and ecosystems.

Your synagogue, church or mosque could be a great site for a screening and you can even feature a speaker or letter-writing campaign following the film. Events should be held from August 8 – September 5, while Congress is home for the summer recess and Members have an eye on what is going on in the local community. Show your Senators and Representatives that Gulf restoration is a priority for people of faith across the country!

When you sign up to host a screening, you’ll receive a host packet with a DVD, fact sheets and post cards and a petition to Congress. You’ll also get raffle tickets and prizes! This summer is a critical window for passing legislation to protect and restore the Gulf, and people across the country must stand up and raise their voices to move these efforts forward. Visit Gulf Restoration Network’s site to  sign up as a screening host, and receive the support you need to make your event a success.

June Update Call: Gulf Coast Fishing Communities

Our next After the Spill call will be Thursday, June 30 at 2 pm CST/3 pm EST – and all are welcome to join the conversation! The call will focus on oil spill impacts on Gulf fishing and seafood, and the on-going challenges for fisherfolk, Gulf restaurateurs and their communities. We’ll hear directly from oystermen, food experts, and faith leaders. This call is presented in partnership with Gulf Restoration Network.

Featured speakers:

• Chef Susan Spicer, Bayona Restaurant, New Orleans
• Telley Madina, Coastal Communities Program Officer, Oxfam
• Reverend Cory Sparks, Chair,  Commission on Stewardship of the Environment, Louisiana Interchurch Conference

Email today to receive the dial-in number, and spread the word! After the Spill and Gulf Restoration Network look forward to learning with you.

Seder Table Talk: The BP Oil Spill Anniversary

by Eric Harris, Press Secretary, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
originally  posted on the RACblog

As we celebrated Passover this year, we also celebrated the 41st anniversary of Earth Day, the global day of environmental advocacy. Talk around my seder table centered on preparing for the 50th anniversary of the Religious Action Center and the upcoming Consultation on Conscience. But then things took a darker turn as we began talking about the one-year anniversary of the BP oil spill disaster.

We all agreed that there were many elements to this dialogue that were baffling and frustrating. For example, despite the devastating impact the oil spill had on our ecosystem, our economy and the residents and communities of the Gulf, our fight to end our country’s crippling addiction to oil continues to feel like a losing battle. It also angered us to learn that 11 new deep water and 49 shallow water-drilling permits were recently issued in the Gulf. (more…)

Gulf Care: interfaith work on human ecology

by Erik Schwarz, managing partner of Interfaith Works, a New Orleans-based nonprofit that is the incubator for Gulf Care, an interfaith recovery initiative formed in the wake of the oil spill

This entry is part of our interfaith series of reflections and calls to action around the one year memorial of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and BP oil spill disaster. Find resources to commemorate the memorial here.

Now that we are just on the other side of the one-year anniversary of the spill, this is a good time to survey the field and see who continues to stand with the impacted communities along the Gulf Coast. Among many responders, faith groups have distinguished themselves as the most persistent agents for recovery and restoration. After the media have left the scene and the politicians moved on to other talking points, faith groups remain. Since the early days of the spill, these groups reached out to care not only for their flocks but for the larger communities in which they are embedded.

Coastal Louisiana was hit particularly hard, but faith groups there had been prepared by their experiences with Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike to respond effectively and cooperatively. Christians, Jews, Muslims, Baha’is, Buddhists and others were already networked in a groundbreaking organization headquartered in Baton Rouge called the Louisiana Interfaith Disaster Recovery Network (LIDRN). Shortly after the spill, my organization – New Orleans-based nonprofit Interfaith Works – partnered with LIDRN to build a response initiative named Gulf Care. (more…)

Remembering the 11 Lives Lost

by Rev. Dr. Cory Sparks, Chair, Commission on Stewardship of the Environment of the Louisiana Interchurch Conference.

This entry is part of our interfaith series of reflections and calls to action around the one year memorial of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and BP oil spill disaster. Find resources to commemorate the memorial in your own community here.

On April 20, the Sierra Club held an interfaith memorial service on the anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon drilling disaster. Dozens of New Orleans residents met for a sunrise service in the Washington Artillery Park, between Jackson Square and the Mississippi River. Rev. Sparks’ prepared remarks remember the 11 men killed:

Dozens die every year in the oilfield. Their deaths don’t get much coverage, maybe a paragraph or two in the back pages of the paper – stories about a helicopter crash, an explosion, or some other little noticed horror. The deaths on the Deepwater Horizon drew far more attention because of their sheer number. But they quickly became the prologue to a greater drama as the life of the Gulf and the livelihoods of thousands were thrown into question. (more…)

For Gulf Coast Residents, the Oil Spill Nightmare Continues

by Patty Whitney
originally posted on God’s Politics

This entry is part of our interfaith series of reflections and calls to action around the one year memorial of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and BP oil spill disaster. Find resources to commemorate the memorial in your own community here. (photo © 2010 International Bird Rescue Research Center)

For three months last year the Gulf Coast oil spill was the major topic of news reports all over the world. From the explosion on April 20, 2010, until the capping of the gushing well on July 15, 2010, the headlines were consumed with images and dialogue about the tragedy unfolding before our very eyes.

Shortly after the news of the capping, the government reported that “most” of the oil was gone, and that things were getting back to normal. The camera crews packed up. The reporters turned in their hotel room keys and gathered their deductible tax receipts. And they all left. Kumbaya, the oil was gone, and the world was normal again. The world could move on to other, more pressing interests. That is … the rest of the world could move on to other, more pressing interests.

For the people of the Gulf Coast the nightmare continues. Oil still washes up daily in marshes and beaches along the coast. Birds and marine animals are dying in unprecedented numbers, and scientists can’t seem to find the cause. (more…)

The Oil Spill Disaster – One Year Later

by Rachel Cohen

This entry is part of our interfaith series of reflections and calls to action around the one year memorial of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and BP oil spill disaster. (photo © 2010 International Bird Rescue Research Center)

This week we mark one year since the Deepwater Horizon exploded, killing 11 men and beginning the dumping of five million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. There are dozens of events taking place across the Gulf and across the country (more here) to commemorate the disaster and raise awareness about the on-going impacts of the spill for the environment, economy and health of communities on the Gulf Coast.

Their message: despite the TV ads and media messages, this crisis is not over for the most impacted communities and ecosystems across the region, and we must continue to pay attention and take action. That is why we as faith communities began the After the Spill campaign, and why we will work throughout this anniversary week – and in the weeks and months to come – to focus attention from across the nation on the lasting impacts of the BP oil spill disaster. (more…)