If you don’t live along the Gulf Coast, you probably haven’t been inundated every single day, multiple times a day, for the last 3 months with the images of oil spewing uncontrollably and the memories of lives lost in the initial explosion of the Deepwater Horizon.
Your local newspapers probably are not filled with oil spill related stories from the front page to the back.
You may have seen photos of oily pelicans, but not realize how many people are now out of work.
You may have watched a report on the cleanup of the beaches of Grand Isle, LA, but not seen how the marshlands are dying from a combination of oil and dispersants.
This disaster will take many, many, many years for our eco-system and Gulf to recover from.
And we need to make our voices heard. Now.
It HAS to suck. I can understand what folks are going through there, but understanding isn't the same as feeling. I get it on an intellectual level.
And the goal is to make it stop, fix as much damage as can be fixed and THEN figure out who to blame.
Lisa! Great message. Suggesting, reblogging and encouraging others to do the same. Thanks.
Lisa, hopefully with the cap on the well, the clean up will start to make a difference. It will take years to bring the ocean back to normal.
For those who miss the place to sign the petition, the url is
http://www.restorethegulf.com/
Lane, this isn't even about blame, it's about making sure that everything possible is done to restore the Gulf. We, as a society, tend to move on to the next news story and forget that not everything is hunky dory just because it's not the lead at 5:00 anymore. This will take years to resolve and I don't want our government to think that people are not watching.
Mary Kay, thank you!!!
Kay, yes, it will. If you have a chance to sign the petition, please take a minute to do so.
I know folks who are out of work in Alabama because of this oil problem. How many years will it take to get it cleaned up? It makes me sick when I think about it. Excellent post to remind everyone that it will be years for the clean up and the government needs to stay on top of it.
Featured @ Club Chaos
Our government has not done so well even when the eyes of the world were all on us. I have little faith that they will do anything now. Overcoming this tragedy will definitely need the driving force and determination of the PEOPLE - not the government, because the government clearly does not care.
We were in GA on vacation and they had double red flags up signaling we couldn't go in the water. We skipped the beach while in FL... Kids had to wait until we returned to NY to go.
Lisa,
Found this through CTS' reblog. Thanks for helping me be the one. Off to that petition!
Diane, the majority of the commercial fishermen and shrimpers are out of work here. Some have found work with BP, but the fact is, it shouldn't have happened.
CTS, thanks :)
Karen, I find that the more people become involved, the more responsive the elected officials are. It's harder for them to get away with something stupid when there are millions of facebook users spreading the word in minutes.
CTS (again), that just sucks. How do you explain that to the minions?
Irene, thank you!
You are SO RIGHT, "the fact is, it shouldn't have happened." So now instead of lightening up BP needs even more scrutiny than ever.
Our son is studying energy management at school which is a type of petroleum engineer/21st century land man and when he was home recently, his mom told him he better work hard because the world needs honest dependable people in the oil industry, not just scumbags looking for profits!
Julie, he'll love living on Broadway - it's right in the middle of the frat action ;) Tell him I said "welcome to NOLA"!
Russell, your wife is a smart lady.
Grace, thanks for not only signing, but sharing. We need to get the word out to as many people as possible. Between the celebrity involvement and grassroots efforts, I'm hoping we can keep this top of mind for those in Washington.
Reblogged it. My girlfriend is from Baton Rouge and cries everytime she sees the devastation on TV.
Lisa, I hope the fix to plug the well with mud resolves in a permanent fix. However, that is just the beginning. The cleanup and its effects will last a long time.
Reblogged. Nothing to add, less here is to hoping there is power in our voices.
Hi Lisa -- Just signed the petition and will pass it along on FB. As catastrophic as the spill is, I am still bothered by the fact that so little has been reported about the lives lost in the explosion. Those poor families have to not only deal with the loss of loved ones, but also the devastation to the Gulf and its ecosystem. This has been a tragedy on so many levels. My heart goes out to you and others on the front lines.
Lisa,
Thanks so much for this. I just sent it through email to a large group of really activist friends and colleagues.
Signing a petition will make us feel better, but who will care? We have a government that doesn't care what the people want. I'd be much more excited to support something that real people can get involved in.
Gosh Lisa, I can't imagine what you all and the folks in the Gulf Area are going through. We do get a ton of news on it....everyday...on Fox. Not sure the lame stream media is covering it as I don't watch it.
But, my guess it not much.
Thanks i am thrilled to be just one more who cares and signed the petition.
Great post, Lisa. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Lisa! I am reblogging and signing the petition to get my one voice heard.
Thanks for sharing, Lisa. I am off to sign.
Thank you everyone! The impact of this disaster reaches far belong the states that border the Gulf of Mexico and if being one of many who are trying to make our voices heard makes an impact, then it was a couple of minutes well spent.
Joetta (#22), do you have any suggestions? If so, I'd love to hear them. As a matter of fact, check out this post. I'm sure that you can ship items to the collection center for distribution.
Thanks for the information and sharing. As an agent on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I do see exactly what Lisa is talking about.
Lisa, I know it isn't about blame... it is about solutions and damage mitigation. Too bad we can't get politicians to understand that.
I felt bad all night about leaving that pissy comment on your post where you were only trying to get the word out about a good cause. I truly feel that trusting our government - any administration - to take care of us is a waste, but they are the only entity that has the resources easily accessible to address such a huge issue. So I'm going to quit complaining and sign the petition. (Feeling less pissy today!) Oh - and the post you linked to in your comment is exactly the thing I like - going to re-blog that one and send them some stuff.
We see it every day here, and there is discussion about the people out of work.
I reblogged this for you
Joetta, we're cool :) Now go mail some stuff!
Hey Lisa. I can't really imagine how tough the last several years have been on the Gulf Coast residents. I was there 2 years ago and absolutely loved the region. For what it's worth, I signed the petition. Hopefully, you will get the help you need and deserve.
Thanks, Erik! Any chance you'll make it down here for NAR this year?
I spent many a summer/spring vacation on the gulf coast and loved every minute of it. I pray that the habitat will be restored and the economy brought back to where it once was.
Lisa: What a fabulous video. I am so glad you shared this. Just think what could happen if each and every one of us did something POSITIVE to help bring the Gulf back to life ? Be The One !