Women Of The Storm Clarifies 'Restore The Gulf' Campaign After Sandra Bullock Temporarily Withdraws Support

Sandra Bullock has temporarily withdrawn her support from a campaign called Restore The Gulf after questions about its connections to oil companies arose last week.

Bullock and other celebrities, including Peyton Manning and Lenny Kravitz, appeared in a PSA called "Be The One" urging individuals to "demand that a plan to restore America's Gulf be fully funded and implemented for me and future generations."

The controversy arose when DeSmogBlog.com posted a story connecting Women of the Storm, the group that initiated the Restore The Gulf campaign, with America's WETLAND Foundation (AWF), which encourages the protection of Louisiana's fastly disappearing wetlands. Though conceived by the state of Louisiana, AWF has a number of corporate sponsors, including Shell, Chevron, Citgo and BP.

The DeSmogBlog post accused the oil companies as having influenced Women of the Storm and the creation of the PSA. They also accused AWF of spreading "the message that U.S. taxpayers should pay for the damage caused by BP to Gulf Coast wetlands"

In response to these allegations, both Women of the Storm and AWF released statements to rebut the claims made on DeSmogBlog. AWF has a "point-by-point rebuttal" available for download through their website.

As The Huffington Post's Sam Stein reported, and as Women of the Storm confirmed to HuffPost Impact, America's WETLAND Foundation has not made any financial contributions to Women of the Storm and had no influence over the making of the Restore The Gulf PSA.

"America's WETLAND had no involvement," Diana Pinckley, a member of Women of the Storm's executive committee, said, "and not even an opportunity to see the video before it was launched during our news conference on July 20."

These responses aside, many in the environmental movement maintain their criticisms and emphasize that the partnership between Women of the Storm and America's WETLAND Foundation may not be so benign.

Writers Brendan DeMelle and Jerry Cope pointed out on The Huffington Post last week that the intention of the "Be The One" campaign is to encourage the federal government "devise and fully fund a plan to restore the Gulf," thereby using taxpayer money to pay for cleanup, not BP's.

They also find a conflict of interest in the personal relationship between the two groups. Anne Milling, founder of Women of the Storm, is married to AWF chairman R. King Milling.

Bullock's publicist told Think Progress that her involvement with the campaign would be severed "until the facts can be determined." The Bullock camp has not yet issued any further statements regarding the PSA or Restore The Gulf.

WATCH the original PSA:

Comments

[doctorj2u]

08:51 PM on 08/08/2010

I am sorry for Sandra Bullocks actions. It has hurt our cause. I know she has shown great love for New Orleans, and I truly appreciate it, but this just shows that she is a newcomer to the area. She needs some local source to consult in local issues. Women of the Storm have been nothing but supportive of the survival of New Orleans long before Sandra Bullock had any connection to the city. It was an honest mistake, but it still was a mistake.

[maxfax]

07:20 PM on 08/08/2010

It would help the cause if Milling would resign.

http://truevoiceofthewetlands.org/millingresign.html

Avoid the conflict of interest.

[maxfax]

07:16 PM on 08/08/2010

There remains a connection to the oil industry.

[Val Booth]

05:52 PM on 08/03/2010

This STILL smells bad.

Take a look at the "America's Energy Coast Leadership Forum" vidoe complete with AWF representation... and minimalist-supreme, Jerry Patterson, Commissioner Texas General Land Office referring to what's happened in the Gulf as "seepage," because he's "sick of the press calling it spewing or spurting..." (Jerry you are the King of Double-Speak.)

They're "fearful that all of the sudden the Nation will look at this and say, "We shouldn't do that anymore. Well I'm sorry, we should do it, offshore production, offshore exploration, WE'RE GOING TO DO IT and we can maybe take advantage of this opportunity to find out how we can do it better, safer, and with a little more protection for the environment..." (his words!)

They're running scared and have cranked up the PR machine.

I am not "against" the folks who live and work along the Gulf Coast, but let's be real. The very thing they are advocating is what has put them out of work, put an ecosystem in peril and may possibly have long term ill-health affects for people as well.

How can anyone say, "Well we're just gonna keep on doing it and maybe get a little better along the way."

Forget it!

My take is that if an organization is in bed with AWF, it smacks of "negotiated infidelity."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrgkTEtZg8E

[changling]

07:51 PM on 08/02/2010

Thank you Sandra for pointing out that many groups disguise themselves as the "good guys" when they really are not. How about "The Nature Conservancy" with their policy of permitting oil drilling, timbering, mining, and natural gas drilling on land donated to the Conservancy. Check out the "Heritage Foundation". The list is very long.

[doctorj2u]

09:12 PM on 08/02/2010

Except in this case, they ARE the good guys.

[jobamma2]

08:22 PM on 08/03/2010

thank you sandra for pointing out that all of us should do our homework. if you do yours, you will find that women of the storm have nothing to do with asking the g'ment to take responsibility for cleaning up the oil spill. their sole mission is to restore the wetlands. this mission is more urgent than ever BECAUSE of the oil fueled disaster.

[Dosadi]

09:18 PM on 08/03/2010

You have to applaud Sandra for standing up for what's right. Go Sandra, expose the bad guys everywhere.

[doctorj2u]

07:07 PM on 08/02/2010

I asked HP to run this video to help support the people of Louisiana. No response. But a website unfairly makes accusations, and miracle of miracles, the video appears. Just more of the same from this country and the media.

[doctorj2u]

02:38 PM on 08/02/2010

The New Orleans Times Picayune backs the Women of the Storm as "tireless champions of New Orleans" and say they are being unfairly accused.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/07/women_of_the_storm_are_defende.html
It's frustrating to see this civic-minded group unfairly castigated as an oil-industry tool. That's simply not true, and it's a shame that DeSmogBlog.com is spreading that calumny

[Hollyse]

10:53 AM on 08/02/2010

Sandra should remove herself completely from the documentry she's supposed to be involved with anything involved support to the oil industry.

[jobamma2]

08:29 PM on 08/03/2010

sandra should release a statement saying that she is sorry that her temporary pull back was blown out of proportion because it was just that: TEMPORARY while she clarified what she believed was true and she stands by her committment to restorethegulf.com and everyone should get behind it with all their resources.

[VanTroi]

07:42 PM on 08/01/2010

Shady con shade! Thankfully she found out and dropped em.

[SadeLanghorne]

04:38 PM on 08/02/2010

Word.

[jobamma2]

11:50 AM on 08/03/2010

read my lips: SANDRA DID NOT REMOVE HERSELF FROM THIS CAMPAIGN. she, like all of us, got confused by the inaccuracies published by desmogblog.com. as any responsible person should do, she began to investigate the claims to be sure it's legit. she has NOT dropped out of this campaign.

women of the storm are the good guys, or good girls in this case. direct your rage where it belongs, not at this group.

[LMPE]

02:29 PM on 08/01/2010

Good for Sandra.

[mixpiklix]

08:56 AM on 08/01/2010

in the real world the federal government would put you in prison for fraud , but they let these bogus foundations and groups to get away scott free.i quess that they are all crooked.what a shame. I wonder bobby jindal's parents taught him to lie so well, or did he learn that on his own

[emma richmond]

11:02 PM on 07/31/2010

We need to ask Mary Landrieu how much is her Price tag from the Oil Companies, since she's out there Pandering and calling the Presiddnt Irresponsible, because he want safe Environment for the People, is money more importance then people lives? The People might be yelling they want to go back to work if the President let them go back to work and another Well Blow up who will they blame? Just as they tried to blame this last Disaster just happen, but it go back to the last Administration when they was doing everything illegal to drugs, to Prostitutes, where was all the outrage then, Mary is the one Irresponsible with a high price oil tag on her and the Chamber of Commerece and other lobbyist, she sold the people out, she don't deserve to be a senator, she even voted for Bush's Tax's cut, she's not about the people she's for herself and the Oil Co., Mary and her Cronies, (the Republicans Grassley and other Republicans tried to use fake black Panthers to distract AG from investigating the Oil Companies). We want AG to do his Job and get these Bastards the Republicans need to stop interfering with AG investigation, they are nothing more then a bunch of crooked bastards.

[emma richmond]

10:05 PM on 07/31/2010

Mary Landnieu is also Pandering for the Oil Companies, and Chamber Of Commerece, Mary Landrieu called the President IIrresponsible because he's trying to make a Safe Environment, for the People to work, Where was Landnieu and the Rest of her cronies that was in the Moratorium hearing, when the EPA and the Rest was letting these Oil Companies sign off on the inspection sheets, where was Mary Landrieu when favors and deals was made, Cocaine was being snorted. She better hope she's not hooked up in the investigation. Right Now she and Vitter and Bobby Jindal and Boehner and that Judge and Cheney have Big amounts of Stocks and they are paying Mary to help kill all the Bills, Job Bill, Small Business Bill and Uneployed and she also signed for the Bush Tax's cuts. Mary and her Cronies have heard Whistle-blowers talk about the Unsafe Wells still out there in the water. If the President would OK the lifting of the Moratorium and something go wrong, guess what the first person who will get blame the President, like the greedy bastards tried to do this time, Right now there is a leak from somewhere else in the gulf these money hungry bastards refuse to accept that, what don't they understand what just happen in Michigan a busted Pipe oil spill, and what about to happen in Alaska the Pipes about to break anytime, BP as they fight the President on the Moratorium, they should be working with him.

[emma richmond]

09:31 PM on 07/31/2010

We are glad Sandra Bullock Removed her support for BP and the Oil Companies they was been tricked by the Oil Companies. What made us angry this Week is the Deep Waters Drilling Moratorium hearing, Mary Landniceu called the President Irresponsible for putting a Moratorium on the Deep water Drilling Wells, we would like to Say to Mary Landnieu when trying to make sure people have a safe Environment to work is Irresponsible, The People that was at this Moratorium Hearing all had connection with the Oil Companies, What really was a Shocker the People at the Hearing was Nastain, Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerece CEO, there was others around the table, but Mary and Chamber Of Commerece CEO drew our attention, Chamber of Commerece and other Companies have been Lobbying and Spending Millions of Dollars to the Republicans and these NEWS Cycles to drive down the President Poll Numbers and they Lobbyed for the Republicans to Kill the JOB for the Unemployed and to Kill the Bill for the Small Business they are conspiring to hurt the People of this country and this Country, The Chamber of Commerece is suppose to be helping the Small Business, yet they are Lobbying to Kill the SBC. They Knocked Rachel Poll Number down because she exposed them.Mary Landrieu need to step down from the Democrats Sen. Seat, she and Vetter are working and Lobbying for the Oil CO. She voted for Bush Tax's Cuts, she voted against the Health Care Bill.

[sirjoshalot]

12:26 PM on 07/31/2010

looks like the huff post reported incorrectly or implied things that simply aren't true. am awaiting clarification/retraction: http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/07/women_of_the_storm_are_defende.html

[Hollyse]

10:55 AM on 08/02/2010

When Ariana speaks perfect English perhaps comes clarification..... Arianna isn't the Arianna she used to be. Too many 'free gifts' along the way of her success.