While some kids grow up eating hot dogs and playing tag in their backyard, I grew up in Louisiana swimming in Lake Pontchartrain, fishing in the bayous, and eating Gulf seafood. Like everyone else on the Gulf coast, these waters are literally part of who I am. Over the past six months, I've watched the BP oil disaster unfold and threaten to change not only the lives of my friends and family, but the very culture of those who grew up on the Gulf.
Instead of spending the past summer boating, swimming and fishing, Gulf families have spent these last few months worrying about whether they'd be able to make rent on their fishing boats, whether they could afford enough fresh fish to keep their restaurants open, or whether they could find enough people to keep the rooms at their hotels full as the regular seasonal tourists failed to arrive. And just as oil still lingers in the Louisiana marshes, these concerns haven't gone away just because the TV cameras have.
Though six months have passed since the Deepwater Horizon sank and millions of gallons of oil started spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, we are still far from saying, "mission accomplished." Many people that rely on the rich fisheries and diverse ecosystems of the Gulf to keep their industries going--including shrimpers and oystermen, waitresses and charter boat captains -- are still hurting. We can't just forget about them.
If we want to rebuild the Gulf economy and preserve its special and unique way of life for future generations, we need to move full speed ahead with the recovery and restoration of the Gulf coast. A disaster like this can never happen again. A healthy Gulf -- full of oysters and shrimp, brown pelicans and turtles -- is not only the cornerstone of the Gulf economy, but also of Gulf culture and Gulf people.
But we cannot protect the Gulf, or protect oilrig workers from potentially deadly accidents, if in the wake of this catastrophe we rush right back to "drill, baby, drill." Promises from oil companies will not protect the Gulf from further damage, nor will they protect the jobs of local fishermen, restaurant owners, and tourism industry workers during the long recovery ahead -- let alone keep them at work if another disaster happens.
I grew up with people whose livelihoods depend on the oil and gas industry, and I know that the industry has very deep roots in the Gulf and particularly Louisiana. Even coming from that perspective, though, the irrefutable truth is that we need better laws in place to regulate how we drill off our shores -- laws that will protect the wildlife and coastlines that Gulf coast residents depend on to pay the bills and bring home dinner each night.
The BP oil spill, the largest accidental oil spill in human history, is only the latest, most visible evidence of the kind of environmental destruction that has been going on in the Gulf for decades. Louisiana loses a football field of wetlands every 45 minutes -- and nearly 60 percent of that is attributed to the oil and gas activity that has ravaged our beloved bayous for years.
The fact that a mere six months after BP's terrible disaster, the government has already made the decision to lift the moratorium and allow deepwater drilling to resume is shocking to me. This is just the latest indication that Washington isn't taking into account the lives and livelihoods of those who live along the gulf coast and depend on its waters. Until we know that regulations are effective and that all the gaps that allowed the BP oil spill to happen have been closed, we have no business continuing to drill. There is simply too much to lose.
Obviously, we should all be working to reduce our dependence on dirty fossil fuels, and turning toward clean energy technologies that do not pose a threat to our shorelines, our way of life, or our environment; however, that transition will take some time. In the immediate future, we, the citizens of an oil addicted nation, need to step forward and urge the government to take responsibility and help make coastal communities whole again -- by holding BP accountable, conducting short and long-term monitoring, and investing in economic opportunities to support locally-driven, sustainable recovery that restores and enhances America's Gulf coast.
We can't undo our past mistakes, but we can make sure that the clear warning broadcast by this spill and its terrible aftermath haven't been in vain. Rather than going right back to our old ways, let's chart a new path to a cleaner, more sustainable future. All the Gulf's residents are counting on us; we can't afford to let them -- or countless other coastal communities -- down again.
I just don't get why they don't use something else. I mean even I have thought of a resource that would last us as long as mankind lasts. I wish I knew how to find out if it's been looked into. From what my friend at the UN said she hadn't heard of it. I don't want to write what it is on here but contact me if you have any ideas of how I could find out what has been looked into.
I have donated what I can to the Gulf relief efforts. I drive a very fuel efficient vehicle, I recycle, I am vegan. I'm not perfect, but I do what I can on a small scale every day. If all of us did this, and voted for politicians who make the environment & energy research a priority, we could make a huge difference.
Ian, I cannot express how much I admire you for all your efforts for this cause and many others. You are truly an inspiration.
And of course (again - correct me if I am wrong), the moratorium would have been lifted anyway - oil is essential in our world, we cannot live without it and it is truly very sad.
I guess it is time to switch to electric cars.
But, what to do? Unless biologists and chemists can come up with something that 'eats' oil on a large scale, and in rapid fashion, this probably won't be the last oil spill in the world that leaves a toxic slick and wipes out wildlife. So, do you ban oil drilling? You could, but that would probably just about be the death knell for the economy. And, when the economy fails, there won't be any more money for federal grants for environmental studies, either.
I say it's time to go right back to those 'wetlands'(swamps) and learn how to harvest some of that swamp gas, and figure out how to use it to operate a motor vehicle. That's kind of the general direction of the Pickens Plan, which would be good for America not just from a pollution angle, but also from the standpoint of seeking and achieving energy independence. The BP disaster, the mine disaster, were both caused by methane. And, it's happened overseas too. I say if it's powerful enough to destroy a mine, and an oil rig, maybe it's time to really work out all the kinks of providing it as a vehicle fuel. When nature volunteers something, maybe we should listen.
God Bless you Ian for lending your voice, standing up for your convictions, and being an inspiration to so many people.
I'm living in Germany. Just can watching, too. I really wanna help, like donate.
Even if i'm this far away.
Even though I didn't grow up on the Gulf Coast, I have always had a strong connection to Louisiana. It really breaks my heart to see the devastation and I can't count how many times I have cried for all that is lost in the Gulf and the communities. I truly wish there was more that I can do to help.
Thank you Ian for keep bringing back the attention to the Gulf coast area as they deal with the tragic aftermath of the spill. It sometimes feels like the whole world has forgotten about it, while we should be fighting together to help the communities!
I hope he stops golfing and starts telling the truth. I was stationed in LA for a year and fully understand the importance of the Gulf to your culture. There is no parallel - not even the Chesapeake Bay.
I agree that people have stand up and speak out... but how much can we really change... it's not like we are going to stop needing oil any time soon, so how are we possibly going to keep local communities in the Gulf region, or any other community that lives close to an oil rig, safe?
Now I don't want to sound pessimistic, because usually I am an optimist but after seeing these photos (shown in the link above) I have doubts. I just hope that we will find solutions to these huge problems, seeing as they don't just concern the U.S. they concern the entire world.
I really do like this article though and hope that it reaches the minds and hearts of all ages, all around the world, as it has me!