On Monday, I toured the waters off Grand Isle and their beaches with a group who came ready to learn more about the BP Oil Spill, and to help the community which is reeling. Joining me were the actors Sophia Bush and Austin Nichols, writer Justine Musk, and Global Green's Beth Galante and Camille Lopez.
Unfortunately, the fears I wrote about in my last post were affirmed -- it was essentially a police state on the beaches of Grand Isle. We wanted to help in the efforts to clean up the spill, and find out how other volunteers can help as well.
We spent the morning touring the waters off Grand Isle, seeing the oil splashing up against the rocks of the bird sanctuary, seeing the oil gathering, and floating in patches everywhere. While on the water, the Coast Guard came for a closer inspection of what we were doing.
Later, we went to the beach to see first hand what was happening with the clean up, and to see how we could help.
As I placed my foot on the BP-created sand berm separating us from the BP-placed tiger boom on this public beach, I immediately heard a siren (if you closely watch the video below you can see me placing my foot on the berm and hear the sirens). Looking to my left, I saw two ATV's racing toward me with flashing lights. I expected the BP security guards I had heard about.
Instead, two Jefferson County sheriff's deputies pulled up and asked me to step away from the berm. They immediately asked us to turn off the camera, but when Beth on our staff stated she was an attorney they did not ask again.
I asked where they got their clearly brand spanking new ATV's -- the sheriff's affirmed they came from BP, even though they had a Jefferson County Sheriff logo. They also affirmed they were fun to drive, that BP was paying the bills, and BP was calling the shots, ultimately.
The deputies also affirmed that if I went on the other side of the tiger boom, they would ask me to come back to the other side. If I did not come to the other side, they would arrest me. Beth pressed them that this was a public beach, and asked how could they do that? Under what authority?
One of the deputies then said it was basically a crime scene.
WOW. A crime scene that BP is overseeing, the perpetrator is in charge. How is that possible? Volunteers are not allowed to help clean up the beach, to document the clean up and impact, and assure that we hold BP accountable, because BP is in charge of their own crime scene?
A little later, we went on a pier to help document the impacts of the spill, and had perhaps one of the more poignant moments of our trip. We met a 7 year old boy, Brady, and his grandmother, who spend their summers at Grand Isle. Brady said he no longer could play in the ocean and could only fly a kite while watching cleanup workers on the barren beach. When Sophia and Austin asked him what he thought of the oil spill, he said "I hate it."
What can we do to help Brady, the fishermen of Grand Isle, and the suffering ecosystems and marine life?
We all need to speak out, loudly. We all need to demand the federal government assure BP use every reasonable measure available to stop the spill, to hold BP accountable to restore the damage (to the ecosystems, marine life, and economy of the fishing communities), and that this can never happen again. We all need to take actions in our own life as well.
One encouraging note: Austin and Sophia had created Twitter accounts just a few days before we left for the coast, with the express purpose of educating their fans about the BP Oil Spill, and what the could do. Now they have tens of thousands of followers who have learned about the impacts of the Spill and are beginning to respond. Thousands signed the letter to President Obama, and many donated to help support Global Green's efforts.
It was a long day Monday (I'll write more about the 'environmental fair' BP hosted and we stopped by - along with our call for a Declaration for Energy Independence as we prepare to mark the 4th of July - in another post), but each of us came away more informed, and empowered to reclaim our roles as citizens of this great nation. After our trip, we were angrier about what we witnessed and even more dedicated to help get the word out about the need to help suffering communities and wildlife now.
Follow Matt Petersen on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mathew_petersen
Obama may have given BP the task to clean up the beaches and from the video we can see that is not taking place.
Maybe Obama when he is on vacation in the gulf he can get BP to ____? Oh well.
Your company, Global Green appears to be sincere about alternative energy and enviromentally friendly projects. How about actually helping a businesses that is trying to do something. Most people talk the talk but won't walk the walk.
I attempted to contact Global Green to find out if you can find funding for green projects. So far no luck - but you will take donations.
I have a place that is going to be the 1st enviromentally friendly, alternative energy powered concert venue in the world - can't find funding. Not from banks, Angle Investors, Venture Capitalist or all the alternative energy advocates out there.
My project will also:
Feed the poor in the community
Offer medical assistance to the community
offer free desalinated water to the community
offer free electricity to our neighbors
Use composting toilets and give the fertalizer to farmers
So - do you or your organization know anyone out there screaming about alternative energy, enviromentally friendly businesses with community responsible goals that is willing to help fund a project like mine?
I am not seeking a handout - I am seeking 500k in funding and will offer a 12% return. This project does everything enviromentalist are talking about and more
So what do you say? Do you and your friends want to actually do something - or just go up and down a beach with your cameras and do the talk?
Tim
I was born in Port Sulpher LA. I know the area. She is right evacuate Venice LA.!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkYJDI8pK9Y&feature=player_embedded
Huffington Post really ought to give this video of "BP Oil Spill Insider Kindra Arnesen at the Gulf Emergency Summit" its own space. Mrs. Arnesen is one brave, articulate lady. She represents the people we are not hearing from on mainstream media, and the people that Obama should be listening to. Here's that link again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkYJDI8pK9Y&feature=player_embedded”
How totally selfish and heartless are those that take BP 's side on this! I would never vote for those hideous politicians, Jindal included!
YES WE NEED renewable energy but how many people really think that's the primary interest of those living on the coast.? NOW is the time to really begin the education of America as to what this corpocracy means. I'm tired of this agenda driven diversion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkYJDI8pK9Y&feature=player_embedded
http://www.floridaoilspilllaw.com/cnn-gulf-residents-say-chemicals-almost-all-exxon-valdez-cleanup-workers-are-now-dead
How many people in our country and the world have no clue how their daily lifestyle is part of contributing to oil dependence.
How many people in our country and the world recycle all they can? How many know what they can recycle? I learned something recently. As my spouse and I were going through unused "stuff" we had a huge pile of electronic cords for everything from comupters, laptops, cell phones you name it. The hubby was going to put them in the trash, I was concerned about it and did some research........bad, bad idea. I drug them out of the trash bin which would have been picked up the next morning. This was a huge black garbage bag full, because I never throw anything out, lol.
I then started looking into how to responsibly deal with these cables and found they are recycled by an alternative school in our area. They take electronic devices too, old dvd players, cell phones, Cd's etc, except TV's and you have to pay for monitors $15.00. The kids take all this stuff apart, separate the different metals, take absolutely everything usable and sell them back for reuse.
So, my point is, how many people everyday throw toxic reusable materials into their trashes? I bet a lot. It should be illegal. There should be advertising to enlighten people.
How many "regular" Americans know what goes into the products they buy?
It has been obvious from the beginning. I think BP is transparent. They have no intention to do anything except pay people to block recovery.