August 2010

Bayou People (BP) Voices

Bayou People (BP) Voices is a collection of video profiles of leaders from coastal communities that have been directly impacted by the BP oil disaster. These community leaders have been working for years to bring justice and sustainability to their families, their neighbors, and the ecosystems of the Gulf Coast. These videos were created by Bridge the Gulf in partnership with the Gulf Coast Fund for Community Renewal and Ecological Health.

Op-Ed: Oil reform must include citizen advisory committee

This Op-Ed was published in the Biloxi-Gulfport Sun Herald on July 30, 2010.

It is only fair that Gulf Coast residents should get the same chance to shape the future of oil and gas development in our region that Alaskans did following the Exxon Valdez spill. Unfortunately, citizens’ councils that have proved effective in guiding responsible development in Alaska are not part of a Gulf of Mexico drilling bill now before Congress. They should be.

Contribute your voice to change the story of the Gulf Coast

Despite the media frenzy that Hurricane Katrina brought to the Gulf Coast, many communities in the region felt that they were either misunderstood or overlooked. That invisibility translated into a failed recovery in many communities where citizens are still without basic needs, including permanent, affordable housing. We are determined that the communities most effected by the BP disaster will be heard and that we will not repeat the mistakes of the past. Bridge the Gulf is an important tool that we intend to use wisely and creatively in this movement for self-determination.

Postcard from the Coast

No Mere Oil Spill

I am but one of many front-line community members and NGO representatives who consider the Obama administration's response to the oil disaster to be slow, fickle and grossly under-scaled -- as well as alarmingly deferential to BP's science, math and broad self-regulation as the so-called responsible party.

Fishermen from five states speak up to state and federal officials at Gulf of Mexico Alliance meeting

Fishermen presenting their concerns and recommendations today regarding the BP oil disaster received a standing ovation today at the Gulf Coast governors' annual Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) meeting.