gulf of mexico

The dead zone is a problem rarely mentioned in national Gulf Coast discussions, and whether BP oil entered the sea food chain after their disaster is a discussion neither the federal government, nor BP would like to have. For those who live and work off of Gulf Coast seafood, frankly it's not the most desirable discussion either. But as with talk about ubiquitous drilling in the Gulf, it's a discussion that needs to be had. 

By Matt Rota, Gulf Restoration Network. The prediction of the largest ever Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico for this summer, released

The anniversary of the country’s worst oil disaster came and went last week. There was a brief frenzy of media attention, a litany of speeches and promises by politicians, and emotional memorials  in honor of the 11 men who died in the Deepwater Horizon’s fiery explosion a year ago.

But for many in the Gulf struggling to regain their livelihoods, life is far from normal, the future far from certain. Even though one-year anniversaries are great for bringing people together to share their stories, their grieving and their hopes, it hasn’t stopped the dying.

With a new year upon us, it’s time to take stock of the historic BP oil disaster and look towards the future. The Deepwater Horizon blow out shined a national spotlight on the oil and gas drilling  in the Gulf, an environmental time bomb that blew 50 miles offshore.

I first met JJ Creppel last summer while standing in the checkout line of the Buras Dollar Store. It’s one of the few places in this Louisiana fishing town deep down in the bayou where you can buy basic groceries and milk. Nearly all the other stores were destroyed five years ago in the monster storm that roared through here and leveled this community of 5,000 people.

This week, the New York Times green blog covered the Gulf restoration planning process, announced by President Obama in his June 15th Oval office address, and headed up by Navy Secretary (and former MS Gov) Ray Mabus.  The Gulf Restoration Network, and many other Gulf Coast Fund

Crossposted from Truthout
By Dahr Jamail and Erika Blumenfeld