The Oil Spill is over. Bullshit!

Many of you may have been seeing on the news that the worst of the oil spill is over and the beaches are clean, the water is clean, and everything will be back to normal soon. I understand the point of view from where many of the reports are coming. The journalists are only reporting what they see. But that's exactly the problem. You can't judge a book just by looking at the cover. The Ocean is a tremendously varied system. The winds, the waves, the currents, etc. all do different things in different places.

Here in Louisiana there are stretches of clean beach, but there are also stretches of nasty beach. There are sections of clean marsh, but there are also sections of oily marsh. It just depends on where you look. I was out on the beaches today and found oil that wasn't there yesterday. I also found oil a foot under the sand that was deposited by the latest high tide.

Low tide, high tide... the beach is always changing. So, yeah, of course there are clean places. The entire Gulf isn't a pool of oil. It just has oil IN IT. And that oil will wash up in some places, settle to the seafloor in other places and not show up at all in still other places. That's just the way it is. It depends on where you look.

But you can be sure that the oil is out there, it IS still washing up, and it WILL continue to do so for quite some time. It's naive to think that it won't. If you are brave enough to want to see the TRUTH, go to www.pcolagregg.com. He's tied in with everyone who is trying to tell the truth. Yeah, there are a few eco-nazis that go over the top, but it's easy to separate them from the real storytellers. Gregg is the real deal. Visit his website. You will be treated with a very clear picture of what's really happening. Don't turn your backs on this. It ain't over.

Fine Art collector's edition images

Beautiful Images
of a Disturbing Place

Images from the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Disaster - Part 1

Fine Art collector's edition images from the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Disaster. Series of Six.

These images are a special edition and are available at:

http://vanishingamerica.smugmug.com/Art/OilSpillDisasterArt/13195203_4X8sM#957765471_xGekf

Wildlife Rescue

(Click on any image to open them up in the slideshow viewer)

Yesterday I got my first glimpse into the wildlife recovery effort here in Louisiana -- set up at Fort Jackson just off Highway 23. This is just one of the many stations around the Gulf Coast that takes in rescued birds (Pelicans, terns, spoonbills, gulls, etc.), cleans the oil from their delicate feathers, provides a brief rehabilitation and then releases them into protected (and clean) wetlands.

They routinely give the media access to see the operation, and I was lucky enough to be included in the latest group. And on my way in, I met Jean-Michel Cousteau and his crew from Ocean Futures Society. Talk about timing!

The folks at this station were very friendly... and not just "PR-friendly." They were genuine people like you and me, from all over the country (Tennessee, Louisiana, Wisconsin...), here to help protect this fragile ecosystem we call The Gulf.

My timing was a little off, though, as most of the rescued and cleaned birds had recently been shipped out. But I did get a feel for the cleanup effort and got to meet some very interesting (and proud) pelicans waiting to go back home.

Unfortunately, for these birds, home doesn't exist anymore. But, Mother Nature has built quite a bit of resilience into her creatures and new wetlands are being created and set aside specifically for their recovery, so I'm certain these birds will thrive wherever they go.

For statistical details and more information about the rescue efforts, please visit http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doctype/2931/55963


If you would like to help The Vanishing America Project's efforts in the Gulf, please visit www.donatevanam.blogspot.com

Now YOU can help in the Gulf

Yes, YOU can help with the oil spill disaster without having to leave your seat...

Just click on this link to find out how you can make a difference:

www.donatevanam.blogspot.com

We all know it's bad out there, but it's a lot worse than the mainstream media is letting on. And, for as little as $5, YOU can help bring the truth out of the Gulf and play an active role in saving our country's precious coastal wetlands and beautiful gulf waters.

www.donatevanam.blogspot.com

Don't just sit back and complain. Become part of the solution!

Earth Day

Happy Earth Day!

In honor of the 38th Anniversary of Earth Day, I'm offering up a new Green Tip of the Day...

Plastic! What would we do without that wonderful material? It can be formed into any shape and color we desire. It can be as supple as a raincoat or as solid as a railroad tie. And, it's recyclable (for the most part). Such a great invention.

But... (you knew this was coming, didn't you?)... Most consumer plastics don't get recycled, and many that do, get "recycled" in third world countries.

I was running stairs at my old high school stadium (Go Milton!) and counted 27 used plastic water/juice bottles scattered all over the bleachers. On a recent walk around town, I counted 4 plastic grocery bags, 10 plastic bottles, 3 CD cases and 3 plastic "blister" packs (you know, those damn hard-to-open packages everything seems to come in now).

In fact, the U.S. only recycles about 34% of its plastic bottles. Guess where the rest of those bottles wind up? Take a look around you.

And, it's not just the lack of recycling of these products that is the problem. According to National Geographic, in the U.S. we buy 29 million plastic bottles of water or soft drinks every year. 29 MILLION! And, it takes 17 million barrels of crude oil (yes, oil!) to make those bottles. That's one hell of a lot of energy!

Now, I'm not ALL gripe and groan... many companies are coming up with some very creative uses for the recycled plastic bottle, including fibers for jackets, new fabrics for upholstery, and new building materials. But, it's still not enough.

So, what's the answer? Do we stop drinking bottled water? Of course not. But, we don't need to run around all day with a new bottle of water in hand (unless you're refilling it each time you run out.) We're not as dehydrated a society as Madison Avenue would like us to believe. But, if you have to have your agua, use your own bottle. And, there are plenty of bottles available that won't impart that weird plastic taste to your beverage of choice.

I use my plastic bicycle bottles when I need to carry fluids with me on short jaunts. Of course, I occasionally buy a bottle at the store, but I take that bottle home and reuse it. And, when it wears out, I recycle it.

I also buy powdered drink mixes in paper pouches or cardboard canisters. I could easily go through about 20 2 litre bottles of juice or mixer in a year, but I don't (did I say mixer?). First of all, I simply don't have the room on BABS for even 3 or 4 bottles. Second, if I don't buy those 20 bottles, that's 20 fewer bottles coming from the manufacturer and 20 fewer bottles potentially finding their way into landfills or recycle centers.

I guess it comes down to consumption. Consumption, not of the beverage, but of the package. Anywhere you can reuse a package, or bring your own package, you're saving a little bit of energy. And, at 29 million bottles a year, we could use a little of that savings, don't you think?