Monday 24 October 2011
Thursday 20 October 2011
Thursday 25 August 2011
Sunday 21 August 2011
Friday 19 August 2011
BP oil well leaking again
Got this message:
The BP Macondo platform is leaking again. Planes flying today (hope it's not dispersant ...boats booming...go figure). I knew it would not be NEWS as no one wants the bad publicity.
Thanks for the heads-up.
This blog appears to be covering the events.
http://www.stuarthsmith.com/
The BP Macondo platform is leaking again. Planes flying today (hope it's not dispersant ...boats booming...go figure). I knew it would not be NEWS as no one wants the bad publicity.
Thanks for the heads-up.
This blog appears to be covering the events.
http://www.stuarthsmith.com/
Tuesday 9 August 2011
Oil in Barataria Bay July 2011
http://www.stuarthsmith.com/raw-footage-from-the-gulf-beaches-in-bay-jimmy-stained-black-grand-isle-oyster-beds-choke-under-heavy-sheen
Tuesday 26 July 2011
Saturday 9 July 2011
Monday 20 June 2011
Friday 17 June 2011
Facing the Gulf Art Highlights BP's Oily Grip on the NPG
On 14 June, guests and judges arriving for the BP Portrait Award ceremony came face to face with portraits of people affected by BP's massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The blowout of the Deepwater Horizon caused the deaths of 11 oil workers and untold, ongoing damage to the people and the environment of the Gulf Coast.
Lining the entrance to the National Portrait Gallery, London Rising Tiders were joined by folk from Climate Rush and Platform to mount our Living Exhibition of portraits from the Facing the Gulf project. As they entered the greenwash event, BP's guests all had to see the portraits and hear the stories of the ordinary Gulf Coast residents who painted them, and whose lives have been damaged by the devastating oil spill. The portraits were created in workshops held on the Gulf Coast and led by UK artist Nick Viney. All of the paintings were submitted to the Portrait Award - unsurprisingly, they weren't included on the short-list. Tonight, we brought them 'home' to the award ceremony, where they were able to tell a powerful and important story. See Art Not Oil for a gallery of the project portraits.
American folk/eco-duo Sassafras performed 'Art Not Oil', which was written for the occasion, and other songs urging the NPG to free itself from BP's oily grasp. We handed out a thousand flyers which were well received by passersby and many guests, including one of the artists who had been short-listed for the prize, who said that he felt tainted by BP's sponsorship.
We invited Sandy Nairne, the NPG director, to take some time out from the evening's festivities to attend the Living Exhibition outside - also unsurpringly, he never showed. Clearly, he's not ready to face the fact that under his leadership the NPG is providing cover for BP's appalling safety record and continuing assault on the environment and people all over the world.
Next up: A new play, We Will Make You Whole, which dramatizes the plight of Gulf Coast residents and which will feature the Facing the Gulf project portraits as part of the production - on at Acquire Arts, Battersea from August 6th, 2011. We're preparing Sandy's invitation now - will he show up next time?
Check out the great press coverage of the action, including the Guardian, the Evening Standard and BBC News online.
The Facing the Gulf project would like to thank Cass Art for supporting the people of the Gulf Coast and their artistic response to the BP oil disaster.
Wednesday 15 June 2011
Monday 30 May 2011
Thursday 19 May 2011
Wednesday 11 May 2011
Monday 9 May 2011
Friday 15 April 2011
Tuesday 12 April 2011
Tuesday 22 March 2011
Thursday 17 February 2011
Saturday 12 February 2011
Thursday 10 February 2011
Golden Lumber and True Value in Golden Meadow
We want to send a big thank you to Golden Lumber and True Value Hardware both in Golden Meadow, Louisiana.
They generously made donations-in-kind so that Faces of the Gulf will be seen at BP's Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery.
Thank you so much!
They generously made donations-in-kind so that Faces of the Gulf will be seen at BP's Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery.
Thank you so much!
Thursday 3 February 2011
Nick Viney on BBC Radio Devon at 7:30
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00dky5t
Nick Viney, Facing the Gulf artist will be on BBC Radio Devon Saturday Feb. 4th at 7:30 am
Nick Viney, the UK artist, creator of the exhibit Gulf, will be interviewed on BBC Radio Devon on Saturday February 4th at 7:30 am.
Nick has volunteered her time and skills to run portrait painting workshops in Grand Isle, Louisiana. Grand Isle is among the areas which have been the worst affected by BP's oil disaster.
Grand Isle residents have arranged for accommodation and a venue for the portrait painting workshops. And acclaimed Louisiana artists, such as Ron Bechet of New Orleans will be coming down as guest artists during the workshop series.
Nick Viney, Facing the Gulf artist will be on BBC Radio Devon Saturday Feb. 4th at 7:30 am
Nick Viney, the UK artist, creator of the exhibit Gulf, will be interviewed on BBC Radio Devon on Saturday February 4th at 7:30 am.
Nick has volunteered her time and skills to run portrait painting workshops in Grand Isle, Louisiana. Grand Isle is among the areas which have been the worst affected by BP's oil disaster.
Grand Isle residents have arranged for accommodation and a venue for the portrait painting workshops. And acclaimed Louisiana artists, such as Ron Bechet of New Orleans will be coming down as guest artists during the workshop series.
Monday 31 January 2011
Sunday 30 January 2011
Feinberg and BP's unpaid claimants - A Facebook page to follow
Saturday 29 January 2011
Friday 28 January 2011
Suicide and Oil Disasters
http://shannynmoore.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/dying-over-oil/#comments
Shannyn Moore quote:
This is only the beginning. Being a fisherman isn’t what you do, it’s who you are – the Gulf of Mexico or Prince William Sound is just geography. The toughest fishermen can’t win; they drown in court. The erosion of identity is invisible compared to the black wake of an environmental oil disaster. My father told me suicide was a permanent answer to a temporary problem. The BP disaster isn’t temporary though. There is no end in sight.
Take care of each other.
Shannyn Moore quote:
This is only the beginning. Being a fisherman isn’t what you do, it’s who you are – the Gulf of Mexico or Prince William Sound is just geography. The toughest fishermen can’t win; they drown in court. The erosion of identity is invisible compared to the black wake of an environmental oil disaster. My father told me suicide was a permanent answer to a temporary problem. The BP disaster isn’t temporary though. There is no end in sight.
Take care of each other.
Bay Jimmy - State and Local Officials Highlight Remaining Oil
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries News
State and Local Officials Highlight Remaining Oiled Louisiana Coast in Bay Jimmy
Parts of Louisiana Coastline Still Heavily Oiled; Officials Asking BP, Federal Government to Finish the Job
Today, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Secretary Robert Barham and Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser toured a portion of Louisiana’s coastline still heavily oiled by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Bay Jimmy, one of the areas along the Gulf of Mexico coast still severely impacted by thick layers of weathered oil and matted marshland, was highlighted by Secretary Barham and Nungesser as a prime example of portions of the Louisiana coastline still in desperate need of a comprehensive clean-up and recovery plan.
State and local officials voiced concerns today over plans of federal officials and BP to turn the responsibilities for mitigating damage to wildlife across the oiled parts of Louisiana’s coast over to LDWF. The continued presence of pooled oil, oil saturated boom in areas such as Bay Jimmy and Pass a Loutre Wildlife Management Area (WMA) underscore the need for a comprehensive, long-term plan to rehabilitate the marsh.
“It has been eight months since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion, and five months since the well was capped. While workers along the coast dedicated themselves to cleaning up our shores there is still so much to be done,” LDWF Secretary Barham said. “BP and federal officials are ready to close up shop and claim the job is done, leaving the state to clean up the mess. We will continue to push for a real resolution, more than just a wait-and-see approach for the miles of Louisiana coastline still oiled. They may have forgotten the impact on our wildlife and our habitat, but we have not.”
“We continue to find oil in different parts of Plaquemines Parish—Redfish Bay, Bay Jimmy, Pass a Loutre—depending on the tides, wind and thunder storms,” said Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser. “We’re concerned about the long-term plan to keep assets in this region to help remove oil and protect the wildlife. This is by no means over and we're concerned that this is being wrapped up before it is.”
Shoreline treatment recommendations (STRs) for areas like Pass a Loutre WMA have been written by contractors for BP, and some have been executed, but rarely to the full extent necessary to restore crucial coastal habitats. For Bay Jimmy, treatment recommended in STRs has yet to begin; state officials are monitoring cleanup operations to ensure they are fulfilled before BP and federal officials pack up shop at the end of February.
Oiled boom, once used to prevent oil from hitting the shoreline also remains in numerous locations, forgotten or lost by contractors charged with their maintenance and removal.
Oiled birds also continue to be recovered by LDWF biologists, including three live Brown Pelicans in Bay Jimmy, and one dead Brown Pelican. Biologists also recovered one oiled, dead Brown Pelican in Pass a Loutre and one oiled, live Killdeer. These birds, which were recovered in the last few days, have increased concerns for continued wildlife contamination if marshes are not properly cleaned.
“We will continue to try to work with BP, their contractors and federal officials to come up with reasonable, effective solutions for treating and restoring our coastline,” said Secretary Barham. “But we won’t step back while officials pack their bags and leave Louisiana. We’re hopeful that we can reach an agreement for the next steps in our recovery plan.”
If BP and federal officials pass off the wildlife hazing efforts to LDWF, officials will be required to take over operations of hazing tools, such as propane cannons and other deterrents. Federal officials have asked LDWF to submit a Pollution Removal Funding Authorization (PRFA) to the Oil Spill Pollution Fund in order to acquire funds to take over the maintenance and operations of hazing cannons – requiring LDWF to justify why such hazing tools are necessary.
The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.
For more information, please contact Olivia Watkins at LDWF at (226) 610-8660 or owatkins@wlf.la.gov, or Kurt Fromherz of Plaquemines Parish Government at (504) 450-8779 or kfromherz@plaqueminesparish.com.
For additional photos, video footage and research documentation please visit: ftp://204.12.23.214/Jan_7_Marsh_Tour/.
State and Local Officials Highlight Remaining Oiled Louisiana Coast in Bay Jimmy
Parts of Louisiana Coastline Still Heavily Oiled; Officials Asking BP, Federal Government to Finish the Job
Today, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Secretary Robert Barham and Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser toured a portion of Louisiana’s coastline still heavily oiled by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Bay Jimmy, one of the areas along the Gulf of Mexico coast still severely impacted by thick layers of weathered oil and matted marshland, was highlighted by Secretary Barham and Nungesser as a prime example of portions of the Louisiana coastline still in desperate need of a comprehensive clean-up and recovery plan.
State and local officials voiced concerns today over plans of federal officials and BP to turn the responsibilities for mitigating damage to wildlife across the oiled parts of Louisiana’s coast over to LDWF. The continued presence of pooled oil, oil saturated boom in areas such as Bay Jimmy and Pass a Loutre Wildlife Management Area (WMA) underscore the need for a comprehensive, long-term plan to rehabilitate the marsh.
“It has been eight months since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion, and five months since the well was capped. While workers along the coast dedicated themselves to cleaning up our shores there is still so much to be done,” LDWF Secretary Barham said. “BP and federal officials are ready to close up shop and claim the job is done, leaving the state to clean up the mess. We will continue to push for a real resolution, more than just a wait-and-see approach for the miles of Louisiana coastline still oiled. They may have forgotten the impact on our wildlife and our habitat, but we have not.”
“We continue to find oil in different parts of Plaquemines Parish—Redfish Bay, Bay Jimmy, Pass a Loutre—depending on the tides, wind and thunder storms,” said Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser. “We’re concerned about the long-term plan to keep assets in this region to help remove oil and protect the wildlife. This is by no means over and we're concerned that this is being wrapped up before it is.”
Shoreline treatment recommendations (STRs) for areas like Pass a Loutre WMA have been written by contractors for BP, and some have been executed, but rarely to the full extent necessary to restore crucial coastal habitats. For Bay Jimmy, treatment recommended in STRs has yet to begin; state officials are monitoring cleanup operations to ensure they are fulfilled before BP and federal officials pack up shop at the end of February.
Oiled boom, once used to prevent oil from hitting the shoreline also remains in numerous locations, forgotten or lost by contractors charged with their maintenance and removal.
Oiled birds also continue to be recovered by LDWF biologists, including three live Brown Pelicans in Bay Jimmy, and one dead Brown Pelican. Biologists also recovered one oiled, dead Brown Pelican in Pass a Loutre and one oiled, live Killdeer. These birds, which were recovered in the last few days, have increased concerns for continued wildlife contamination if marshes are not properly cleaned.
“We will continue to try to work with BP, their contractors and federal officials to come up with reasonable, effective solutions for treating and restoring our coastline,” said Secretary Barham. “But we won’t step back while officials pack their bags and leave Louisiana. We’re hopeful that we can reach an agreement for the next steps in our recovery plan.”
If BP and federal officials pass off the wildlife hazing efforts to LDWF, officials will be required to take over operations of hazing tools, such as propane cannons and other deterrents. Federal officials have asked LDWF to submit a Pollution Removal Funding Authorization (PRFA) to the Oil Spill Pollution Fund in order to acquire funds to take over the maintenance and operations of hazing cannons – requiring LDWF to justify why such hazing tools are necessary.
The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.
For more information, please contact Olivia Watkins at LDWF at (226) 610-8660 or owatkins@wlf.la.gov, or Kurt Fromherz of Plaquemines Parish Government at (504) 450-8779 or kfromherz@plaqueminesparish.com.
For additional photos, video footage and research documentation please visit: ftp://204.12.23.214/Jan_7_Marsh_Tour/.
Wednesday 26 January 2011
Sunday 23 January 2011
Saturday 22 January 2011
Thursday 20 January 2011
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