A couple of LSU researchers have weighed in on the ability of the Mississippi River to sustain our coastal wetlands, and the math isn't good. Due to increased sea level rise, decreased sediment in the river, and our ever-subsiding coast, the Mississippi River estuarine wetlands aren't long for this earth. 2100 or so. By that time, Louisiana's coast will lose another 4-5,000 square miles, an area about the size of Connecticut.
Of course this report doesn't look at the beneficial use of dredged material, or pipeline sediment delivery, but my gut is that there's not enough dredge spoil in the Corps entire navigation maintenance operation to make up the difference. This fantastic Times-Picayune article reports that Louisiana officials put the number of dredged tons available for use for marsh building at 60 million tons per year, while the LSU researchers put the historic amount of sediment in the river at 400-500 million tons, with the current river holding about 200 million tons. Seems like we haven't gotten to where we need to be, even capturing everything in the river, and everything the Corps dredges.
What this report very graphically shows is that the coast of tomorrow is not the coast of yesterday. That's been said a number of times, by a number of experts, but this is the first time it's really been shoved in our faces.
We've got to get serious about picking critical areas and sustaining them with sediment delivery backed up with sediment diversions from the river. The authors say something similar when questioned by the Times-Picayune in this article, pointing to a couple important, big river diversions - possibly at Caernarvon and Bayou Lafourche.
The dirty secret of coastal restoration is that everyone in Louisiana knows it's important and supports it, yet when asked what needs to be done, very few people (state and local politicians, engineers, biologists, fishermen, etc.) will say remotely similar things. Understandably, everyone wants the coast that they know. Unfortunately, this report shows that's impossible. It also makes it clear that if we don't quickly make some important decisions, we won't be left with any coast at all.
It looks like we’re in for another big one. In July, the USGS reported that the nitrogen pollution delivered to the Gulf is among the highest measured. Recently this was followed up by three predictions regarding the size of the 2009 Gulf Dead Zone. One prediction made by Scavia and Liu predicts that the Dead Zone will be 7,336 square miles. Turner and Rabalais ran two models which predict the size of the Dead Zone to be between 8,456 and an astonishing 9,669 square miles.
If these predictions hold true, we are in for a Dead Zone that ranks anywhere from the 6th largest to the largest since regular Dead Zone measurements began in 1985. Whatever the size, it is obvious that the Dead Zone is not getting smaller. This is why we need to demand that the Mississippi River states, the EPA, USDA, and other agencies start taking drastic action to reduce the Dead Zone-causing pollution that is flowing off the Nation’s fields and out of our sewage treatment plants. This is a national problem that will require a national solution.
Matt Rota is the Water Resources Program Director for GRN.
On June 26th, 2009, the House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) -- a landmark victory for our planet and climate activists! Last Friday’s vote marks a critical first step in addressing sea-level rise by reducing global warming pollution, investing in clean energy technology, reducing our dependence on foreign oil and creating green jobs.
Yet, while the bill was passed out of the House by a very slim 219-212 vote, we are disappointed in the Louisiana and Alabama Congressional Delegations. Not one Representative from either State voted for this sweeping climate change bill. Because of rising sea-levels and more intense storms, the entire Gulf Coast region will always remain ground-zero for the impacts of climate change. It should follow that our elected representatives would put the interests of our coast and communities before those of polluting industries that have already done so much damage to our natural hurricane protection system. Well, our leadership in Washington will get another chance to get it right.
With the passage of ACES in the House, the fight for clean energy now advances to the United States Senate. As was demonstrated over the last few months in the House Energy and Commerce Committee and throughout the halls of Congress, proponents of clean energy and green jobs will face equal, if not stronger opposition on the Senate side from polluting industries such as Coal, Oil and Gas who have spent over 90 million dollars so far this year trying desperately to hang on to the status quo.
In Louisiana, over the coming weeks and months the Gulf Restoration Network will be working with 1Sky, our allies, businesses, and volunteers across the State to send Senators Landrieu and Vitter a powerful message that now is the time for action. Our work is just beginning since it is going to be a real challenge to convince our Senators to break with the powerful polluting industries and stand up for what is right for our future generations and our coast. The vote for the American Clean Energy and Security Act on the House floor came down to a hair-splitting margin of a mere seven votes. In the Senate, that margin could be even smaller. So, when you get that action alert in your email box, and you want cleaner air and a sustainable hurricane protection system, please be sure to take action.
So, what do we like about this legislation as it heads to the Senate? The bill as it now stands includes significant quantities of new funding and establishes several new state and federal programs that aim to increase renewable energy deployment and ease worker and industry transition towards lowered energy intensity and greater efficiency. Natural resource conservation and the inclusion of minorities and marginalized groups have been given stronger presence throughout the bill, and much foresight has been demonstrated in protecting climate change related health care and adaptation funding for future decades.
Despite the strengthening amendments secured by Chairman Waxman, it is by no means all pie in the sky. There are some proposed weakening amendments to the bill exacted by agricultural interests in exchange for a large block of votes on the House floor, including widening loopholes for fossil fuels, shifting offset jurisdiction to the USDA from the EPA, and revoked authority to address important sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
There’s no argument that the ACES legislation is in no way perfect. It has been weakened in many ways over the last few weeks and still has a long way to go before President Obama has a chance to sign it into law. Yet, the vote that the House took last Friday truly is the biggest step forward that our country has ever taken to address the most serious environmental issue of our time. To get this bill to the President’s desk, it will take all of the support that we can get from anyone who is concerned about sea-level rise and climate change. Something simple like writing a letter to the editor of your local paper, making a phone call to your Senator’s office, or sending faxes or emails will help us in this epic battle for our planet. For more information and resources to get involved, please visit 1Sky.org.
Jonathan Henderson is the Louisiana Global Warming Organizer for GRN and our partner on this effort, the 1Sky Campaign. For more information, please contact Jonathan Henderson at Jonathan@healthygulf.org.
Last Thursday, over 80,000 people gathered on a farm outside of Manchester, Tennessee to attend Bonnaroo, one of the largest music festivals in the world. For four days, Bonnarooers attended comedy shows, live music concerts at any of the six stages, and helped save the environment.
The Gulf Restoration Network made its third appearance at Bonnaroo with a booth in the Planetroo section of the festival. One employee, four interns, and two volunteers worked in two 9-hour shifts each of the four days, educating people about the wetlands and the issues surrounding them and pushing the Text Coast campaign, which allowed interested individuals to demand action at the push of a button.
There were several setbacks, but in the end, the Bonnacrew made it a successful venture for the GRN and created many great memories; from the man covered from head to toe in mud—and little else —who pretended to be a dinosaur, to the fan who, unprompted, donated to the GRN moments after hearing our mission. The response from the festival-goers was unexpectedly enthusiastic, owing in part to the environmentally conscious nature of the event and in part to the enthusiasm of those staffing the booth. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Michelle Denney, Megan Morikawa, Mitchell (Moe) Long, Stephanie Short, Nari Ely, and our dedicated volunteers Danny Durkee and Joseph Imhof for their hard work and commitment to our cause of restoring the gulf coast.
Bonnaroo also hosted a screening of Walter Williams’ short films on New Orleans' coastal crisis, as well as some of his PSA's featuring Mr. Bill and the Estuarians. Beyond the great films, the screening had the added draw of Stanton Moore, the founding member and drummer of Galactic – one of the major bands that performed at Bonnaroo – discussing the importance New Orleans in the development of all the music heard at the festival, and the importance of protecting and restoring the wetlands. Our thanks go out to him as well, for his repeated support and dedication to the cause.
A special thanks to Michelle, who participated in a roundtable discussion on water pollution in which she explained to concert goers why water pollution and the Dead Zone were real problems in need of solutions and how they could get involved in the fight for Louisiana and the gulf coast.
SENATE ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE ASKS ABOUT NEW ORLEANS SAFETY, AND THE COAST
Last week the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing at the request of Senators Landrieu and Vitter, entitled, "New Orleans Hurricane and Flood Protection and Coastal Louisiana Restoration: Status and Progress."
The hearing includes statements and questions from Senators Landrieu, Vitter and Committee Chair Barbara Boxer (pictured), as well as witnesses StevenPeyronin from the GRN member organization and Louisiana coastal restoration advocacy lead organization Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, RobertTwilley from LSU, Tom Jackson from the SE Flood Control Authority, andthe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Brigadier General Michael Walsh.
The Senators all went after the Brigadier General pretty intensely, and much of the question and answer is focused on the New Orleans hurricane protection system, such as flood walls and pumping options. There are some very good statements made about the importance of Louisiana's vanishing coastal wetlands as natural storm defenses, but the heat of the hearing is focused on floodwalls.
I'm glad to see the EPW Committee focusing on the issues surrounding the safety of New Orleans and South Louisiana, but I'm troubled that this hearing is indicative of the overall approach to protecting our communities - lipservice to the coast and time, focus and resources to levees. The levees will never be big enough, built fast enough, or far reaching enough for our communities unless and until the coast is secured and the land loss is reversed. As eyes turn to the Corps' LACPR (Category 5 plan), I am afraid this trend will continue.
After four grueling days of markup work and nearly a hundred amendments, the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted in favor of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. The final vote: 33-25. The Chairman’s Mark of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 introduced as H.R. 2454 by Chairmen Henry A. Waxman (CA-30) and Edward J. Markey (MA-7) is the only viable legislative opportunity we have to move the United States toward a clean energy economy. Why is this so important to us? From rising sea levels and a disappearing coastline, to more intense hurricanes, the Gulf Coast is ground –zero for the impacts of climate change. A clean energy economy will create jobs, strengthen our economy, make us more energy independent, and limit dangerous global warming pollution.
However, it is clear given recent changes since the discussion draft was released that Big Oil, Dirty Coal, and other polluters are continuously working to riddle this bill with loopholes, water it down, and continue to keep America dependent on costly and dirty oil and coal, and horde billions of dollars for themselves at the expense of ordinary Americans. In the last three months alone, oil, coal, and natural gas companies have outspent environmental groups 16 to 1. The industries spent $79 million to lobby Congress, outspending the Green community’s comparatively meager $4.7 million in the same time period. Exxon-Mobil alone spent $9.3 million, almost twice the amount of money spent by the entire environmental community combined.
While frustration from many in the climate and environmental community about the compromises being discussed to reach agreement on this bill is understandable, the Gulf Restoration Network believes it is critical to channel this energy constructively to achieve the win that we need: to pass U.S. climate legislation strong enough to withstand international scrutiny before the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December of 2009, demonstrate U.S. leadership, and strengthen our negotiating power to bring in other heavy emitters like China and India to an international treaty. At the same time, we will continue working with our allies to explore ways to strengthen the legislation, and continue to promote these ways to our members of Congress. We will be calling on our members and allies to become engaged in this epic political battle. Please be on the lookout for upcoming action alerts targeting our members of Congress, and more importantly, TAKE ACTION. Members of Congress are literally tallying up the numbers of letters, emails, faxes, and phone calls that they are receiving regarding the ACES legislation. It is up to us as citizens to send our members of Congress that we demand bold, immediately solutions to the climate problem, and to let them know that it will take action at the federal level to protect our coast and communities.
Jonathan Henderson is the Louisiana Global Warming Organizer for GRN and our partner on this effort, the 1Sky Campaign. For more information, please contact Jonathan Henderson at Jonathan@healthygulf.org.
As a GRN legal intern fresh out of my first year of law school I expected to spend my summer pouring over legal documents and writing memos. I did not expect to meet the movers and shakers of Louisiana’s environmental community and get to share my views with Louisiana legislators.But I was given just that opportunity at the Environmental Voter Day in Baton Rouge last Tuesday.
The day began at the Capital Welcome Center where I was able to meet active members of Louisiana’s environmental community and learn about the environmental issues currently facing Louisiana.
I was excited to hear from the Recycling Foundation that reported on the state of recycling in Louisiana. After leaving Tulane and New Orleans I had almost forgotten New Orleans’ poor recycling system so I was fascinated to learn the complications involved with recycling glass. I had no clue that my glass beer bottles were essentially un-recyclable and in the next 10 or 15 years glass recycling may be nonexistent!
I was also impressed with William Ankner, the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. He discussed upcoming possibilities for more environmentally friendly transportation, including the possibility of regular trains between New Orleans, Houston and Baton Rouge.
But my favorite speaker was Dr. Richard Condrey from the Center for Coastal Fisheries at LSU. His talk described Louisiana’s ecology as the early settlers and explorers saw it. He drew a picture of impenetrable Cyprus forests, rivers teeming with fish, and beaches where bison roamed. This image was so different from the Louisiana I am familiar with that it incited my fervor to share my views with my representatives.
After our morning session in proper Louisiana style our group second lined to the capital building, umbrellas and all!
I had never been to the capital building before – it was spectacular. Entering the marble building where the laws I have spent the last year learning to interpret was a humbling and exciting moment. I saw people, like Rep. Karen Carter Peterson and Sen. Cheryl Gray, who had previously been mythical names on lawn signs in the neutral ground and on the voting ballot.
But this was no walking tour. Not only did I get to see prominent Louisiana politicians I got to actually meet Sen. JP Morrell in his private office and help convince him to sign a letter to the Louisiana Congressional delegation to support the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009!
As both a law student and environmentalist, environmental voter day was fascinating. I got to see where legislation happens and see the role that vocal lobbyists can play. We got several legislators to sign a letter urging our congressional delegation to not only support but also to strengthen the American Clean Energy and Security Act. We also let our legislators know that we supported tax credits for green job industries like energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. It was an educational and inspirational day.
Stephanie Short is a legal intern this summer working with the GRN on Marine Resource issues.
KAYAKER MARGO PELLEGRINO ENDS HER 1200 MILE JOURNEY FOR A HEALTHY GULF
Margo will be ending her journey this Saturday, the culmination of Margo’s 1,200 mile journey from Miami to New Orleans to raise awareness about protecting the Gulf of Mexico and our oceans. Margo will end her journey with a celebration about her message of conservation of the Mexican Gulf. Come out and celebrate the end of Margo’s journey on the Lake Pontchartrain beach on Lakeshore Dr (directly across from the University of New Orleans).
(The event will be held at the Lake Pontchartrain beach on Lakeshore Drive, directly across from the University of New Orleans. To get there take Elysian Fields approaching the lake and UNO. Go around the traffic circle and take a left (head west) on Lake Shore Drive. Go over the hump as you cross the lake levee and take your first right into a small parking lot. There's a HUGE pothole on the right hand side of the entrance, so bear LEFT as you pull in. We will be in the grass on the beach in front of the old bandstand. Check it out on google maps!)
We’re featuring some of Margo’s latest blog posts from her “healthy oceans blog” below.
From Margo’s May 18th Posting
“Joe Murphy, the Florida coordinator for the New Orleans based Gulf Restoration Network, told me about one of his buddies who had hiked the entire Appalachian Trail. According to his friend, there's thing called "trail magic," which basically is described as a serendipitous event that helps one along the way.
“This has happened to me on all of my paddle journeys, and it is always the result of the kindness of strangers. That folks have been willing to host, feed, and support me, or simply store my boat on their property, is definitely part of the "trail magic." Yesterday I paddled a 50 mile stretch from Perdido Key to about five and a half miles of my intended destination across the Mobile Bay Inlet. The currents were ripping.
“My support team at Gulf Restoration Network was scouting out options for escort boats - from the Coast Guard and the State Police. They weren't available because all of their assets were already engaged in search and rescue operations. That was a great indicator, right there, to pull ashore and wait for another day to continue my journey.…
“My unplanned stopover at Fort Morgan was made possible through Blanton Blankenship, who let this Yankee sleep in one of the old houses there. There was no food, but I could at least walk the mile and a half to a restaurant where, after dinner, a very, very nice couple drove me back so I wouldn't have to walk all alone in the dark.…
“Let's hear it for "trail magic!" This trip would not be possible without it. I might redefine it, though. I think trail magic is the goodness found in the hearts of all people as well as our own creative ability to latch on to a potentially positive occurrence or situation and make it an actual beneficial reality.”
From Margo’s May 19th Posting
“Today's early paddle got me safely through the Mobile Inlet and into the cozy harbor at Billy Goat Hole here on Dauphin Island, where I'm staying in the student housing at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.…
“The Estuarium was extremely interesting to me. Its entire focus is on wetlands and how their health directly impacts the health of our coastal waters and beyond. It brings home the land-sea connection, and our impact on this vital process, unlike any exhibit I've ever seen before. What is quite sobering, though, is a quote at the entrance from Dr. James Karr, the director of the Institute for Environmental Studies in Seattle. It reads-"The window of opportunity to reverse the trend in declining water resources is closing because of the extent of the loss of watershed processes upon which those resources depend."
“I also got to meet Dr. John Dindo, the chairman of the Discovery Hall Programs and senior marine scientist, who told me about all the wonderful programs that the DISL has for all ages. Educational outreach is their goal, as well as research, and it does seem that every kid in Alabama will have an opportunity to learn something about marine science and the importance of wetlands.
“We so need more of this!”
(Margo gave an interview to WLOX news station in Biloxi, MS last night about her journey)
Megan Morikawa is an intern at the Gulf Restoration Network, spending her community summer in New Orleans as a Robertson Scholar from Duke University.
KAYAKER FOR A HEALTHY GULF: MARGO PELLEGRINO'S TRIP FROM MIAMI TO NEW ORLEANS
Margo Pellegrino is a paddler on a mission. An avid environmentalist, Margo has already paddled the entire eastern seaboard, raising awareness of ocean conservation in her Miami to Maine Paddle in 2007. Now she is paddling the Gulf of Mexico to raise a similar message of conservation for a healthier gulf. Beginning in Miami and ending in New Orleans, Margo is currently three quarters through her ~1,000 mile journey. She will be landing in New Orleans on May 23, ending her third major trek for environmental awareness. Margo has been paddling over 40 miles some days and has encountered everything from sea turtles to industrialized harbors filled with litter and debris along our Mexican Gulf. She keeps a blog with the latest updates about her experiences during her trek along the coast.
A mother of two, Margo is interested not only in keeping her oceans clean for today, but tomorrow as well. She states, “I am paddling the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of Florida to spread my message of hope and a call to action.”
The Gulf Restoration Network is a proud sponsor of Margo’s expedition and, along with the National Resource Defense Council, has been supporting Margo as she stops along various coastal cities along Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Sending a local message, Margo has been talking to local media about her fight for a healthier gulf. Her journey demonstrates how anyone with a passion to save the environment can truly make a difference in environmental awareness and conservation.
Megan Morikawa is an intern at the Gulf Restoration Network, spending her community summer in New Orleans as a Robertson Scholar from Duke University.
Here's a great post from our friend Len Bahr, showing that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Though LSU's firing of Ivor VanHeerden has gotten a fair amount of attention and outrage recently, it's not the first time academic freedom and legitimate research for a healthy environment and safe communities has been shut down at Louisiana's flagship campus due to political concerns.
In addition, Len covers the conundrum of Senator Landrieu and Congressman Melancon, who have seemingly chosen to be roadblocks to effective climate change measures instead of supporters of legislation necessary to secure the future of their coastal constituents. I guess the short-term needs of campaign contributors is currently winning out over the long-term needs of the planet.
Listen | White House, Senate Dems Oppose Torture Commission, Energy Lobbyists Tried to Debunk Global Warming Despite Own Scientists’ Findings, Activists Conclude Indigenous Climate Summit, and more. (4/24/09 Democracy Now)
Interview with Allison McCrary and Aaron Viles on why they are picking on Shell Oil at Jazz Fest this year. Sound not available for this show.
Allison McCrary is a 2nd year law student at Loyola College of Law, the President of Public Interest Law Group, and a local community organizer around the Wiwa v. Shell case. Ms. McCrary talked about the human rights case against Shell in US civil courts. The "Wiwa" in Wiwa v. Shell refers to Ken Saro-Wiwa, an activist, author, and leader of the Ogoni people in their battle to protect their native homelands from damaging extraction practices. Mr. Saro-Wiwa was arrested by the Nigerian government along with 8 other activists and sentenced to death by hanging which led to the sanctioning of the Nigerian government by the international community. Allison will be part of a group canvassing at this year's Jazz Fest to raise awareness about the human rights case. For more information about the local Wiwa Campaign go here: www.shelljazzfest.com.
Aaron Viles, Campaign Director for the Gulf Restoration Network talked about oil accountability and the impact that the oil industry has had on Louisiana's wetlands. He said if you go to Jazz Fest on Saturday May 2nd, look up. There will be a plane flying over the Fest with the message "Shell-Hear the Music-Fix the Coast You Broke". Mr. Viles said they raised enough money for two hours of fly time thanks to a video request by Dr. John.
Both Allison and Aaron agreed that Jazz fest is great and supporting Jazz fest is a good thing. They explained that they are campaigning at the Fest because Shell is sponsoring it and will be paying close attention to the festival.
Casey DeMoss Roberts is the Special Projects Coordinator at the Gulf Restoration Network and a host for the weekly talk radio show on WTUL New Orleans Community Gumbo.
SHELL RECEIVES LETTER DEMANDING WETLANDS ACCOUNTABILITY
With all the attention we've brought to Shell the past two weeks, we wanted to make sure folks had seen this: 30 local, national and international organizations, ranging from Greenpeace USA to the Louisiana Shrimp Association and spearheaded by the Gulf Restoration Network, sent a letter to Shell Oil, holding Shell accountable for wetlands loss caused by the company’s pipeline canal dredging in coastal Louisiana, and asking Shell to contribute $361,984,000 to the restoration of Louisiana’s wetlands. This letter is part of an effort which aims at holding oil and gas companies responsible for the role they have played in wetlands loss.
In this Baton Rouge Advocate story, available here, I make the arguement that there's far more to do to make sure that the Hurricane Highway is no longer a threat to communities from Chalmette to the Lower 9.
“While they shut the channel down to boat traffic, MRGO is still an accident waiting to happen,” said Aaron Viles, of the Gulf Restoration Network."
Look at the whole article to see more details about the closure, and the need for more work and a commitment to restore the wetlands MRGO has destroyed.
GROUPS PLAN COORDINATED EFFORT TO PROTECT FLORIDA'S NATURE COAST
Last month 25 local, regional, and national conservation and environmental groups gathered in Gainesville, Florida with representatives of government agencies and foundations for a “Nature Coast Strategy Gathering” to begin more coordinated efforts to protect and preserve Florida’s Nature Coast. Organizations attending the event included plenty of GRN member groups and friends such as Citrus County Council, Homosassa River Alliance, Save Our Suwannee, Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition, Gulf Coast Conservancy, Naturecoast Sierra Club, Alachua Audubon Society, Putnam Land Conservancy, Nature Coast Conservancy, Withlacoochee Area Residents, Wild Florida Adventures, The Conservation Fund, Environmental Alliance of North Florida, Audubon of Florida, Florida Panther Society, The Gulf of Mexico Foundation, TOO FAR, SouthWings,Nature Coast Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, Suwannee St. Johns Sierra Club, Southeast Environmental Institute, and Florida Defenders of the Environment. The Nature Coast, one of Florida’s longest natural coastlines, stretches from just north of Tampa Bay to the Florida Panhandle. It represents one of Florida’s most wild, undeveloped, and pristine coastlines and is defined by spring fed rivers, coastal marshes and wetlands, seagrass beds, and coastal hammocks. As more coastal habitat for marine and coastal species is lost across Florida and the Gulf, the Nature Coast increasingly becomes more important for recreational and commercial fish species, marine mammals, sea turtles, and migratory birds. “Florida’s Nature Coast is one of our best chances in the Gulf of Mexico region to protect and preserve a mostly intact, wild coastline. We need to be thinking in terms of future generations and the environmental legacy we are leaving them.” said Caroline Douglas of SouthWings, one of the organizations sponsoring the event. “SouthWings works across the southeastern U.S. to help conservation groups educate the public about our environment, and this is as good as it gets in terms of opportunities to work together for a long-term healthy relationship between people and the planet that sustains us.”
While much of the Nature Coast is either undeveloped or conserved as public lands, increasing pressure from mining and development proposals is encouraging conservation groups from across the state to work together to ensure that this slice of old and wild Florida is not lost to the dredge or to the bulldozer.
Personally, I am thankful that so much of the Nature Coast is protected as public lands. Now we must work to connect those places with wildlife corridors and ensure what is in public ownership is well managed. We have got to draw a line in the sand and fight poorly planned or destructive projects that threaten the Nature Coast. The threat is real and growing, and the bulldozers are at the gates of Eden.
It was great to see residents and advocates from as far away as Tampa and Tallahassee spent time working together to develop plans for conserving the Nature Coast, and hear presentations from experts at the University of Florida who discussed water and land issues in the Nature Coast. Prof. Christine Klein, of the University of Florida College of Law, shared information with the group about the future of water law and policy in Florida. Dr. Tom Hoctor, of the University of Florida Center for Landscape and Conservation Planning, updated those gathered on the latest work to connect large areas of public lands in the Nature Coast, and on efforts to protect Florida Black Bears in the region.
One theme that emerged throughout the day was the need for conservation groups to work with diverse stakeholders including hunters, recreational and commercial fisherman, tour operators, local business owners, chambers of commerce, and those in the aquaculture or agriculture fields to link a sustainable economy with sustainable management and use of natural resources. In the Nature Coast the environment is the economy, and protecting natural systems ensures future generations have both clean air and water, and a chance for a sustainable economy.
Wildlife and landscape photographer Eric Zamora, who recently finished a 100 mile canoe trip to explore and photograph the Nature Coast , shared a series of incredible and moving photo images with the group to capture the magnificence and majesty of the natural areas along the Nature Coast. Zamora is beginning the planning and groundwork for an ambitious undertaking in 2010, “Life on the Edge” which will include him canoeing and exploring over 250 miles of the greater Nature Coast.
“I am from north central Florida, so the Nature Coast is very special to me,” Zamora said. “Being able to hike, boat and fly over the Nature Coast, working to ensure it is protected from unsustainable development, is a dream come true. But it is vital that the scenes I have photographed and my experiences are shared with a broader audience for my work to have meaning. The story of the Nature Coast must be known.”
This gathering was one of the first steps in a growing and exciting effort to unite communities and organizations along the Nature Coast to work together to oppose projects that threaten the Nature Coast and proactively work together to protect the region and expand the eco-tourism and sustainable natural resource economy in the region. Organizers and attendees plan to formalize a coalition, develop and launch a website, host a large conference in the next year to bring statewide attention to the Nature Coast, and to work more closely together to share resources to protect the region.
A group of conservation organizations is suing the National Marine Fisheries Service to force action quickly to protect threatened and endangered sea turtles from death and injury in the Gulf of Mexico bottom longline fishery. Earthjustice, the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, and a coalition of conservation groups are urging the Fisheries Service to impose immediate protections for the imperiled species.
Thanks to the Louisiana Bucket Brigade for putting together a great event! Speakers, food, beer, and great groups spreading the word about their great work. It was a lot of fun to produce the music, and bring the crowd such a fantastic lineup of NOLA, coast-conscious artists!
Big thanks to the other Coastal Lines of Defense groups: Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation. Also the event couldn't have happened without Sustainable Waves, MC Mike Theis from Mix 92.3 and volunteers Carl Basye and Annie Morris.
*This blog was originally posted to LACOASTPOST.com, an independent, interactive forum for an ongoing informed discussion of the status and future of the Louisiana coast. The mission of LACOASTPOST.com is to provide a real time venue in which to debate the current and projected state of our coast, including scientific, socioeconomic, fiscal and political issues.
Three hundred fifty “350.” That’s the critical number that represents a safe climate. 350 means a stable civilization. It is the number we need to get back to and very soon because we are already at 387 and growing - well over the safe limit.
But what is 350? Global warming pollution can be estimated by measuring the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere in parts per million (ppm). Our civilization sprang up in the 270-290 ppm range and we have enjoyed a safe, stable level during the ten thousand years or so of the Holocene Epoch, since what is generally acknowledged as the dawn of agriculture and cities. But just over a hundred years ago, we started pumping carbon into the air at exponentially increasing rates, without a care in the world. Based on detailed analyses of ice cores through ancient glaciers we know that atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are higher now than at any time during the last 800,000 years!
Climate experts have recently warned that there are dangerous tipping points that could be triggered if the 350 ppm threshold is exceeded much longer.Fossil fuels allowed the enormous advancement of our civilization - but not without a cost. Now the climate bill has come due and we must find a way to live within our means.
350.org is a dynamic organization started by one of my heroes, Bill McKibben, noted writer, professor and political organizer. This talented man delivered the keynote address last week at the Tulane Law Evironmental summit, hosted by the Tulane Law School on April 3-5, an annual project totally managed by law students. According to Law Faculty Advisors Oliver Houck and Mark Davis, this year’s summit was exceptionally successful, with over 400 registrants, a dramatic increase from the previous average of about 150. Attracting speaker McKibben no doubt accounted for some of this success.
McKibben wrote The End of Nature in 1989, the first book about climate change. Since that time he has continued a prolific writing career, including co-authoring a book with his colleague, Nobel laureate Al Gore. The keynote address lasted for well over an hour, keeping the packed hall spellbound. McKibben modestly described how he progressed from politically-naive climate change proselytizer living in the second smallest state (Vermont), to the grass roots organizer of a global movement that has exceeded his fondest hopes. He outlined the progression of his political education, including learning how to attract media attention by getting arrested.
He told a wonderful anecdote about being invited several years ago by noted environmental activist Granny D Haddock to join a climate change protest at the US Capitol. They were both ultimately arrested and this man from Vermont, tall enough for the NBA, found himself bent over and handcuffed to this wonderfully feisty but tiny woman in her nineties.
During his remarks McKibben suggested that our current atmospheric level of 387 ppm of atmospheric carbon is to Mother Earth what a similar level of blood cholesterol would be to a sedentary sixty-something smoker subject to swilling sweet drinks. There’s no question what the human patient would hear from her doc. Momma Earth would hear similar warnings from her climate doctor, “You are in grave danger of rising seas, severe weather changes, mass species extinctions, etc).”
In fact our planet got its last major check up almost four years ago in Montreal in the form of the Kyoto Climate Accord (November 30, 2005). The prognosis at that time was bleak - carbon levels were rising rapidly with no end in sight. Clearly we have ignored the warnings; now the question is whether it is already too late to change our habits.
Editor’s Note (Len Bahr): Another notable speaker at the summit was Mike Tidwell, author, Bayou Farewell, who has also gained broad recognition as a spokesperson for action on climate change. It was recently noted on LACOASTPOST.com that Tidwell was investigated during 2007 by the Maryland State Police under former Gov. Ehrlich for his radical activism on climate change.
Watch the 350.org video here http://www.youtube.com/user/350org and pass it on. We need to keep 350 in our minds and in the email boxes of our representatives.
SAVE THE DATE: October 24, 2009 is the date of an extraordinary global climate change initiative - October 24th 350 Action in New Orleans. Email me to get on the action list! casey@healthygulf.org Casey DeMoss Roberts is the Special Projects Coordinator for the Gulf Restoration Network.
In case you've missed it, we've fired off another salvo in our effort to urge Shell Oil Company to truly be a leader for Louisiana's coastal wetlands and step up to fund large-scale restoration efforts.
Dr. John's personal appeal to the public to support efforts to counterbalance Shell's PR efforts at Jazz Fest have gone well, with a front-section article in the Times-Picayune today, a post in the Gambit blog, seven hundred YouTube views, and a couple hours of banner towing time.
Inevitably, when we target Shell, we get a lot of questions along the lines of "why?" "are you crazy?" "aren't they the only oil company actually DOING something?"
I thought I would take a couple moments to lay out some of our reasoning.
Shell didn't do it, the Corps did: While there are many forces at work in our coastal crisis, researchers I trust, such as LSU's Gene Turner, and the late Shea Penland of UNO peg the oil and gas contribution at 40-60% of the problem. Yes, the levees/jetties along the Mississippi River are a huge problem and long term would kill the coast, and we work on that too, but when you add in the effects of thousands of miles of oil and gas canals the problem takes decades to unfold instead of centuries. To see Walter Williams short film which lays out the scientific and legal rationale for oil companies to pay for the coast, head here.
When Shell did some of the damage, no one knew it was a problem: Maybe for some of the first exploration in the wetlands in the 30's and 40's. But in 1971 when the Corps environmental assessment was published, the truth came out - oil exploration and development killed wetlands. Did Shell and friends then stop? No, they just had to lobby harder for permits. This letter details their footprint since 1983 alone.
The State said it was okay: That's right. The state of Louisiana granted permits for the activity, and collected some revenues in exchange. In case you missed it, the State is also ponying up a fair amount of money for this fight. So should Shell and friends.
Shell cares: You're right. Shell does care. They have a long history in our community. I used to park my car (yes, I drive a car) in the parking garage at One Shell Square, the tallest building in NOLA. They are the largest corporate sponsor of the America's Wetland/America's Energy Coast PR effort. They bring you Jazz Fest. They built ice houses after Katrina/Rita destroyed fishing (and energy) infrastructure. They apparently lobbied Congress in favor of OCS revenue sharing with the affected coastal states. Just because they care, we can't let them off the hook for their direct impacts. Shell mad eover 40 billion dollars in profit last year - the company needs to pay for real, on-the-ground coastal restoration to make up for the damage they've done.
Shell has been a leader in our community, they need to keep leading. One of the oil companies needs to step forward, and say, we'll pay. I think Shell is the most likely to actually do that, but it won't happen without a public outcry. We know that the cost of restoring our coast and securing our communities is new estimated in the range of $100b. I wouldn't ask Shell, or even the oil and gas sector to pay all of that, but I would argue the payment should be commensurate with the impact. The State is paying, the Feds are paying, but it's going to take more to get to that $100b. Enter Shell and friends. Anyone who argues that oil interests shouldn't pay, must not be that serious about fixing the problem. As my friend Mark Davis has said, we shouldn't have any sacred cows in this discussion about solving our crisis.
We've taken on Shell before, and found them to be relatively thoughtful and responsive. In fact, when the Gumbo Alliance (a coalition made up of conservation groups and recreational and commercial fishing interests) urged Shell to pull out of their off-shore, fish killing liquefied natural gas terminal, Shell eventually dropped the project. We worked with an international effort to hold Shell accountable for the environmental impacts of their projects. We didn't go after Exxon, who also had an LNG project on the books. We went to Shell's shareholder meeting in the Hague. And while we were asking the Shell board, president and shareholders to address our concerns (and being served coffee, chocolates and after the meeting, Heineken) Exxon was putting Greenpeace protesters in jail for a similar demonstration.
Unfortunately, the folks we've worked with before are from a whole different sector of the company, and are nowhere to be found on this effort. When we sent Shell this letter, they replied with this response, a form letter. Not terribly insightful. So we're working with Dr. John, Walter Williams and anyone who is willing to help tell the truth about our coast, and urge oil industry accountability for the impacts they have had on our wetlands.
Listen | Snippet of distinguished individuals speaking at the recent 3 day symposium titled “Mississippi Freshwater Diversion Summit” which was designed to be a serious discourse on rebuilding Louisiana’s coast using Diversions.
But, what is a Diversion? Well, it is when you take water from the Mississippi River and spill it (or divert it) over land to build the land up. Otherwise, you lose that land to theGulf of Mexico. The Mississippi used to do this naturally but levees prevent this from happening now. Choosing where to divert the water, how much water to divert, and when to divert it have all been insurmountable problems going back decades and has paralyzed the process. There are many stakeholders and each one seems to have veto power over the process.
The Army Corps of Engineers hosted the symposium bringing together for the first time all the competing interests from the state, federal agencies, the environmental community, landowner representatives, navigation and port authorities, levee boards, scientists, engineers, lawyers, fishermen, you name it. They were there. It was standing room only.
We all sat through many presentations on Diversions and I gathered that pretty much everyone agrees that Diversions are a great idea. So, why aren't they happening? To find out, listen to these amazing speakers talk about how to solve the gridlock from their unique perspectives.
Listen | New Orleans City Council President Jackie Clarkson speaking to the group and I was lucky to catch up with her just after her presentation for a quick interview.
Listen | Len Bahr, the brains behind lacoastpost.com, a blog he started after retiring from his position with the State as resident expert on all things coastal. Here him talk about his surprise to be so positive about the summit and the importance of addressing nutrient pollution in the river.
Listen | Matt Rota, Director of Water Resources for the Gulf Restoration Network asks for some changes to come out of this meeting and recommends making a timeline.
Listen | Dr. Denise Reed, professor at University of New Orleans, and I talk about what she thinks about the summit and the best solution to fix our coastal problems.
Listen | Pam Dasheil with the Lower 9th ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development and I talked about how the rebuilding efforts in the 9 were progressing and her thoughts on river diversions.
Listen | Carlton Dufrochou, Executive Director of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation is in rare form here as he makes a plea for South Louisiana.
Listen | Earl Melancon, professor of Biology at Nicholls State University, talks about how to pronounce his name and assures us that oysters and river diversions can co-exist.
Listen | John Barry from the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority eloquently explains the politics behind the decision making process.
Listen | Mike Benge, with Delacroix Corporation was at the Summit to talk about the impacts that the Caernarvon Diversion has had on large landowners.
Listen | John Day, LSU Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences
As for me, I just hope we can start moving some dirt. Hurricane season is fast approaching!
Casey DeMoss Roberts is the Special Projects Coordinator for the Gulf Restoration Network and the co-host of Community Gumbo on WTUL New Orleans. This segment aired on March 28, 2009.
Gulf Restoration Network is once again gearing up for our Summer Outreach Campaign, and you can become part of building the movement to defend the Gulf Coast! From mid-May through August, we’ll be hiring passionate Gulf defenders to get out into neighborhoods to engage and activate concerned citizens on our Defend the Gulf Coast, Defend Ourselves Campaign.
Call today to apply! -- 504-525-1528 ext 203 --
In Louisiana, we are losing a football field of wetlands every 45 minutes due to coastal erosion. In Florida, the Nature Coast, the last pristine stretch of coastline in the state, is threatened by reckless development.
From offices in New Orleans, LA and Tampa, FL you can help create the groundswell of public support and outcry that will be necessary to address these issues and defend the Gulf Coast. You will also recruit members for the Gulf Restoration Network to ensure we have the resources and unified voice to fight for the coast everyday into the future.
You can earn between $4,500 and $8,000 for the summer, learn valuable activism and organizing skills, and gain in-depth knowledge of environmental issues and politics. Most importantly, you will have a real impact on protecting the health of the Gulf of Mexico.
USGS IDENTIFIES TOP GULF 'DEAD ZONE' POLLUTING WATERS
Groups: Government Must Focus Resources on High Priority Areas
WASHINGTON, April 1, 2009 – For the first time, the U.S. Geological Survey has identified the top 150 polluting watersheds in the Mississippi River Basin that cause the annual 8,000 square-mile “Dead Zone” in the Gulf of Mexico. Based on the USGS report released today, members of the Mississippi River Water Quality Collaborative urge the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and state policy makers to use the report to solve water quality problems both within the states and downstream in the Gulf.
In January of 2008, USGS identified commercial fertilizers and animal manure from farmland in 9* states as the cause of over 70 percent of the Dead Zone pollution. Evidence is mounting that the mandated push to increase corn production – one of the most fertilizer intensive crops – for ethanol exacerbates water quality problems within the states and in the Gulf. This year, the USGS identifies and ranks watersheds in the Basin by the amount of pollution that gets to the Gulf.
“Currently, federal Farm Bill conservation dollars are not targeted to where the pollution is generated. This new report should help states focus their pollution reduction efforts in the top ranked watersheds and on the most cost-effective practices,” said Michelle Perez, Senior Agriculture Analyst for the Environmental Working Group. “A targeted approach to farm conservation programs will help demonstrate to taxpayers that states are trying to use their resources wisely and get the biggest bang for the buck.”
“This report demonstrates that pollution doesn’t respect state boundaries,” said Matt Rota, Water Resources Program Director for the Gulf Restoration Network. “Many of the top-polluting river and stream basins occupy multiple states. Downstream states like Louisiana and Mississippi are counting on a multi-state effort to address the Dead Zone. This study will hopefully help states and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase and target farm conservation funding to help reduce the Dead Zone, which is a major national environmental problem.”
“States that have watersheds listed in this report now have a better sense of where action can be taken to reduce their contribution to the Dead Zone while also reducing pollution to their local waters, ” said Susan Heathcote, Water Program Director for the Iowa Environmental Council. “The Environmental Protection Agency needs to take the lead to focus federal resources to solve both local water quality problems and the national Dead Zone in the Gulf.”
The Mississippi River Water Quality Collaborative is a partnership of environmental organizations and legal centers from states bordering the Mississippi River as well as regional and national groups working on issues affecting the Mississippi River and its tributaries. The Collaborative harnesses the resources and expertise of its diverse organizations to comprehensively reduce pollution entering the Mississippi River as well as the Gulf of Mexico.
*The 9 states contributing over 70 percent of the dead zone-causing nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants are: Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, and Mississippi.
Contacts:
Don Carr, Environmental Working Group, (202) 939-9141
Matt Rota, Gulf Restoration Network (Louisiana and Mississippi), (504) 525-1528 X206
Susan Heathcote, Iowa Environmental Council, (515) 244-1194 ext. 205
First, the “spotter” plane appears soaring above the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Inside the pilot is scanning the water, searching for a characteristic dark, writhing mass: a school of menhaden. Spotting the school, the pilot radios a nearby mothership to relay the news. This large vessel races to the scene and rapidly lowers two smaller boats into the water. They quickly go to work surrounding the menhaden school in a large purse seine net and, after the school is secured, the factory boat vacuums the net clean – transporting thousands of pounds of fish into its hold. This process continues until the entire bay or sound is stripped of the once-teaming schools of menhaden, and the dolphins, pelicans, and other marine wildlife must look elsewhere for their food.
Menhaden, which are also known as pogies, are a small, oily bait fish which schools in huge numbers in the Gulf of Mexico. Few people, with the exception of fishermen, have ever even heard of menhaden, but they are an essential part of the eco-systems of the Atlantic coast and the Gulf. In fact, Princeton professor H. Bruce Franklin went so far as to title his book on menhaden The Most Important Fish in the Sea. These small fish, which are filter-feeders, provide a crucial link between the primary producers of energy – plants – and the upper levels of the food chain including red drum, sharks, dolphins, pelicans, and host of other sea life.
Unfortunately, pogies are also big business with just two companies – Omega Protein and Daybrook Fisheries – harvesting an average of one billion pounds of menhaden from the Gulf of Mexico each year. They don’t put menhaden on ice and sell them at the fish market, instead, they grind them up, and turn them into industrial products that are then turned into things such as dog, cat and fish food. In the process, they accidently capture and kill at least ten million pounds of other sea life, like sharks, red drum and tarpon. In fact, one Louisiana fisheries biologist has suggested that the industry could be killing as many as 850,000 sharks every year.
The menhaden industry was originally based along the Atlantic coast of the United States. However, as the menhaden populations range shrunk and fishermen began pointing to problems with the health of other marine wildlife which rely on menhaden, many of the Atlantic states stepped in to better regulate the industry. Now, the Gulf of Mexico is ground zero for the menhaden boats and without improved management of the fishery, the entire Gulf coast economy and ecosystem could be affected.
In fact, the menhaden reduction industry operates in Mississippi and Louisiana without any catch limits and few controls on the amount and kind of other species they capture. To help combat this threat, a group of conservationist, recreational fishermen and concerned business leaders have joined together to form the Save the Bait Coalition of Mississippi. They’ve been working aggressively to convince the Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources, the regulatory body that oversees the fishery, to support commonsense regulations for the menhaden industry. You can take action now by visiting this page, or read a little more about the issue and check out a video about the pogie industry here.
Raleigh Hoke is the Mississippi Organizer with the Gulf Restoration Network.
NO COAST - NO MUSIC: VOODOO EXPERIENCE VIDEO LAUNCHED
As every reader of this blog knows, Louisiana's coastal wetlands are disappearing at the rate of a football field every 45 minutes, destroying New Orleans natural storm defenses. This film features artists from Fishbone, Galactic, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band discussing Louisiana's coastal crisis.
The Gulf Restoration Network has partnered with the Voodoo Experience to educate musicians about the role Louisiana's wetlands loss plays in the recovery of New Orleans, and building support to restore Louisiana's coastal lines of defense.
The video was created by NOLA Image Works, and funded by a grant from the John Merck Fund. GRN wants to thank Clint Maedgen, Stanton Moore, Angelo Moore, the Voodoo Experience, Neutral Ground Films, Thunder Voltz, and our partners on the Louisiana Coastal Lines of Defense campaign, the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation for helping make this project happen.
SHELL: THANKS FOR THE MUSIC - NO THANKS FOR DROPPING RENEWABLES
I can't say I'm surprised by this news: Shell is dropping the vast majority of their renewable energy portfolio. After meeting their Chief Executive, Jeroen van der Veer a few years back at their annual general meeting, I certainly didn't get the sense that their commitment to the environment was anything other than a public relations effort.
While I'm sure that many of Shell's employees care deeply about the environment, our coast, and the future of the climate, I think this story demonstrates that their corporate leadership really isn't motivated by anything other than the short term bottom line. But hey, why should they care about rising sea levels? They own the tallest building in Louisiana.
PETITION TO END UNSUSTAINABLE COMMERICAL HARVEST OF WILD TURTLES
Turtles Contaminated With Mercury and Other Toxins Sold as Food
The Center for Biological Diversity and two dozen other conservation and health groups today filed emergency petitions with eight Midwestern and southern states, seeking to end unsustainable commercial harvest of freshwater turtles. The coalition submitted administrative petitions to state wildlife and health agencies in Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, and Tennessee, asking for a ban on commercial harvest of freshwater turtles in all public and private waters. The commercial-harvest regulations are needed to prevent further depletions of native turtle populations and to protect public health. Freshwater turtles collected in these states and sold domestically as food or exported to international food markets are often contaminated with mercury, PCBs, and pesticides.
FLORIDA GOVERNOR CRIST SUPPORTED ON CLIMATE AGENDA
According to a new study by Audubon Florida, Governor Charlie Crist is enjoying a huge approval rate for his work on climate change, which includes policies for clean cars, renewable energy, and reduction of global warming pollution. This finding might have something to do with another fact: a majority of Florida voters believe that global warming is real, caused by man, and that Florida is at risk for the impacts.
Eric Draper, policy director for Audubon Florida and author of the study,was quoted as saying "The public is, one; very informed, and two; concerned, and three; theyactually support the policies that have been recommended by Charlie Crist to do something about it."
As far as the rest of the Gulf, Governor Crist is the only leader willing to tackle this challenge. I am glad Audubon Florida did this research but I would like to point out that Governor Crist began the process of dealing with the climate crisis two years ago, well before he had political coverage via voter research. I hope this study and Governor Crist's leadership will inspire other Gulf Governors to take the plunge and follow through on protecting their own states from sea level rise, stronger storms, and the miriad of other problems we are all facing if nothing is done to stop it.
Please join us for Gulf Gathering May 8-9, 2009: A Gulf-wide conference for coastal advocates and organizers concerned about the Gulf of Mexico.
If you're interested in wetlands and cypress swamp conservation, healthy waters, sustainable fisheries and climate change or would like to meet other folks from across the five Gulf states who want to protect the Gulf - this is the environmental conference for you. You will also get the chance to sharpen your skills and become a better activist for the Gulf.
We will focus on the health of the Gulf and what you can do to protect it! This conference seeks to be the most comprehensive gathering of environmental leaders in the Gulf. We hope you will join us to share your knowledge and commitment to a healthy Gulf. Click here for more information and to register today!
Located just 30 miles south of Mobile, Alabama, Camp Beckwith provides an ideal setting on Weeks Bay to activate, energize and rejuvinate. You will get the chance to learn about current and emerging threats to the Gulf while enjoying the beautiful scenery and waterways it has to offer.
Conservation Through Aviation: Get a Bird's Eye View of Cypress Forests
SouthWings will be hosting flights on Friday , May 8th at 9:00 a.m. If your organization would be interested in exploring how the aerial perspective can support your work, please join us to look at a local cypress ecosystem. We have room for 18 people to join us! Sign up when you register to get a chance to check out threatened cypress forests in coastal Alabama from the air. Then, join your fellow flight participants during the conference to learn more about the cypress mulch industry and ways to protect our cypress forests along the Gulf.
Help GRN celebrate our 15th Anniversary! In honor of 15 years successfully fighting for a healthier Gulf, we'll be hosting a celebration on Friday, May 8th at the conference. Join us for good food, drinks, music along the Gulf's edge and honor those who have helped us succeed!
Last week, Aaron and I both attended the “Diversions Summit” called by the Corps of Engineers to discuss reintroducing the Mississippi River into the wetlands of southeastern Louisiana.While there was some great research and some great ideas proposed, I left the conference wondering “what next?”When I spoke at the conference, I emphasized the need for action and a time line to begin the enormous task of building Mississippi River reintroductions, with the end goal of a sustainable coast. Check what Amy Wold at the Baton Rouge Advocatewrote on March 13:
Matt Rota, Water Resources Program director with the Gulf Restoration Network, spoke publicly about what many people at the conference were talking about privately.
“I’ve been to this meeting before,” Rota said. All the presentations have been given before and although the information is good, he said, he wanted to know what should be the next step.
“I want to know who in this room has the ability to make these hard decisions,” Rota said.
The state, federal and other partners have been at this work for a number of years, he said.
“The public is getting frustrated that nothing is happening,” Rota said. And if there are things happening, that needs to get out to the public so people know what is going on, he said.
...
Carlton Dufrechou, executive director of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, agreed.
“We’re talking about restoration. We’re talking about it, but we’re not doing it,” he said. “We have not committed to do anything bold about it.”
We need strong leadership within the Corps and Louisiana to make hard decisions.Everybody is not going to be happy with any decision that is made that might impact land use, navigation, wildlife, fisheries, and myriad other things. Up to this point that leadership has not stepped up to put aside politics and do what is necessary to save our coast.One thing that I can say is the Brigadier General Michael Walsh was there for the entire meeting, actively listening to the scientific presentations and the presentations from the public.Unfortunately I cannot say the same for the State.Garret Graves, Director of the Louisiana Governor's Office of Coastal Activities was conspicuous by his absence for a large percentage of the two day public session. The state must show that they are an active participant in the process, and that includes making it a priority to hear what the public has to say.After all, it is the public that needs to be protected by restoring our coastal lines of defense. While there are still many scientific questions to be answered, it is clear that that consensus has been reached, at regarding the fact that large scale coastal restoration has to start now.So what do we need? We need strong leadership that will engage and listen to the stakeholders and then make the tough decisions to protect their the citizens of the Lousiana.Vital time that could be spent on physically restoring our wetlands is slipping away.
The bottom line is that our leaders must work together, use the best available science, and take bold actions to ensure the sustainability of southeastern Louisiana.
Matt Rota is the Water Resources Program Director at GRN
Gulf of Mexico Alliance scraps public workshops in favor of Survey Monkey
The Gulf of Mexico Alliance, a multi-Gulf state government partnership, created by all five Governors to protect the environmental and economic resources of the Gulf coast is scrapping their plans to hold public opinion workshops on their new draft 5 year plan in four of the five Gulf states. Though Florida citizens and conservation groups were able to meaningfully participate in development of the plan through face to face meetings, residents of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas will only be able to give feedback on the draft through an online service called Survey Monkey. The brief public comment period ends Friday, March 13th. No reason has been given as to why the Alliance is not going to hold public workshops in the other Gulf states.
With all that has happened since February 19th, it seems like more than just a couple weeks ago, but I wanted to update everyone on the Mardi Gras Time Cypress Call-In Day. Huge thanks to everyone who took a few moments to celebrate Mardi Gras by helping to preserve the cypress forests that protect Mardi Gras celebrations (and the communities that host them!).
There were approximately 800 phone calls reported being made to Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Wal-Mart on February 19th!! Although that leaves us a bit shy of the goal of 1,000, it still had a huge impact and showed all three companies that the public still expects them to stop selling unsustainable cypress mulch. And it’s not too late, you can still make a call today! Visit this webpage for phone numbers and talking points.
Highlights from the from the call-in day include GRN Campaign Intern, Megan Reed, in Mobile who generated over 160 calls, the participation of Call-In Day Coordinators from all over the country, and calls permeating the corporate headquarters at Lowe’s (one of you left a message on the machine of our contact there!).
A representative from Lowe’s made it clear that we are doing a great job of maintaining the corporation’s attention to this issue. He commented that the calls are "respectful and sincere" and that people calling really seem to know their stuff. That’s not the ideal “alright, we’re not going to sell cypress mulch anymore” response, but it is clear that the call-in day has helped us get closer to a victory.
Thanks to everyone who participated, thanks to members of the Save Our Cypress Coalition who engaged their members and activists to join the call-in day, and thanks to Call-In Day Coordinators who recruited friends to make calls. If you were a Coordinator and have not yet sent your report, please do so ASAP! Maybe there were already 1,000 calls made, but we need to know for sure.
If you haven’t yet, it’s not too late to help us hit the goal of 1,000 calls! Please make a call today to Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Wal-Mart asking them to permanently end their sales of unsustainable cypress mulch.
AND NOW FOR A WORD FROM MR. BILL: SHELL AND WORLD WETLANDS DAY
Hoo hooo kiddies!
Mr. Bill here and I’d like to thank all you friends for coming out on February 2nd to support World Wetlands Day. We got together on the front stairs of One Shell Square, Shell Oil Co’s headquarters here in my hometown New Orleans. Fortunately, with some help, I made it up the steps without falling down (thanks Dan Favre!)
It was a beautiful but chilly evening. My best friend Walter Williams was there showing his cool educational videos about the wetlands and how the oil and gas industry are responsible for destroying forty to sixty percent of them. Watch some of these videos at www.mrbill.com. Did you know that when they dig up the wetlands to make canals for pipelines, it lets salt water in that kills the plants, even the cypress trees?And they’ve been doing this since the beginning of the 20th century.
But, oh no! The problem is that neither Shell Oil Company or any of the other gas and oil companies will admit they are part of the problem, and as we all know, we first have to identify the problem so we can come up with a solution. And me, my friends at the Gulf Restoration Network and all of you great New Orleanians see the problem and the solution.
We know that in order to be able to restore the wetlands to a healthy state, we need more dough, and not the Play kind, and we know that the oil companies have made tons of it while destroying our natural hurricane protection system, the wetlands.
We know Shell knows this destruction is happening with the wetlands (we’re losing them at the rate of a football field every 45 minutes! Oh no!) because they sponsor the America’s WETLAND campaign, which is a campaign to raise awareness about coastal lands loss, and I used to help them with that. But when Shell Oil Co. refused to admit they were part of the problem, I said “Shell no!” So if you want to be a part of the real solution for wetlands restoration, please visit the Gulf Restoration Network’s website, www.healthygulf.org, and become a member, or join the email list. You can also text the word “coast” to 77007, and that will send a petition to your elected leaders in Congress, telling them to pay attention to the wetlands issue and pass legislation that will help to restore our coast. We need the wetlands to get through hurricane season, for our seafood, our economy, and our culture and environment that makes New Orleans and coastal Louisiana so unique and beautiful!YES WE CAN save it!
On the latest installment of Community Gumbo, I focused on the cypress mulch problem and asked our listeners this question: Is cypress mulch a landscaping luxury or a lawn loser? I spoke with three leaders in the campaign to save Cypress forests across the Gulf Coast to hear what is being done to protect this valuable ecosystem from becoming disposable garden mulch. Public relations departments from Lowes and Home Depot were contacted for an interview but did not furnish anyone to be interviewed. Too bad for them!
Hear Dean Wilson, Executive Director of the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper talk about the history of the forest and how the Save Our Cypress coalition got its start.
Marylee Orr, Executive Director of LEAN, talks about her love of Louisiana's environment and what we can all do to protect it.
Dan Favre, Campaign Organizer with GRN, gives us the details about why a Corporate campaign was chosen to protect Cypress and explains why we should "Make wetlands, not war."
A snowy morning in Washington, DC has finally given me a moment to catch you up on the whirlwind of activity that’s been happening this weekend at Powershift 09. Powershift has brought together 12,000 students and young people to discuss, collaborate, and advocate for climate change solutions. GRN's Louisiana Global Warming Organizer, Jonathan Henderson, and I have been here all weekend helping to train the next generation of environmental activists and enlighten to the plight of the Gulf Coast.
After a long day of travel delays on Friday, I was riding the DC Metro with bleary eyes, but I perked up after two stops when a huge crowd surged onto the train. We weren’t anywhere near the conference center and yet Powershift badges hung from the necks of many of the new riders. A couple young folks from Washington University in St. Louis told me about that night’s keynote addresses, which included great speakers like Van Jones and Gillian Caldwell, and I encouraged them to come see the Restoring the Gulf Coast, Re-energizing America panel that I was speaking on the following day.
The next morning upon arriving at the convention center, I was amazed at the energy of thousands of people who were there to tackle climate change. Everywhere I turned, I ran into old friends and met new ones.
The Restoring the Gulf Coast, Re-energizing America panel was a huge success! Over 120 people filled the room to capacity (the next day someone told me she tried to get in, but she was turned away), and I noticed the smiling face of one of the young women I’d met on the Metro the day before. Along with Karla Raettig of the National Wildlife Federation and Dr. Beverly Wright of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, we updated activists from all over the country about the issues facing Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.The Gulf Coast is ground zero for the impacts of climate change, and the continued loss of Louisiana’s wetlands leaves coastal residents more vulnerable to rising sea levels and stronger storms fueled by global warming. The young climate activists understood the link, and everyone in the room was happy to join our text campaign calling on the federal government to defend Louisiana’s coast.
After the panel, I spent over an hour speaking with those who came to the front of the room with more questions, and the energy for the coast continued to grow. I set up a table in the main room of the conference center and continued to speak with loads of folks about restoring the Gulf.
There are too many highlights from Powershift 09 to mention but I’ll list a few: - State breakout groups where student networks were formed for the Gulf States. - A rousing speech by Representative Ed Markey included the quote “Do you know the difference between the oil companies, coal companies, and gas companies and all of you in the crowd? You are right and they are wrong!”
- An amazing concert by The Roots energized the crowd who spilled out of the concert room in the conference center chanting, “Powershift! Powershift!”. And the momentum and chants went all the way to an impromptu late night rally at the White House!
- On Sunday, after more panels (I was busy tabling), 12,000 young folks learned how to do grassroots lobbying, some of them learning from our very own Jonathan Henderson. Today, thousands of climate activists will make hundreds of visits to Congressional offices, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will speak to a huge (and snowy) rally of Powershifters, and thousands of people are expected to blockade the Capitol coal-fired power plant as part of the Capitol Climate Action.
The power is shifting in 2009! This is the year to pass bold federal climate change policy that will drastically and immediately cut carbon, create millions of green jobs, ensure that the future is fueled with clean technologies and not dirty energy, and lead the world to a clean and equitable future.
Living at ground zero for the impacts of climate change, I can’t wait to see that pass, and to truly protect cities like New Orleans and other coastal communities, we must also restore Louisiana’s coast. Projects to rebuild wetlands will create green jobs, ensure those wetlands continue to act as important carbon sinks, and defend our communities from sea level rise and stronger storms. Click here to take action for our coast.
Here's a great editorial from the Biloxi Sun Herald, underscoring the concerns of the Save the Bait coalition. I hope that a few key commissioners pay attention to their request for a little intellectual curiosity towards this ecosystem keystone for a healthy Mississippi Sound.
From the editorial:
Dr. Vernon Asper, who chairs the commission, has said he agrees more study needs to be done, but he typically doesn’t vote under the commission’s rules unless there is a tie. On this issue, he should.
He should be joined by commission member Shelby Drummond, who represents recreational fishermen. Drummond has said he is willing “to go along with the science,” so he should support a scientific study of the situation.
At least two pressing questions must be answered:
1. Are so many menhaden being caught that it could wreck the food supply for other fish that eat them?
2. Are the nets used to catch menhaden pulling up too many other species as bycatch?
These are legitimate issues and the commission does not appear to have reliable information to satisfy those concerned about either one.
Please pick up your phone right now and call Lowe's, Home Depot, and Wal-Mart to tell them to say NO to cypress mulch. For more information including phone numbers and talking points, visit the Mardi Gras Time Call-In Day Action Page.
As a budget-cutting measure the State of Florida is considering closing a number of state parks including Egmont Key State Park at the mouth of Tampa Bay, which as been managed since 1989 under a cooperative agreement between the State of Florida and the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Egmont Key is among the few remaining and critically important seabird nesting sites on the west coast of Florida, annually providing shelter and food for thousands of pairs of nesting gulls, terns, pelicans and other shorebirds. The Egmont Key State Park facilitates and controls public use and organizes volunteers on the island and provides around the clock rangers to protect its wildlife. If the state pulls out of Egmont Key, the island will be unprotected and subjected to disturbance and vandalism.
Last fall Birdlife International (http://www.birdlife.org) reported the accelerating pace of decline of the populations of the world’s 9,856 living bird species. On Florida’s west coast we have had a ring-side seat to this decline as we are one of the richest bird regions in the southeast, abundantly endowed with a variety of habitats and located on a key migratory flyway. Each spring and summer volunteers from local conservation groups struggle to protect the few remaining undisturbed nesting beaches and document the status of beach-nesting bird species.
The Birdlife International report attributes the causes of bird loss to a bewildering long list of human disturbances including industrial scale agriculture, logging, and fishing; mining and energy production; housing development; invasive species; and pollution. Additionally, the report predicts that climate change will cause major changes in the distribution and abundance of bird populations. Put more simply, the relentless growth of human populations, changing demographics and the increasing demand on natural areas, particularly barrier islands and beaches for development, recreation and resources are altering forever the natural systems of our planet.
The familiar Florida statistics are worth repeating. In 1900 our population was just over 500,000 people. By 2000 our population increased to just under 16 million—a 30-fold increase. Between 2004 and 2010, Florida's population is expected to increase from 17.5 million to 20 million. We are witnessing a the slow development of a crisis in our relationship with nature, one that will ultimately destroy our nationally famous life style and damage our economy which is so dependent upon tourism and untrammeled nature.
What can we do? Recent local actions, large and small, come immediately to mind, for example, the purchases of the large 871-acre Eldridge-Wilde well field in the Brooker Creek Preserve and the tiny Bird Island in Coffee Pot Bayou in St. Petersburg. We must continue to work with local governments to increase protection of multiple use public land as was done with the recent management plan for Shell Key-- another critical nesting site for seabirds.
Those of us of a certain age almost dare not think back to birds as we knew them 50 years ago. We will not recover the natural world of our youth. Here in this most populous of counties in a rapidly growing state, we must work harder to manage and protect as much undeveloped natural habitat as possible while there is time. We need no better reason to do this than the importance of birds and undisturbed nature to tourism and to our economy, but on a much deeper level we owe this to future generations.
Isolated and remote, Egmont Key State Park must continue to provide protection for birds that have no other place to nest. The Legislature must hear from concerned citizens this month.
John Ogden, Ph.D. is USF Professor of Biology and Director of the Florida Institute of Oceanography in St. Petersburg
Despite impassioned calls from national, regional, and local community and conservation organizations to protect habitat for Florida Black Bears, today the Coastal Rivers Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District voted to allow a controversial land swap to move forward.
This January 23-25, the Gulf Restoration Network hosted the Students United for A Healthy Gulf Leadership Conference at Tulane University in New Orleans. The group of 22 student leaders attending came from the Gulf Coast of Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi; as well as the New Orleans metro area, in order to gain the knowledge, skills, and inspiration to be effective advocates for a healthy Gulf.
On Friday evening, after an introduction to GRN by Executive Director, Cyn Sarthou, everyone got to know one another over a po-boy dinner and continued to build the community of students working on Gulf environmental issues.
Saturday consisted of issue briefings from GRN staff, followed by workshops to develop grassroots organizing skills, such as petitioning, tabling, and public speaking. Assisting the workshops were experienced GRN interns Jennifer Pipitone, Liz Doyaga, and Sunshine Bond, and students had the opportunity to get practical experience petitioning on Tulane's and Loyola's campuses.
Sunday capped off the weekend with a canoe trip along Cane Bayou that feeds into Lake Pontchartrain, with guidance from tour director Byron Almquist. Students got to witness first hand the natural beauty offered by Louisiana, while also seeing the unintended consequences of reckless development on our wetlands. With this inspiration, we held an impromptu Save Our Cypress rally at a Home Depot in Covington to protest the unsustainable production of cypress mulch.
Many thanks to Canoe and Trail Adventure for donating the guided canoe trip, and to Whole Foods for providing breakfast. Most of all, thanks to all the dedicated student activists who work with GRN to defend our Gulf!
This Thursday, February 19, 2009, join activists, gardeners, and concerned citizens throughout the Gulf in calling Lowe's, Home Depot, and Wal-Mart to tell them to say NO to cypress mulch. For more information including phone numbers and talking points, visit the Mardi Gras Time Call-In Day Action Page.
If you'd like to get more involved and help by recruiting friends to join in, you can find more information at the link below:
The Gulf Restoration Network is a diverse network of individuals and local, regional, and national groups committed to uniting and empowering people to protect and
restore the resources of the Gulf of Mexico region for future generations. Founded in 1994, the GRN has members in each of the five Gulf states.
Mardi Gras Time Call-In Coordinator Guide
