Monthly Archives: August 2010

Disasters and Normalcy

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Local disasters grab our attention and bring disruption. To survive and help, we wake up, pull together, pray, and rearrange our priorities. But once the recovery is in sight, it’s back to “normal.” But our normal is disasterous too, doomed to perpetuate itself. Too often our normal means accepting that millions who lack quality opportunities never graduate from high school. Too often it means accepting that millions of needy people end up in prison and too often it means accepting that millions suffer alone.

About a week ago, I met a commercial fisherman in his sixties from Bayou La Batre. His father and his sons were fisheman too. He said, “Before this happened [the Deepwater Horizons oil catastrophe], I never realized how important and worthwhile the gulf is. I just took it for granted.” This fisherman’s honesty helped me see that we need a different kind of normal that is not blind-sided by disasters. We need a new normal where our priorities for people and nature are always ready and alert for disasters. Simply put, we belong to those who need us and we need to live fully and alertly for others. The call of Jesus still rings out, “Be awake!”

Future of the Gulf Community Brainstorm on Saturday

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Artist, Lori Bosarge, with one of her signs

Artist, Lori Bosarge, with one of her signs, photographed July 19, 2010

Our next Future of the Gulf Community Brainstorm is this Saturday, August 21 at 2:00 to 4:00 P.M at the Shelby Center at the Dauphin Island Sealab – 101 Bienville Blvd. Dauphin Island.

We will be following up on our July meeting and creating action items that each of us can start working on. At the beginning of the meeting, some environmental groups will give five minute overviews of what they’re currently doing and how people can get involved with their work. After that, we’ll meet in smaller groups and discuss the specific concerns that we want to work on, the goals we hope to accomplish, and the actions we can each take to get us closer to those goals.

Everyone who came to last month’s meeting brought a lot of passion and dedication to the discussion. If this is your first meeting that’s great too! Let’s keep the momentum going and turn our passion into action! Your presence is very important to us all! Also please take a moment or two to invite some friends or family who might be interested in our meeting.

Thanks!

The Rainforest Dream

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You are walking through a beautiful rainforest. The forest is filled with tropical plants, bright vibrantly colored flowers, and huge magnificent trees. Birds are filling the air with their calls and there is the rushing sound of a nearby river. You are walking with a good friend from a far off land and culture, a special person who embodies the inner goodness that is in all people. Together you are thrilled to be in this tropical paradise. Soon you see a huge tree with a curved trunk. Because of the way it is curved, you and your friend can walk right up the trunk. On the trunk, you walk up to a huge branch as wide as two elephants standing side by side. The branch is quite long and goes out over the river. Excitedly you run across the branch taking in all the beauty of the leaves, flowers, birds, and small animals among the branches. Pausing you look below and see the river, a gorgeous, sparkling-clear, large river. You’re about 50 feet above the river, and the river is about 40 feet deep, but it’s so clear you can see its white sandy bottom. You and your friend are taken by the sight and without talking you know just what to do. You jump and when you jump, you and your friend turn into eagles, beating your wings vigorously as you soar straight up above the forest and into the beautiful blue sky. Still together flying high above the immense green forest, you fold your wings and let yourselves fall rapidly though the forest and toward the river. Crashing into the river, you regain your human forms and in a curved motion go deep into the water and turning with tremendous momentum pop up to surface. Thrilled and smiling at one another, you and your friend tread water and begin to notice that the rushing waters of the river have ceased to be rushing. The waters are now gently swirling around you. Looking around in wonder, you feel something mysterious coming. You sense its friendship with the whole rainforest. Without sound, color, or anything else perceptible, but with unmistakable power, a deep message begins to reverberate within the forest: “For a reward this great, you have to work hard! For a reward this great, you have to work hard! For a reward this great, you have to work hard! …” The message impacts you deeply and wakes you from your sleep.

This dream from 1997 still fills me joy. Now it’s your dream too. All is gift but our hard work is needed too. Our communion with the Friend of All requires communion with nature too.

Here are two videos about different kinds of rain forests.

Public ‘Forum’ Lacks ‘Open Discussion’

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Today the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management held a public “forum” in Mobile on whether the six-month moratorium prohibiting new drilling should be suspended early. The purpose of the moratorium is to allow for renewed consideration of oil well safety reforms, oil spill containment issues, and oil spill recovery and response strategies. While Steve Russell, a representative from the Mobile Chamber of Commerce, was given a prominent speaking role, no Mobile area environmental leader was allowed to speak at the “forum.” Steve Russell provided the audience a simplistic the-wells-are-safe and we-need-jobs message asking for a halt to the moratorium and asking for increased drilling. His lack of appreciation for the magnitude of the current problem and his lack of appreciation for the ongoing safety and environmental issues were appalling.

The one speaker from an environmental organization, Manley Fuller of the Florida Wildlife Federation, insisted that the current general plans for oil spill catastrophes be beefed up to include worst case scenarios such as oil spill recovery efforts complicated by major hurricanes and simultaneous oil catastrophes. Representing the State of Florida well, he restated Florida’s stance against any new drilling near Florida.

In other highlights, Dr. Edward Overton, an LSU professor, stated that “the booms were not particularly effective” and the coordination of clean-up efforts were characterized by a “lack of nimbleness.” Dr. George Crozier of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab questioned the use of dispersants in deep water and spoke of “profound uncertainties” connected with that use. To further our knowledge of the gulf, Dr. Crozier asked for deep water research tools that would enable research in the gulf waters at depths of 3000 feet and more where we have insufficient scientific knowledge.

David Underhill appeared outside the room wearing duct tape over his mouth succinctly symbolizing the lack of public participation allowed at the forum. The audience was not allowed to even ask questions and was told to remain silent at all times.

If you would like to express your opinion to the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, you may submit your opinion at http://boemre.gov/forums . In my own comments, I underscored the importance of clean environmentally friendly energy sources that could also provide area jobs and not further jeopardize numerous community jobs such as the jobs currently lost in fishing and tourism.
Jerry Pogue of Mobile discusses his concerns with passersby

Jerry Pogue of Mobile discusses his concerns with passersby, photographed August 10, 2010.

Heather Emmert speaks with the press after the forum

Though not allowed to speak at the forum Heather Emmert of Environment America speaks with the press after the forum, photographed August 10, 2010.

David Underhill silently holds his sign

David Underhill silently holds his sign outside the forum, photographed August 10, 2010.