Author Archives: Leo Denton

Lest We Forget

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Oil on Dauphin Island

Weeks have gone by and plenty of oil west of Katrina Cut on Dauphin Island still needs to be cleaned up, photographed July 16, 2010.

Earlier this year, Haiti was devastated by an earthquake. Over 200,000 people died. Despite the scope of this catastrophe, I hardly think of this anymore. It’s hardly visible to me. I need to change that because Haiti must still have tremendous needs.

The same scenario is about to be played out with the oil spill here. Like the Alaskan communities still suffering from the Exxon Valdez disaster, our environmental, health, economic, and community needs may easily be forgotten. Yes, BP and the government have promised to do all they can. But what can we, the people, do to fill the many needs that will go unmet? What can we do, to see that this kind of event be prevented in the future? I believe that our contribution as regular people can be momentous.

Under the News tab above, please check out our new section for the Haiti Earthquake.

You are invited to a brainstorming meeting about continued community focus and action on the oil spill. We as a group or groups will share about opportunities, needs, experiences, and resources. We will also generate ideas and inspire one another to be more aware, more focused, and more able to make a difference in our coastal communities. Rachel Guillory of Oceana and Leo Denton will facilitate the meeting.

The Future of the Gulf Community Brainstorm will be Wedneday, July 21, 7:00 – 8:30 P.M. at the Shelby Center at the Dauphin Island Sealab at 101 Bienville Boulevard on Dauphin Island. See Facebook event too.

A message from Alabama Coastal Foundation and Mobile Baykeeper:

“We encourage those of you who can give of your time to join those already working to protect our shores.  We have now trained over 300 Volunteer Field Observers to monitor Alabama’s shoreline.  Some of these volunteers have already devoted more than a month of their time doing weekly monitoring, and we are in need of a fresh group of volunteers as we continue to monitor for effects from oil.  Our next Volunteer Field Observer training will take place on Thursday, July 22 from 3:00 – 4:30 pm with a second training from 6:00 – 7:30 pm.  All trainings take place at 5 N Jackson street in Downtown Mobile. Please register by emailing saveourgulf@mobilebaykeeper.org to reserve your space.  Please make sure to let us know which training you wish to attend.”

Ongoing Challenge

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Now that the oil spill leak is potentially sealed, how soon will the ongoing Gulf oil problem be forgotten, out-of-sight and out-of-mind?

You are invited to a brainstorming meeting about continued community focus and action on the oil spill. The purpose of this meeting is to generate ideas on how people can continue their involvement with environmental, health, economic, and community needs, and how people can work to keep a disaster like this from happening ever again. Rachel Guillory of Oceana and Leo Denton will facilitate the meeting.

The Future of the Gulf Community Brainstorm will be Wedneday, July 21, 7:00 – 8:30 P.M. at the Shelby Center at the Dauphin Island Sealab at 101 Bienville Boulevard on Dauphin Island. See Facebook event too.

Below are two beautiful videos about the Gulf of Mexico.

 

What a People!

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Jeff McCollough and others prepare to help animals affected by oil disaster

Jeff McCollough and others prepare to help animals affected by oil disaster, photographed July 14, 2010.

Training workshop for the peer listening program presented by Dr. Steve Picou

Training workshop for the peer listening program presented by Dr. Steve Picou in Bayou La Batre, photographed July 14, 2010.

The gulf coast is not just home for tragedies and crises. It’s the home of incredible people! In 2004 numerous hurricanes struck Florida and the northern gulf coast including Hurricane Ivan. Other areas suffered greatly too particularly with Hurricane Jeanne. 2005 brought more destruction with numerous communities all along the coast from Central America to United States and throughout the Caribbean being devastated from severe hurricanes including Dennis, Emily, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. With barely a breather if that, rough economic times came our way and are indeed affecting the whole world. And now we’re in month three of the oil disaster.

Today we are shocked at the inept care that was given to our environment and shocked at the long-term environmental destruction of our home and the home of so many other creatures too. Yet positive energy is the focus of so many people! “I love Dauphin Island!” “I love Bayou La Batre!” “I love Louisiana!” “I love Mississippi!” “I love my community!” “I care about you!” “Let’s help one another!” “Let’s take care of our environment!” We are a people who have kept coming back! We are a people who are still coming back today!

With confidence, even after all this and with whatever will come in the future, be it natural or unnatural disasters, I know that we will continue to live positively. There’s an incredible faith inside all of us, a faith that creates an unconquerable, spirited synergy between us, a faith that is lived out in innumerable acts of kindness, friendship, and generous initiative.

Volunteer update

There is a new volunteer program being offered on the gulf coast called “peer listening.” Peer listening is a community service that proved valuable in the wake of the Exxon Valdez disaster. Training workshops are currently being conducted in Alabama and Mississippi coastal communities. According to the program’s website (which contains lots of helpful information), “peer listening is a type of support that occurs when people provide knowledge, experience, emotional, social or practical help to each other.” Pictured above is a training workshop that was held in Bayou La Batre yesterday.

Mystery Object is “Riser Foam” from Deepwater Horizon Explosion

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Riser foam with oil from Deepwater Horizon explosion

Riser foam with oil from Deepwater Horizon explosion, photographed July 11, 2010.

Our mystery object from the July 11 post has been identified as “riser foam” from the Deepwater Horizon explosion. This foam may have originated near the blowout preventer and may hold clues to the catastrophe.

As BP announces progress on the oil cap, oil continues to plague Dauphin Island. What will our response be when the leak is finally capped? Will it be business as usual?

Great Blue Heron at Billy Goat Hole on Dauphin Island

Open-mouthed Great Blue Heron at Billy Goat Hole on Dauphin Island, photographed July 13, 2010

Herons and people need to be careful at the rocks at Billy Goat Hole and Fort Gaines because of toxic oil

Herons and people need to be careful at the rocks at Billy Goat Hole and Fort Gaines because of toxic oil, photographed on July 13, 2010