Author Archives: Leo Denton

Hands Across the Sand – And Facts Across the Gulf

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Hands Across the Sand at Dauphin Island, Alabama

Hands Across the Sand at Dauphin Island, Alabama, photographed June 26, 2010 by Dawn McKinney

Federal gulf waters closed to fishing due to potentially hazardous conditions

Federal gulf waters closed to fishing due to potentially hazardous conditions

Surface oil in gulf pictured by NASA satellite

Surface oil in gulf, photographed June 19, 2010 by NASA's Terra satellite

 Theresa Robinson, Hands-Across-the-Sand participant, summed it up, “I’m into the positive direction of this. I know we can’t stop off-shore oil tomorrow, but I know we need to be moving in that direction.”

Consider the following facts:
• There are over 78,000 square miles of federal gulf waters closed to fishing. A large portion of that water has surface or sub-surface oil or both. The spill area if centered in Montgomery would stretch down into Florida, encompass Birmingham and Gadsden, and stretch into Georgia encompassing Atlanta and surrounding communities.
• Despite better technology including insulation and more efficient cars, Americans now use 50% more energy per capita than Americans did in 1950 (we can learn valuable lessons from those days).
• Domestic off-shore oil only accounts for 8% of the American liquid/gas energy consumption.
• Less than half of the currently erupting oil is being collected even with the cap in place.
• The oil wells are less safe than advertised.
• We do not know how to control or stop the current eruption.

So what can I do responsibly for our priceless gulf? Lowering my energy consumption or conserving helps. Recycling helps. Riding bicycles and using public transportation helps. Affecting public policy to support and invest in clean energy helps too.

The huge area of spoiled environments is home for sea turtles, dolphins, birds, fish, crabs, etc. How would we feel if the oil was erupting in our neighborhoods from Atlanta and Birmingham, to Montgomery, to Florida with no end in sight?

Today, I am so grateful to everyone who came to Hands Across the Sand, not just on Dauphin Island, but everywhere. It was great experience meeting new people and joining hands together for a new direction that needs to happen. We would love to have more pictures of our event, so please send your pictures to uheditor@gmail.com. Thanks!

Enthusiastic college students added much to Hands Across the Sand

Enthusiastic college students on Dauphin Island added much to Hands Across the Sand, photographed June 26, 2010 by Theresa Robinson

 

Time to Join Hands

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Leo, Julita, and Edward invite you to Hands Across the Sand

Leo, Julita, and Edward invite you to Hands Across the Sand on Dauphin Island's public beach, photographed June 24, 2010

This Saturday, June 26, all across the United States, Hands across the Sand events will take place (see http://www.handsacrossthesand.com for a location near you). Hands across the Sand is an event for people who want to say “No” to off-shore drilling and “Yes” to cleaner energy alternatives. It’s not for everybody. But for those who support this message it is a collective opportunity to make their voices heard. If you agree with this message, please come, bring family and friends, and make your voice heard!

For Dauphin Island’s Hands Across the Sand, people will begin gathering at the public beach around 11:00 AM and will join hands for 15 minutes at 12:00 noon.

Hopefully this environmental disaster and events like Hands Across the Sand will help us realize the importance of finding more responsible ways of obtaining and using energy.

Scoring Goals for Others

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Island soccer at the Baptist Church fieldThis spring Island Soccer started at the Dauphin Island Elementary school yard with Tracey and Zicky Hart, mother and son, playing soccer together. The school yard, however, was taken over by BP, but that didn’t stop the families that have joined the fun. “We’re very grateful that the Baptist Church is letting us play on their field,” says Tracey Hart. Now each Tuesday and Thursday evenings beginning at 6:00 P.M. David Hart and other parents coordinate the children’s soccer. Evening matches have featured the Mayos against the Mustards, the Giraffes against Zebras, and Tacos against the Pizzas. As Tracey says, “Come on out and join the fun!” The oil disaster continues but positive people and positive communities keep making positive differences.

This Saturday, June 26, all across the United States, Hands across the Sand events will take place. Hands across the Sand is an event for people who want to say “No” to off-shore drilling and “Yes” to cleaner energy alternatives. It’s not for everybody. But for those who support this message it is a collective opportunity to make their voices heard. If you agree with this message, please come, bring family and friends, and make your voice heard!

For Dauphin Island’s Hands Across the Sand, people will begin gathering at the public beach around 11:00 AM and will join hands for 15 minutes at 12:00 noon.

The In Touch tab above now features stories about “folks on a mission.” If you would like to contribute links regularly to In Touch, contact me at uheditor@gmail.com. Current and upcoming topics include “Earth,” “Folks on a Mission,” “Arts,” “Humor,” … (feel free to suggest topics too).

When Natural Disasters are Bad Enough who Needs Oil Spills

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Tropical outlook by National Hurricane CenterThe National Hurricane Center is watching a tropical wave in the Caribbean Sea. This system could develop into a tropical storm and enter the Gulf of Mexico next week. The effects of any tropical storms or hurricanes on the oil eruption, gulf environment, capping efforts, and clean-up efforts are anyone’s guess. Predicting the number of hurricanes is hardly an exact science, but published predictions for a hyper-active hurricane season are rattling nerves already exhausted by vacations lost, jobs lost, habitats lost, and lives lost.

Hurricanes are just part of life, but the prevention of future oil spills can be accomplished with sensible, courageous decisions.

Hands across the Sand

This Saturday, June 26, all across the United States, Hands across the Sand events will take place. Hands across the Sand is an event for people who want to say “No” to off-shore drilling and “Yes” to cleaner energy alternatives. It’s not for everybody. But for those who support this message it is a collective opportunity to make their voices heard. If you agree with this message, please come, bring family and friends, and make your voice heard!

On Dauphin Island, people will begin gathering at the public beach around 11:00 AM and will join hands for 15 minutes at 12:00 noon.