The Louisiana Gulf Coast, YOU Should Care

[Punum]

I just returned from a trip to New Orleans. I attended the Gulf Coast Strategic Planning Conference, Assisting Animals in Need. I met a lot of wonderful people who care about animals and the world we live in. I realized, by the end of the weekend, just how connected we all are in
the world. This situation was manmade and will have consequences that
are far reaching. I see it as a wake-up call.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) had been invited to make a presentation at the conference. The Coordinator of NOAA’s “Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program” was going to attend. The morning of the conference they pulled out and said they would not send a replacement. They would not say why the pulled out.

We did get to hear presentations from:

1. Paul Berry, former CEO of Best Friends Animal Society.

2. Beau Gast, LA Wildlife Rehabilitation Association and Clearwater Wildlife Sanctuary

3. David Vitter, Louisiana Senator

4. John Young, Chairman of Jefferson Parish Council (He was awarded the “Pioneer Spirit Award”)

5. Billy Nungesser, President of Plaquemines Parish (He was awarded the “Pioneer Spirit Award”)

Billy Nungesser is a very generous man and cares about the public! I told him that I wanted to go out in the marshes and see what is going on, with my own eyes. Billy called P.J. Hahn ( Director, Coastal Zone Management Dept.) who arranged for me to go out on the boat. Billy told me that anyone else who attended the conference could join me. We had about 15 people go out on Billy’s boats.

Two weeks ago Billy took Philippe Cousteau out on his boat so he could show Philippe the impact the oil has had. That trip will was taped and will be seen on National Geographic in October. Jean-Michel Cousteau had interviewed Billy back in May. This issue is very important to Billy. You can hear some of his thoughts by watching the video below.



I want to thank Joshua Lee for coming on the boat and being my photographer for the day.(www.Joshualeestudio.com)

Jeff Dorson, Executive Director for The Humane Society of Louisiana, said he was glad he was able to go out and see what is happening in the Gulf. The very first thing we saw when we arrived at
the dock was shocking! There was a very large area of land that was fenced in with a sign saying: “Warning, Do Not Enter, Hazardous Material”. PJ said that was the area where booms and equipment were housed. He said it was so full that you could barely walk in there. Had I arrived 6
days earlier I would have seen it myself. Unfortunately, BP is taking everything out of the region and nothing was left, except a few booms. (See below).

I did see tar balls floating in the water. They are NOT gone. I also saw oil slicks on top of that water.

Once we pulled out of the dock we saw, immediately, how slack the care for this oil situation had become. Booms were not in place. Many of the booms that were in place were covered in oil. We also saw a number of BP workers on their boats but they were not doing any work. Here are a few pictures from the first canal we went down, the first 5 minutes of our day.

The oil disaster has been a challenge in many ways. Since the oil leak began, BP has been adding dispersants to the water. The first 2 months they used Corexit 9527. There is proof that this product is harmful to animals and humans. After 20 years, the people affected by the Exxon disaster are still getting sick and cancer from the use of this dispersant. The past 2 months BP has been using Corexit 9500. They say they don’t think it is as hazardous, but who wants to find out the hard way? I was naive about dispersants before my trip. I found out that it works like soap when you do your dishes. It breaks down the oil over time by depleting the oxygen. I have also had people contact me about “natural” options that can be used like the dispersants and the won’t harm animals or people. I have a friend who is doing private testing of the water and dispersants. I hope the results will shed light on how damaging the product really is.
I am not sure anyone really knows what is safe, and will work, since nothing like this has ever happened before. Most of the other products I had people tell me about sound good but have never been tested for something as large as this. Using products in the Gulf of Mexico is not the same as testing them in a swimming pool.

Today I was informed that there are still 100 birds A DAY being treated for oil exposure. The media has us thinking that the worst is over. From what I have seen, and heard, I think we have a long way to go. PJ told me that he has seen a number of oiled birds that needed help ASAP! PJ calls the 800 number that NOAA and Wildlife and Fisheries tell you to call. He said they ask you questions like:

1. What restaurant are you close to?

2. What are the cross streets?

He tells them he is in the middle of a marsh with an oiled bird and then he gets no response. If he can’t get an oiled bird helped, with all of his connections, how
can we trust that this oil situation is being taken care of properly?

This situation has a far reaching affect on everyone, everywhere. The first step is to find alternatives to oil. The US consumes so much more than any other country in the world. In addition, we import most of it from other countries, like Canada. It’s not like we are buying our own oil. The world we live in is amazing! This planet has been through so much and keeps on going. It has the ability to regenerate itself, no matter what the human population does to it. Unfortunately, regeneration takes a lot of time and it is being destroyed much faster than it can be repaired. I hope this is a wake-up call and the world can learn from this situation. Let’s take steps to improve the way we live. Humans are so intelligent. We are so advanced in medicine, technology, etc. At the same time we seem to destroy things faster than we are advancing.

I was really glad I got to go to New Orleans. I realize how much that place means to me. It is
one of the most unique, interesting, culture rich places you will ever
visit.

You have to go visit and check it out yourself!!

Governor Jindal has declared August 20th Louisiana Wildlife Appreciation Day!

Here is a Copy of the Proclamation

As they say in Louisiana: Laissex Les Bons Temps Rouler…..Let The Good Times Roll!!!

To see more pictures, videos, read more updated information about this situation and comment, click here.