As Antonia Juhasz reports this week in The Nation, what is perhaps the worst public health tragedy in the last fifty years continues to unfold — the fallout of the BP oil spill and cleanup taking place in the Gulf. Compounding the injustice are BP and the government’s efforts to elide and misplace responsibility for the suffering.
TO DOThe health hazards to Gulf residents in the wake of the "toxic gumbo" of chemicals unleashed by the oil spill and cleanup have produced enormous suffering. The RESTORE Act, being shepherded through both houses of Congress by Louisiana legislators Rep. Steve Scalise and Sen. Mary Landrieu, would designate 80 percent of the fines from the 2010 oil spill for the five Gulf States thus providing a chance for those who were devastated by the oil spill to reclaim their lives. On April 17, the House passed the act. Now the legislation goes to the Senate. Please implore your Senators to support the RESTORE Act and move it quickly to passage. Tell them that it’s outrageous that, nearly two years after the spill, not a single bill has been signed into law to protect or restore the ecosystem and communities of the Gulf. After making your voice heard, share this info with friends, family, Facebook friends and Twitter followers.
TO READThe Audubon Society’s Citizen’s Guide to the RESTORE Act makes the case for why the legislation is so important and is a useful resource in educating others about how to support this critical investment in Gulf restoration.
TO WATCHIn the wake of the BP Oil Disaster, Gulf Coast residents detail some of the formidable health challenges they’ve faced in conversation with the Louisiana Environmental Action Network‘s Kindra Arnesen.
A weekly guide to meaningful action, this blog connects readers with resources to channel the outrage so many feel after reading about abuses of power and privilege. Far from a comprehensive digest of all worthy groups working on behalf of the social good, Take Action seeks to shine a bright light on one concrete step that Nation readers can take each week. To broaden the conversation, we’ll publish a weekly follow-up post detailing the response and featuring additional campaigns and initiatives that we hope readers will check out. Toward that end, please use the comments field to give us ideas. With your help we can make real change.
