Gulfwaves: Offshore Drilling Debate Heats Up

In This Issue July 31, 2008  1) This week at HealthyGulf.org 2) GRN Weighs in on Offshore Drilling Debate 3) Dead Zone Grows, GRN Demands EPA Action 4) GRN Joins Allies in Lawsuit to Stop Phosphate Mining 5) EPA Fails to Enforce Clean Water Act 6) MRGO Must Go Event 7) Protecting Wetlands Saves States Billions 8) Mosquitoes: Protectors of Our Last Wild Places 9) Vote for the Ocean Conservancy 10) Jobs Donate Now!

1. This week at HealthyGulf.org Blogging for a Healthy Gulf: Mississippi River Oil Spill Paints Messy Picture in Offshore Drilling Debate.  With 100 miles of dark, slick oil covering its surface, the Mississippi River winds its way towards the Gulf of Mexico, leaving citizens across the nation once again reminded of the many reasons why we must move beyond our dependence on oil. Check out our blog at to get the full story. And to learn more on the effects of the recent oil spill, check out, a GRN member group, the Louisiana Environmental Action Network's website for the latest report from their ground patrol.  Action Alert: Host a Katrinaversary House Party It's up to you to remind our nation and its leaders that the people of the Gulf Coast still need help. This year on Katrina's anniversary, Friday, August 29th, join together with your friends, family, neighbors and other GRN supporters to speak out! Make a difference by hosting a house party in your neighborhood and screening New Orleans: Past, Present, Future?", by Walter Williams a series of three short films that document the evolution of our coastal wetlands crisis and the solutions for our survival. Click here to sign up to host a party! Commit to the coast, get a great t-shirt and a chance to see REM and others in New Orleans. Making a monthly gift of your choice today to the Gulf Restoration Network that is automatically charged to your account is the easiest way to have a large and lasting impact on our organization and not on your finances. Join between now and you'll get entered in a our first drawing on August 1st for a VIP pass to the Voodoo Experience in New Orleans and a GRN T-shirt! 2. GRN Weighs In on the Offshore Drilling Debate As we continue to deal with high gas prices, it's become apparent that we can't drill our way out of this mess.  Now reporters are looking to the leading organization in the Gulf to get our opinion!  GRN staff members, Cynthia Sarthou and Aaron Viles, were just featured in a USA Today front-page spread on this issue and the impacts from the oil and gas industry in Louisiana.  Or listen to Joe Murphy, our Florida Program Director's interview here on the impacts of Governor Crist's recent reversal in support of offshore drilling along Florida's coasts. 3. Dead Zone Grows: GRN Demands EPA Action Following the announcement of the second largest Gulf Dead Zone to-date, GRN and thirteen other conservation groups filed a petition with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  The EPA has neglected its responsibility under the federal Clean Water Act to limit pollution in the Mississippi River and Gulf. The petition asks the EPA to set standards for nitrogen and phosphorus pollution which cause the Dead Zone and require all states in the Mississippi River basin meet those standards.  To view a history of EPA's failure to address the Dead Zone, click here. 4. GRN Joins Allies in Lawsuit to Stop Phosphate Mining The Gulf Restoration Network joined the Sierra Club, Earthjustice, Manasota-88, and People for the Protection of the Peace River this week in filing a lawsuit in Florida against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for failure to follow the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act in the Corps' permitting of large phosphate strip mines in the Peace River watershed. Hundreds of acres of wetlands could be destroyed by the strip mining, and one of Florida's most valuable estuaries, Charlotte Harbor, could be forever damaged by the pollution and reduced freshwater flows that would result from more phosphate mining in central and southwest Florida.  5. EPA Fails to Enforce Clean Water Act In a related story at The Miami Herald reported this week that Federal Judge Alan Gold recently ruled that the U.S. EPA had failed to implement or enforce the Clean Water Act when reviewing and permitting water pollution in the Everglades. When state and federal regulatory agencies fail to protect the public interest or the environment and won't do their jobs, groups like GRN take them to court to force them to act. It's too bad they won't do it on their own. It kind of makes you wonder where all those tax dollars go. 6. MRGO Must Go Event We need your help to continue our call for a plan to close the MRGO (Mississippi River Gulf Outlet navigation canal) which would ensure that wetlands would get rebuilt. Join the MRGO Must Go Coalition on Wednesday, August 6th at 11 a.m. in the Lower 9th Ward at the Corner of Caffin and St. Claude Avenues in New Orleans. We'll be distributing yard signs and gaining support for a MRGO closure plan that includes wetland restoration. If you can't make the event, but want a sign please visit the MRGO Must Go website . 7. Protecting Wetlands Saves State Billions A new study helps put a dollar amount on protecting wetlands and restoring our coast. An important tool as we battle ever-increasing requests to destroy wetlands in the name of economic development! According to its author, Louisiana has lost over $29 billion in flood protection benefits from the loss of critical, coastal wetlands over the past century. Check out this article from The Times Picayune for the full story.  8. Mosquitoes: Protectors of Our Last Wild Places While most of us find mosquitoes an annoyance that must be squashed, science writer David Quammen gives us another thought to contemplate. These pesky insects may be the last great defender of "ecological diversity-who's been willing to bite to defend her turf "  Hear the full NPR story here. 9. Vote for the Ocean Conservancy Start a Sea Change by showing your support for GRN Member Group, the Ocean Conservancy! This year, Stonyfield Farm will donate $100,000 to the Ocean Conservancy and two other nonprofits through their annual Bid With Your Lid promotion. The more votes you cast, the more money they will receive. You can vote today for the Ocean Conservancy or mail in the lids of any Stonyfield yogurt products. For more information on the Ocean Conservancy and their great work, visit their website. 10. Jobs Fundraiser and Grantwriter, Alliance for Affordable Energy. Send resume to all4energy@gmail.com. Senior Communications Associate, Ending Overfishing in the Southeast, Pew Environmental Group. More here. Love getting these Gulf updates? Please consider supporting our work to protect and restore the natural resources of the Gulf by making a donation to the GRN. Your tax-deductible contribution helps us protect wetlands, fight for clean water, and create a healthy Gulf. Gulfwaves is bi-weekly publication of the Gulf Restoration Network. To submit stories you'd like to see in this summary of Gulf enviro issues, email gulfwaves@healthygulf.org.