The Texas Gulf Coast got off relatively easy after the BP oil spill disaster, last year. The shorelines are clean, there are no dead baby dolphins washing up on the beach, and no chemical odors that deviate from what normally populated areas deal with anyway.
Because of the non-news coming from the area, when my husband and I went to Corpus Christi last weekend for an event celebrating environmentalism and land conservation, we fully expected to be living the spirit of "Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez" that infects the entire Gulf region. We couldn't wait to wash fresh fish down with Rum Runners and start socializing with the locals.
That's not exactly what we found, though. While the fresh fish was wonderful, the fluffy rum drink feel just wasn't there. Neither were many locals. In fact, there wasn't much there at all - just a bunch of buildings with bank logos on them, most of which were vacant. The restaurants and bars closed early because there is no business to justify staying open until even midnight.
Corpus is only one of many towns along the coast that's been hit hard by the economy and the oil spill. The businesses there thrive on oil, and with the shutdown of drilling after the spill, people had to either move away to find work or tough it out with the piecemeal work that was available. One tug boat captain I talked with said that because of the lack of work since the spill, and an influx of boats from the flooded northern states as added competition (a situation he sympathized with), he is afraid that he won't be able to continue to support his family without leaving town. He was heading to New Orleans, where oil work is on the rise.
Of course the situations from Louisiana to Florida are much worse because of the added destruction of fishing and wildlife areas. Tourism, the other big industry there, has taken a huge hit as well, adding another lash to the back an area that was still rebuilding after the 2005 hurricane season. The reminders are there for them every day, in oil on the ground, toxic fumes in the air, lack of work and now, lack of credit.
Dr. Steve Picou, a sociology professor who has studied the effects of the Exxon Valdez spill for 20 years, states that "Mental health difficulties caused by the Gulf oil spill are likely to linger through the next decade..." and that people involved in oyster harvesting and processing in areas as far away as Appalachicola, Florida were very depressed, even though they were no where near the spill area. The threat of possible future loss can cause depression and is affecting many people all around the gulf area. Although I'm not qualified to comment on any mental health statistics for Corpus Christi, there was definitely a sad aura going on, even listening to an old man doing country karaoke at Crawdaddy's, where there were two tables, including ours, enjoying the music.
If you've ever been to the gulf coast, you know the alternately laid-back and lively atmosphere, varied cultures and great food that it's known for. It's easy to forget about those who are still affected by a news story that was killed a couple of months after it broke, but the problem still exists. The warm people who take care of us on vacation, who have given us some of the best seafood in the world, and who have worked the dangerous drilling rig jobs to provide us with our oil-based addictions are as much in trouble as their land and waters are.
The NDRC's YouTube video, below, shows just how bad it still is along the gulf coast.
So what can you do? Here are some things that you can do to help the people along the gulf coast fight for their homes and livlihoods:
- They need the oil jobs, so take a moment to demand that congress implement reform of offshore oil and gas drilling
- Better yet, do you own a green company? Think about setting your company up in a gulf state and hiring those who have lost their jobs because of the oil spill. If given an option, I'll bet they'd love to stick it to big oil.
- Travel to the gulf coast. Beaches and sport fishing tours aren't the only things those states have to offer!
- Keep up with real time updates from Tulane University about the situation on the coast.
- Contact BP and give them a piece of your mind. Not that it would help, but it might drive them nuts if enough people clogged their phone lines, since they offer no email.
what a sad story. I hope they make a comeback. Thanks for giving us options for helping out.