Guarding the Coast: Locals Join ‘Hands’ Against Oil Drilling
by Jennifer Feals
RYE – The message was a strong one as hundreds of locals locked hands Saturday, joining thousands across the nation, in the Hands Across the Sand demonstration against off-shore oil drilling.
![[People hold hands during a Hands Across the Sand event Saturday, June 26, 2010 along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico in Gulfport, Miss. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) ]](http://www.commondreams.org/files/article_images/handsacrossthesand.jpg "handsacrossthesand.jpg")
People hold hands during a Hands Across the Sand event Saturday, June 26, 2010 along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico in Gulfport, Miss. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)“We gotta clean up the trash. We gotta keep the water clean or the fish will die,” said Riley Pearson, 5, of Derry, in her wet bathing suit as her hands linked with family members on each side whose hands held those of complete strangers.
The chain of human hands continued along the beach wall at Wallis Sands State Park in Rye for 15 minutes Saturday afternoon. Earlier in the morning, approximately 50 people gathered at Prescott Park carrying signs reading “Another Fish for Solar” and “Make Energy Clean,” while chanting sentiments like “BP’s gotta pay” and “What do we want? Clean energy. When do we want it? Now.”
“We’re here because of the oil disaster we’ve seen in the Gulf of Mexico and none of us are happy about it,” said Cathy Corkery, organizer of the Prescott Park demonstration. “Not only are we appalled by what’s going on and the handling by BP, but we’re really upset at the impacts to the communities and the wildlife.”
The demonstrations come in the wake of the BP oil spill that started in the Gulf of Mexico April 20, and which has become the largest oil spill in U.S. history. At both Wallis Sands beach and Prescott Park, participants joined hands, demonstrating unity with those in the Gulf and their united front against off-shore oil drilling. The Seacoast gatherings took place at the same time as more than 600 other events planned around the country.
Pearson and other beach-goers joined in the demonstration after learning it was taking place at Wallis Sands.
“We’re a common family of people who respect and understand the love that’s required for mother earth,” said Elizabeth Anderson, 27, of Somersworth. “My generation has become so complacent because we have had such privileges. If this were the ’60s, we’d be sitting on the steps of Capitol Hill until the oil stopped.”
Sheila Butler, who has a home in Sarasota, Fla., and spends her summers in Jaffrey, held a sign showing a seal that read “Protect my home from big oil.” Before leaving for New Hampshire just weeks ago, Butler sat at her local beach in Florida watching a dolphin jump in the water. She was brought to tears at the concern the oil spill and its effects will hit that area.
“I had a real good cry before I left. I just thought, what if it comes here. It just breaks my heart,” said Butler, who is a wildlife activist. “People are very concerned and they have a right to be. Everybody, up and down the coast, people are cleaning up the beaches already. It’s like you’re sitting there waiting for a storm and you don’t know if this wind is going to blow or not.”
Demonstrators expressed discomfort at alleged untruths from BP and their disappointment with the oversight of the U.S. government.
The goal of Hands Across the Sand is to convince U.S. leaders to abandon off-shore oil drilling and adopt policies that encourage clean energy instead. Those at the Seacoast gatherings said it’s also about raising awareness not only of the large issue but that change can happen with everyone.
“It’s important as human beings that walk on this great planet to know that we all can make a difference,” said Stephanie Zydenbos-Heino at Prescott Park. “If it’s not buying the one bottle of water you conveniently need, every little bit matters. We can make a difference in our everyday activities. We can do it with love and respect.”
Every person should look in the mirror and say “What can I do today,” Anderson said. “I think the time for change is coming. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel. I drove here today, so next time I have to do better.”
Hands Across the Sand was founded by Floridian Dave Rauschkolb last October. It is endorsed by national environmental organizations including the Sierra Club, Audubon, Surfrider, Oceana, Greenpeace, Defenders of Wildlife, Alaska Wilderness League, Ocean Conservancy, Friends of the Earth, Environment America, 350, MoveOn.org, Center for Biological Diversity and CleanEnergy.org.
For more information, visit www.handsacrossthesand.org.
© 2010 SeacoastOnline
I don’t know if this article that was posted on Stormfront is true, but I am posting it here in case people want to talk about it. Maybe people who have more knowledge of this topic than I do would comment and tell us what they think?
vikingcelt
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Re: “Top Kill” (Gulf of Mexico oil leak) Has FAILED, officially
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The Liberty Blog: Scientists Warn Gulf Of Mexico Sea Floor Fractured “Beyond Repair”
A dire report circulating in the Kremlin today that was prepared for Prime Minister Putin by Anatoly Sagalevich of Russia’s Shirshov Institute of Oceanology warns that the Gulf of Mexico sea floor has been fractured “beyond all repair” and our World should begin preparing for an ecological disaster “beyond comprehension” unless “extraordinary measures” are undertaken to stop the massive flow of oil into our Planet’s eleventh largest body of water.
Most important to note about Sagalevich’s warning is that he and his fellow scientists from the Russian Academy of Sciences are the only human beings to have actually been to the Gulf of Mexico oil leak site after their being called to the disaster scene by British oil giant BP shortly after the April 22nd sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform.
BP’s calling on Sagalevich after this catastrophe began is due to his being the holder of the World’s record for the deepest freshwater dive and his expertise with Russia’s two Deep Submergence Vehicles MIR 1 and MIR 2 [photo 2nd left] which are able to take their crews to the depth of 6,000 meters (19,685 ft).
According to Sagalevich’s report, the oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico is not just coming from the 22 inch well bore site being shown on American television, but from at least 18 other sites on the “fractured seafloor” with the largest being nearly 11 kilometers (7 miles) from where the Deepwater Horizon sank and is spewing into these precious waters an estimated 2 million gallons of oil a day.
Interesting to note in this report is Sagalevich stating that he and the other Russian scientists were required by the United States to sign documents forbidding them to report their findings to either the American public or media, and which they had to do in order to legally operate in US territorial waters.
However, Sagalevich says that he and the other scientists gave nearly hourly updates to both US government and BP officials about what they were seeing on the sea floor, including the US Senator from their State of Florida Bill Nelson who after one such briefing stated to the MSNBC news service “Andrea we’re looking into something new right now, that there’s reports of oil that’s seeping up from the seabed… which would indicate, if that’s true, that the well casing itself is actually pierced… underneath the seabed. So, you know, the problems could be just enormous with what we’re facing.”
Though not directly stated in Sagalevich’s report, Russian scientists findings on the true state of the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster are beyond doubt being leaked to his longtime friend, and former US President George W. Bush’s top energy advisor Matthew Simmons, who US media reports state has openly said: “Matthew Simmons is sticking by his story that there’s another giant leak in the Gulf of Mexico blowing massive amounts of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. On CNBC’s Fast Money, he says he’d be surprised if BP lasted this summer, saying this is disaster is entirely BP’s fault.”
As a prominent oil-industry insider, and one of the World’s leading experts on peak oil, Simmons further warns that the US has only two options, “let the well run dry (taking 30 years, and probably ruining the Atlantic ocean) or nuking the well.”
Obama’s government, on the other hand, has stated that a nuclear option for ending this catastrophe is not being discussed, but which brings him into conflict with both Russian and American experts advocating such an extreme measure before all is lost, and as we can read as reported by Britain’s Telegraph News Service:
“The former Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.) used nuclear weapons on five separate occasions between 1966 and 1981 to successfully cap blown-out gas and oil surface wells (there was also one attempt that failed), which have been documented in a U.S. Department of Energy report on the U.S.S.R.’s peaceful uses of nuclear explosions.
Russia is now urging the United States to consider doing the same. Komsomoloskaya Pravda, the best-selling Russian daily newspaper, asserts that although based on Soviet experience there’s a one-in-five chance a nuke might not seal the well, it’s “a gamble the Americans could certainly risk.”
Reportedly, the U.S.S.R. developed special nuclear devices explicitly for closing blown-out gas wells, theorizing that the blast from a nuclear detonation would plug any hole within 25 to 50 meters, depending on the device’s power. Much as I had idly imagined, massive explosions can be employed to collapse a runaway well on itself, thus plugging, or at least substantially stanching, the flow of oil.
“Seafloor nuclear detonation is starting to sound surprisingly feasible and appropriate,” University of Texas at Austin mechanical engineer Michael E. Webber is quoted observing, while Columbia University visiting scholar on nuclear policy and former naval officer Christopher Brownfield wrote in the Daily Beast: “We should have demolished this well with explosives over a month ago. And yet we watch in excruciating suspense while BP fumbles through plan after plan to recover its oil and cover its asset.”
As to the reason for Obama’s government refusing to consider nuking this oil well, Sagalevich states in this report that the American’s “main concern” is not the environmental catastrophe this disaster is causing, but rather what the impact of using a nuclear weapon to stop this leak would have on the continued production of oil from the Gulf of Mexico, and which in an energy starved World remains the Planet’s only oil producing region able to increase its production.
On top of the environmental catastrophe currently unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico the situation may about to get even worse as new reports from the US are confirming the grim predictions of Russian scientists regarding the oil dispersement poisons being used by BP which are being swept up into the clouds and falling as toxic rain destroying every living plant it touches, and as we had detailed in our May 23rd report titled “Toxic Oil Spill Rains Warned Could Destroy North America”
To what the final outcome of this catastrophe will be it is not in our knowing other than to state the obvious that the choice facing the American’s today is to either stop this disaster now, by any means, or pay dearly for it later. After all, is cheap petrol really worth the cost of destroying our own Earth? BP surely thinks so, let’s keep hoping Obama doesn’t.
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” Interesting to note in this report is Sagalevich stating that he and the other Russian scientists were required by the United States to sign documents forbidding them to report their findings to either the American public or media, and which they had to do in order to legally operate in US territorial waters” (from the article)
Do I believe that the federal government would cover up the truth from the American public and media?
Yes, I do think it is possible that they would pressue people to lie and not tell the truth because of their fear that people knowing the truth might panic. I also think it is true that they might want to keep the media from knowing the truth so that they don’t report the truth to the American people.
I don’t think the reasons for hiding the truth is because it is some evil Jewish plot, but because they don’t have the character to stand up and face the press and the American people and tell us the TRUTH. They would rather deny the truth and lie to us than admit that they are over their heads and they can’t stop it. Instead of calling for people to embrace their faith and pray to their higher power for help, they would rather encourage people to mock faith, say that Catholics/Christians believe this is God’s judgement against a gay parade and homosexually, and the most shocking thing to me is the attitude of some that profess to be Catholic/Christian that God would destroy the planet because of homosexually when if they really knew God in their heart, they would know that our Christ is loving and wants to help us in life.
Maybe one of the reasons President Obama hasn’t called for a National Day of Prayer and Meditation is because just for mentioning the word God and trying to bring faith into it, he was blasted for it by so called fellow Progressives who seem to hate God. I know they hate our Catholic/Christian faith by the way they seem to bringing Catholics/Christians and our God into the equation with their comments that we want to see the planet destroyed. Sin seems to be a word that can’t be said anymore.
GREED is a SIN. SELFISHNESS is a SIN too. God could be trying to warn us that our GREED and SELFISH behavior is the CAUSE. It isn’t Catholics/Christians or our God who is bringing this upon it us, it is OUR OWN BEHAVIOR that has broght this upon us. Having a culture of GREED and CORRUPTION in our federal government for decades so don’t just go blaming Bush. Not having a federal government under the Democrats who has the courage to stand up and tell the truth and take this country back for the American people is another problem. BOTH POLITICAL PARTIES ARE MORE TO BLAME FOR THIS DISASTER THAN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OR JESUS CHRIST.
YES, things are really bad, and no matter how hard I pray it just gets worst and worst. So yes, I believe it is possible that the truth is that this oil volcano or more than one on the bottom of the ocean might only be stopped with God’s intervention. Oh, but that is right as a Progressive we are not supposed to bring God into the equation without being refered to as crazy, lumped together with Sarah Palin and all the others that Progressives like to blame. Boths political parties had better start developing the courage to take an honest look at their role and their behavior and admit they are WRONG too and stop being miss cheerleader for your political party right or wrong attitude that is found in both the Democratic and Republican party.
You are pushing good Americans who are in the middle and who being pragmatic people agree with points that both parties make but do not like the extreme views of both sides. If you are in the middle these days because you value the truth and put the nation first over political party many times you are hated by both sides because you dont’ walk lockstep 100% in agreement with either the Democratic party or the Republican Party. As long as we put the game of politics ahead of the nation and the American people we will continue to see the mishandling of this disaster and the true extent of what is happening being kept away from the American press and the American people.
” As a prominent oil-industry insider, and one of the World’s leading experts on peak oil, Simmons further warns that the US has only two options, “let the well run dry (taking 30 years, and probably ruining the Atlantic ocean) or nuking the well.”
Obama’s government, on the other hand, has stated that a nuclear option for ending this catastrophe is not being discussed, but which brings him into conflict with both Russian and American experts advocating such an extreme measure before all is lost, and as we can read as reported by Britain’s Telegraph News Service:
The former Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.) used nuclear weapons on five separate occasions between 1966 and 1981 to successfully cap blown-out gas and oil surface wells (there was also one attempt that failed), which have been documented in a U.S. Department of Energy report on the U.S.S.R.’s peaceful uses of nuclear explosions.
Russia is now urging the United States to consider doing the same. Komsomoloskaya Pravda, the best-selling Russian daily newspaper, asserts that although based on Soviet experience there’s a one-in-five chance a nuke might not seal the well, it’s “a gamble the Americans could certainly risk.” (from the article)
Again this report of Obama not even considering the option doesn’t surprise me either as he has refused helped, waiting for days to even respond to the nation who offered help and treating them like crap, and acting like he is doing something when in fact he is not doing enough. All Presidents are like that. Pose for pictures to look like they are doing something and then fly off for romantic weekends and having fun on the gold course. He had the chance for large skimmers and he refused or didn’t even have the social grace to answer them back. He is relying on boons that are not working very well and is doing very little to clean up the mess. Yes, it is BP fault, but it is also Obama’s fault for his reaction or should I say lack of reaction.
We have some Progressives who feel if one stands up and tells the truth and speaks ill of Obama that they are a traitor and are lumped with the Glen Beck’s of the world. Some of us Progressives have valid reasons for not thinking President Obama is doing a good job as President and shouldn’t be elected, and that doesn’t make us EVIL or CRAZY people. We used to have free speech in this country and there was a day when reasonable people of all political views would come together in a national crisis and put nation first over political party. Those days are long gone. People love their political party more than their nation it seems, if one can’t even speak the truth that both the Democratic party and the Republican Party are to BLAME for what is going on. Until both parties are willing to take an honest look, admit their wrong doing and are willing to change then we will allow political division to destroy this country. It isn’t Cathoics/Christians, Jesus, or God that is destroying this country it is us (ourselves). Because we will have allowed PRIDE and ARROGANCE to win over HUMILITY and HONESTY.
” As to the reason for Obama’s government refusing to consider nuking this oil well, Sagalevich states in this report that the American’s “main concern” is not the environmental catastrophe this disaster is causing, but rather what the impact of using a nuclear weapon to stop this leak would have on the continued production of oil from the Gulf of Mexico, and which in an energy starved World remains the Planet’s only oil producing region able to increase its production.” (from the article)
Again Obama’s administration allows GREED to rule instead of what is BEST. Progressives can blame Bush all they want, but Obama is part of the PROBLEM TOO. You single out one but you allow the DEMOCRAT to do the EXACT SAME THING. That is a double standard and that double standard is destroying this country. IF IT IS WRONG FOR BUSH TO DO SOMETHING THAN IT IS JUST AS WRONG FOR OBAMA TO DO THE SAME THING. Yet, try and say that, you will be treated like a crazy traitor who is unamerican.
I am going to stop now, as I am really angry that once again politics wins out over doing the MORALLY RIGHT THING.
I go for my bisopy tomorrow for the growths on my thyroid. I need to try and keep positive, and right now, I am depressed, angry, and feel like I don’t care what they find tomorrow. I know it is terrible thing to say that I don’t care if I have cancer of the thyroid. The one good thing in my life is my little Benji. I need to stay alive for him as he gets seperation anxity being seperated from me. I remember a song by Jackson Brown that I used to play all the time when in Maine called “for everyman”. The line I remember and we all liked was ” with just a few of my friends I could give up the rest and find something better”. I have a few good friends who I know would miss me if I wasn’t here anymore.
Yet, all the rest of the crap I would feel like I had been set free. No more abuse. No more living in hell. No more being made to feel like trying to live by the teachings of my church is unamerican and that I am an evil person because I am pragmatic and don’t fit into the mold of the two main parties we have today who have moved so extreeme that they have left us pragmatic people behind who believe that the truth and the nation is more important than being a Democrat or Republican and walking lockstep in agreement and doesn’t allow debate or even questions to be asked. I am not a robot, but a human being. I don’t like to be told how I must believe and if I disagree am an evil person or a crazy person. I like to be told the facts and allowed to process the info in my own time and way. I don’t want to hear opinion passed off as news. If God was to give me cancer my hell would be over with for me. I would never know any abuse again in my life.
I like to keep hope alive that if it is God’s will for me to not have cancer that he will open up new doors for me and that he will help me. I am a survivor and a fighter. If I die in battle fighting to save this nation than I will be happy to die a warrior’s death as many of our Founding Fathers did. I march to my own drummer and that is not going to change.
Do I think the outcome is going to be an happy one? No, I don’t think the way things are going now, that it is going to be good. Do I think that our government could have helped to not allow things to get so bad? YES. I think if we could learn from our mistakes and try and embrace faith in this country instead of mocking it, that we would be a better nation. Why should God help us when we mock him and make out his followers to be crazy people who wanted this oil volcano to happen to destroy homosexuals as has been stated by some people.
No, it is the same ole play politics with the crisis and allow people and the environment to suffer so your party can gain political points to pass a Bill that is not necessary good for the country because of the corruption of our political process. It is shameful that our government would allow Americans to suffer one day longer than needed because they want to use the crisis to blackmail Congress to vote for the Bill being pushed down their throats or no help will be given at all. IT IS A DISGRACE.
When one faces a life ending disease it gives them time to think, and maybe we say things that we really feel and see that are going on. I don’t care what man can do to me, as if I have the big C it won’t matter much what they can do to me. Maybe it gives one a chance to be more honest because what future do they have?
Talking about for Everyman, I thought I would post it.
It does bring back memories of 1975/1976 at St. Francis.
Late for the sky, another good one.
It seems like so many years ago, that we together at St. Francis in Maine. Once in awhile I still look at the yearbook and think how all of us are in our 50′s now.
For a dancer. Another old fav.
Hope other boomers enjoyed the short walk down memory lane of our youth in New England.