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Mariana Jiminez, a 71-year-old grandmother from the Ecuadorean Amazon, dips her hand into the oil-black water in the precious marshlands off Louisiana’s Gulf coast and holds a dying, oil-drenched crab in her hand. She warns of the petroleum-laced water, “This is very very dangerous. This is a poison that kills. Not instantly, but it will kill slowly.” This week, four Indigenous and community leaders from Ecuador (Mariana, Emergildo, Humberto and Luis), as well as advocates from Rainforest Action Network and Amazon Watch, are deep in Louisiana’s sweltering Bayou witnessing the depth of BP’s oil disaster. The Ecuadorean delegation has come to share the hard-won lessons from Chevron’s Amazon oil disaster with the United Houma Nation and Atakapa-Ishak tribes, American Indian communities dependent on a healthy Bayou for their very survival. Every Indigenous person we meet expresses fear and anxiety about losing their ability to feed themselves and their families, and to continue their way of life on the water…all because of BP’s greed-driven failures. These fears are by no means misplaced, as this is exactly what happened to the Indigenous peoples of Ecuador’s rainforest, at the hands of Chevron Corporation. They too used to fish, but had to start farming to sustain themselves. They spoke of the family members they’ve lost from oil-related birth defects and illnesses, and warned the Houma of the long-term health problems they will be facing long after BP and the TV cameras have left their shores. As we walked along the deserted, oil-stained beach in Grand Isle, Brenda Dardar Robichaux, former Principal Chief of the United Houma Nation, explained how struck she was by the similarity of her story to the story of Indigenous peoples of the Ecuadorean Amazon. From Louisiana’s Bayou to Ecuador’s rainforest, you see the same oil-sheened waterways and dying animals. You smell the same toxic stench in the air. Families nurse their loved ones through oil-related illnesses, respiratory diseases, and cancers while being told the same lie by oil companies and politicians alike- “the oil won’t hurt you.” In the heart of Houma territory, these communities have come together to find ways to hold reckless, criminal oil companies like BP and Chevron accountable. Check out news footage of their first days touring the Gulf, as well as the incredible photos on Flickr. Thanks so much to all of you who donated to make this very special journey possible. You can follow the rest of the tour through the Gulf on We Can Change Chevron’s Facebook page and @ChangeChevron on Twitter.
P.S.Donate now to support Rainforest Action Network’s critical work to hold oil companies accountable and to support frontline communities from the Amazon to the Gulf. |
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Daily Archives: 07/02/2010
thinkprogress.org
ENVIRONMENT — CONSERVATIVES CLAIM THAT ‘JONES ACT’ IS HINDERING OIL SPILL CLEANUP IS ‘URBAN MYTH:’ In an effort to paint the Obama administration as failing in its response to the BP oil spill, Republicans continue to push the claim that the government is not accepting aid from foreign countries. The latest talking point alleges that the Jones Act — a longstanding law that “requires all trade delivered between U.S. ports to be carried in U.S. flagged vessels constructed in the United States and owned by American citizens” — is impeding the Gulf clean up effort by blocking foreign aid. Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey said, “It’s a little shocking to me that a president that has such a multinational orientation as this president didn’t immediately see the benefits of waiving the Jones Act and allowing all of these resources to come in.” Some GOP lawmakers have seized on the point and introduced legislation to repeal the law to, according to Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX), “cut through the red tape and get all available assets on scene as quickly as possible.” However, McClatchy reported this week that the Republicans’ claim is completely baseless: “Maritime law experts, government officials and independent researchers say that the claim is false. The Jones Act isn’t an impediment at all, they say, and it hasn’t blocked anything. ‘Totally not true,’ said Mark Ruge, counsel to the Maritime Cabotage Task Force, a coalition of U.S. shipbuilders, operators and labor unions. ‘It is simply an urban myth that the Jones Act is the problem.'” In fact, Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, who is running the cleanup effort, said he’d received “no requests for Jones Act waivers” from foreign vessels or countries, and according to the State Department, there are “24 foreign vessels operating in the region and nine countries [have] provided boom, skimmers and other assistance.” And more help is on the way — the U.S. has just accepted offers of assistance from 12 countries. FactCheck.org sums it up, writing, “the Jones Act has yet to be an issue in the response efforts. … Reports claiming that the federal government has refused help are not only incorrect — foreign assistance has been utilized — but are also misleading.”
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TGIF …&some News …
It is my contention and belief that any and all negative numbers regarding jobs, a double dip recession, or legislation that is unaddressed, voted on or finished is on the backs of Republicans and remain that way from now on. Republicans have done nothing to help create jobs nor do they have solutions, which, would be easy … vote Yes to move America into the black and stop making the failure of this President your goal instead of doing the business of the People.
It is the end of the week with a lot of craziness going on everywhere in the world and it all seems to affect the up coming elections. If you listened to the reports today, Congress left Capitol Hill without finishing the business of Americans. I want to believe that a break will help some folks on the right hear from their constituents on the Gulf Coast because they are more needy then the rest of the country. The people on the Gulf Coast suffer from the BP disaster and now a rejection from their very own representatives who essentially voted against small business, the workers, the fishing industry, boaters, hotels, restaurants and all the employees associated with the industries listed above.
To be sure and fair; this is an election year so getting election campaigns started probably is more important than getting legislation passed, but the blame is with Republicans and we all need to remember that. The effort to get the peoples work done has been harder in Senate then the House, specifically, unemployment, financial reform immigration, climate, and clean energy are all subject to the 60-vote rule and the right has block, stalled and tricked the Democrats in the Senate thus far. Republicans have decided to bet against the failure of our economy over the needs of people in their own States, which is such a strange thing. The last vote rejecting a Jobs bill that included unemployment benefits happened without the late Senator Bob Byrd, so as our government honors him today his replacement plus one more Republican could make the difference in giving folks a chance to continue paying at least some of their bills and look for work without stress.
Some of us on the left feel we know what side of every issue Republicans are on but we need to remind them and ourselves that what happened to our economy was and still is a non-partisan issue. It was a sad to know that people voted into political office continue to be on the side of Wall Street and not with Main Street; a great example being Republican Senator Sessions and others like Sharron Angle stating that Americans are spoiled, that Americans are too use to getting entitlements and be more self sufficient. The problem is that for every one job there are 6 people applying for them so the question for Republicans is how can we recover without more jobs? Ms Angle, there are not enough jobs to go around.
I already know that as hard as cable-heads work to have or want me to hear and or watch Polls that are negative for the Democratic Party it will be what they actually have done to make change happen however slow it may be because the financial crisis didn’t just happen overnight as the house of Bush wanted people to think, it was a car on the interstate driving without brakes and no one to steer it clear of anything in it’s path…that being derivatives, AIG, Goldman Sachs, Wall Street in general, home foreclosures because big Banks were closing their ranks. The financial crash and the information about the crash did not get to the public until the last moment and that was right before we all had to vote for President in 2008. The choice was a no-brainer when you think of who was on the other ticket… completely unqualified and out of touch.
The biggest news today is what team will Lebron James choose and why it will affect the rest of our economy. It seems like every cable station has had on the various Mayors or Governors praying hoping and stumping for James to come to their state. There is no doubt everyone wants a piece of King James and he has kept his choice very very quiet up until this point. It is obvious Lebron James has great PR people, with reports that he is not just interested in playing BB but wants to make a difference in the community as well is a plus for any basketball team looking to pay him what he wants. It is obvious whoever gets him will have a bona-fide BB King, a goodwill ambassador and serious community advocate/activist as well. You would have to be living under a rock if you did not at least hear how folks in Vegas betting on this free agent and hopefully it will be an organization that can use his talents and be willing to let him do his thing… get it done King James.
Other News …
**The President signed a bill creating even more sanctions for Iran
**California Gov.Schwarnegger has given orders for State worker salaries to be slashed to 7.25 per hr -to minimum wages
**Reports are that the employment rate is 9.5% and -the census jobs the Private Sector gained 83,thousand, which considering the thing no one is talking about …that number is not good but it is a plus not 800thousand lost jobs -the reality is Private Sector is holding back, under-employing and trading or investing not hiring
**
C-SPAN …
June Unemployment Falls to 9.5% Employers cut 125,000 jobs
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported this morning that the unemployment rate for June moved down to 9.5% with 125,000 jobs lost during the month. This includes the expected reduction of 225,000 temporary census workers. Private sector jobs increased by 83,000. In remarks this morning, Pres. Obama spoke about the employment numbers and noted that this was the 6th straight month of job growth in the private sector and that 600,000 private sector jobs have been added this year versus a loss of 3.7 million jobs last year. BLS Commissioner Keith Hall testified earlier today on the latest numbers and recent developments in the labor market before the Joint Economic Committee. Commissioner Hall elaborated that BLS noticed job growth trends in manufacturing and a continued strong employment market in health care related services.
JEC Hearing: Available Shortly Obama Remarks: From Earlier
BLS June: Employment Situation Summary BLS June Full Employment ReportHearing on Supreme Court Nominee Concludes
Outside witness testimony concluded Thursday following the U.S. Senate’s adjournment in recognition of Senator Robert Byrd on Capitol Hill. Thursday’s witness panels included those both in favor of and opposed to Kagan’s nomination. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan finished her last day of hearings on Wednesday. During the two days of questioning, Ms. Kagan was challenged over her treatment of military recruiters while dean of Harvard Law School, and asked to share her perspective on gun rights. When questioned on the subject of partial-birth abortion, Kagan described it as “an incredibly difficult issue.” The Committee hopes to approve her nomination and hold a floor vote in late July. If confirmed, she would replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens and become the fourth woman in the Supreme Court’s history.
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Congress is on Break …stay tuned
The Senate will convene at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, July 12.
Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will proceed to a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. Senators should expect a roll call vote at approximately 5:30 p.m. on confirmation of a judge.
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The next meeting is scheduled for 2:00pmET Tuesday July 13, 2010
Be a Seed for Change 
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