HINTON / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE A rusty colored oil slick is seen near the
Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico Friday, May 7, 2010.
For the "Islands" image: MATTHEW HINTON / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE Oil lines the shore of one
of the Chandeleur Islands on the Louisiana coast off the Gulf of Mexico
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Place this one near where I talk about the insufficient plastic booms:
For the "Birds" image: TED JACKSON/The Times-Picayune Brown pelicans huddle near a broken oil containment boom at
Breton Island just off the Louisiana coast
Place this one near the "Matters of Trust" hair boom discussion:
"Alpalca" image: Casey Kreider/The Associated Press This alpaca's coat is being given over to the cause of soaking up oil from the Deepwater Horizon leak in the Gulf of Mexico.
And perhaps the "Mycellium" image near the end. Source was not given for this photo.
By Natalie Pierce (Evolver.net New
Orleans Regional Coordinator)
At a time when Evolver.net Spores across the world gear up to explore and
discuss local resiliency, one city's suffering reminds us that even as we
defend ourselves, we are a global family and that another's suffering is also our
own.
If resiliency is defined as the ability of a system to deal with change
and absorb shock, then New Orleans is the symbol of resiliency in America. Five years ago, Hurricane Katrina
ravaged the city and its sister regions. A sizable portion of the city's
population evacuated and never returned, but the determination of the people
who stayed and fought for New Orleans is inspiring. Rooted in our shared
experiences, we give freely of ourselves and have evolved into a beautiful community
with a fierce spirit.
Many of us were just starting to feel grounded and hopeful again (Who
Dat!) when, on April 20, the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, spewing oil into
the Gulf of Mexico and calling our capacity to defend our home into question
once again.
As the vibration of the world escalates to a higher frequency-with the
threat of natural disasters and socioeconomic breakdowns occurring more often-it
is naïve to think that any community is safe or immune. We must be able to predict various
crises (all aspects of climate change, terrorist attacks, flu epidemics,
natural disasters), be aware of our vulnerabilities, and have plans and systems
in place to act upon should a disaster occur. Evidence has shown that we cannot
rely on the government or any centralized system to come and rescue us.
Do you have enough gardens and farms in the area to sustain you? Do you
have food stored on top of this? How long will these supplies last? Where are
the sources of water in your city? Do you have purifiers on hand in case there
isn't clean water available? What systems of communication within the community
can be implemented if Internet and phone services break down? Do you have modes
of transportation available if there is no gas? Where are buildings in the city
that can serve as temporary housing centers? Do you arm yourself, or trust in
love?
These are difficult questions to ask, but they must be explored if we want
our cities and ecosystems to survive, adapt to, and withstand severe pressures.
This month's spore on local resiliency
is a good start, but a few hours cannot possibly cover all the details that
need consideration. I would
encourage all cities to have multiple meetings outside of this event to
continue working on plans and logistics, and to use the opportunity to
cross-pollinate with established nonprofits and organizations that share
similar interests.
Planning and logistics, however, should not be the only focus of these
meetings. There are crucial aspects to consider beyond basic survival needs.
Much emphasis should be placed on the social structures within our communities.
Besides being voraciously proud and willing to fight for our city, the
people of New Orleans have a very easy-going and playful spirit. It is the
flexibility and willingness to help of the people that lent itself greatly to
solving problems in the aftermath of Katrina.
Many things we normally take for granted will not be available in a
disaster, so it is essential that you be able to pool community resources. Without
disposal services, finding someone with a pickup truck and locating a dumpsite
become basic parts of maintaining a working social structure.
How
can you build the social capital-the fabric of interconnectivity and social
trust-of your community? Besides becoming
friendly with your neighbors, creative enterprises such as time banks are a
fantastic way to build human connections and facilitate the spirit of giving
without expecting immediate gratification. There are many aspects to consider,
but your city will be able to cope with disaster much more graciously if you
have discussed plans in advance.
If you'll excuse me, I'd like to take this opportunity to relate local resiliency
to the current environmental crisis of the Gulf of Mexico oil. 210,000 gallons
of oil are still being released into the gulf daily, with no immediate
resolution to block the flow in sight. British Petroleum was drilling at the limits
of human technology: 5,000 feet to the ocean floor and another 20,000 feet
towards the earth's crust. They are uncertain as to the size of the reserve they've
tapped into. We want oil? Mother Nature is giving it to us. You can track the
movement of the oil slick so far in an animated graphic here http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/05/gulf_of_mexico_oil_spill_anima.html.
The resiliency of our fragile wetlands is in question, as well as
the ability of endangered wildlife species to recover as the oil spill looms on
the horizon during their critical breeding season.
Accidents such as this threaten us all. We cannot rely on corporations to act in favor of the
public, so in order to learn from our mistakes we must use this as a metaphor
for mobilize for change. A part of resiliency is involving your community as
best you can in large-scale decision-making processes and regulations. Besides brainstorming ways in which we
can prevent disasters, one aspect we can concentrate on now while we wait for
the well to be plugged is how to clean up the spill.
British Petroleum does not seem to care about the oil spill's devastating
effects on the environment, but they do care about lost capital and the
appearance of their response. In short, they need to look like they're doing
something. BP has a long history of opting for shortcuts rather than spending
on safety or protecting the environment.
While it is disturbing to think that no significant technology has been
developed to handle this kind of crisis, it is comforting to know that perhaps
the best solutions for cleaning up the spill come from Gaia herself. As we all know from the regular need to
shampoo, human hair soaks up oil at a significant rate. A nonprofit based out of San Francisco
called Matters Of Trust has already received thousands of pounds of donated
hair that needs to be stuffed into nylon stockings to make natural booms. You can watch a demonstration here <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwQOD_Ir2vQ>.
BP is aware of the hair-based booms, but it's decided to stick with the
plastic Sorbent booms for now, according to BP spokesman Mark Salt. ""It's great that people are involved, but we're sticking with the
Sorbent booms, since there's no shortage of them at the moment," Salt
remarked in a press release Tuesday. "We don't want to dismiss the hair
booms, but the Sorbent boom is superior."
But the plastic booms have an inherent design flaw-they are meant to work
on still water. The wind and waves of our Mother Ocean can be especially
powerful as we head into hurricane season, and will inevitably render the booms
ineffective. Clearly, plastic booms are not "superior" to hair booms. BP is also using large amounts of
chemical dispersants to break down the oil molecules. But in the 1989 Exxon
Valdez incident, these same chemical dispersants proved to be more toxic to
wildlife than the oil itself. For more methods and information, check out these
articles:
"From Dispersants to Mushrooms and Hair: How to Clean Up An Oil Spill" (http://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/howto-clean-oil-spill.html)
"BP's Next Plan for Spill
Includes ‘Tophat' and ‘Junkshot'" (http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/05/10/93862/louisiana-braces-for-oils-arrival.html
)
It is time to take matters into our own hands. On behalf of the people
and the species of the Gulf Coast, I ask for your help. Creative possibilities
are abundant. In true southern style, people in this region are organizing
backyard hair-stuffing gatherings called "Boom-B-Q's". You can request a
shipment of hair from Matters of Trust, collect hair from salons in your city,
or hold a head-shaving party and make it into a YouTube sensation. If we can assemble enough booms, we can
present scientific evidence of the superiority of hair-stuffed booms to those
of plastic, and put political pressure on BP to start using them. Afterwards, we can demonstrate earth
consciousness by using micromediation in the form of oyster mushrooms to safely
break down the hair booms, as San Francisco did in the 2007 oil spill with the
help of Paul Stamets. Your
thoughts, ideas, and collaboration are welcome and deeply appreciated.
This month's focus on local resiliency is subject of high importance. While
as a general rule we try to "Think Globally, Act Locally," we also know that
the universe is plentiful, and that not only can we survive, we also have much to give. Thank-you for taking action within your
own community to help soothe the troubled waters of the Gulf Coast. We are One
Tribe on One Earth, Leaders and Raisers of Consciousness. Let's harness our
energy to rise up and join voices in a powerful and inspiring collective roar
for our Mother, our Planet, our Home.