Gulf Coast diary: Our last seafood dinner

[babylonsister]

Gulf Coast diary: Our last seafood dinner
As my boyfriend buys the only oysters left in our Mississippi town, a sad new reality sets in
By Ellis Anderson

To read the first installment in Ellis Anderson's Gulf Coast diary, go to link.



Bay St. Louis, MS -- We're having friends over for dinner tonight. The main dish we're making is an Oysters Rockefeller casserole. Over our tea this morning, Larry offers to pick them up from the local seafood store later in the day. Then we examine an interactive map that shows the spill growing closer to our shores. Already, the dark graphic is devouring our barrier islands, nurseries for both fish and birds. Environmentalists say the spill couldn't have come at a worse time since it's the height of breeding season.

Suddenly, we realize there may not be any oysters for our dinner tonight. Or any fresh seafood at all. The Coast Guard has shut down fishing from the Mississippi River to the Florida panhandle. Indefinitely.

Larry races to the store and triumphantly returns soon, clutching two glass jars. But his face is grim. "These are the last ones," he says. "And when they're gone, they're gone."

The insignificant uncertainty of our dinner menu only serves to make us realize the horrendous scope of the catastrophe. Uncounted millions of our fellow creatures will suffer and die. The entire ecology of the Gulf is at risk. It'd be easy to fall into self-pity or depression.

But people on the coast learned a lot during Katrina and its long, grinding aftermath. While we accept the sad new reality, we search for ways to change it. We understand that whining isn't productive. And neither is blame. One organization, newly formed to counteract effects of the oil spill, states plainly on its Web page: "This group is for coordinating volunteer efforts -- NOT criticizing the government, organizing boycotts, or any other unproductive task. Thank you all for your time."

We've also learned how to disseminate information more efficiently. E-mail chains, websites and social media sites have become tools for coordination and calls to action. The "share" button on Facebook is working overtime.

We know now that while the federal government can be a valuable ally, we need to roll up our sleeves and get to work immediately. And there's a job for everyone.

more...

http://www.salon.com/news/louisiana_oil_spill/index.html?story=/mwt/feature/2010/05/04/gulf_coast_diary_second_installment


How to help:
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/05/how_to_help_volunteers_needed.html

[uppityperson]

1. k&r

[pleah]

2. K&R

[sharesunited]

3. I stocked up on frozen shrimp on Saturday. In a few weeks, it will be unavailable or cost 3x.

[lonestarnot]

4. I feel so sorry for what we have done to the little creatures, I don't think I could eat any if I

did have some.

[my2sense]

5. Guess it's time to stock up on some shrimp here as well

Why must we destroy our environment?

::shaking my head::