Bloggers Nationwide Ask for Gulf Coast Restoration During "Blog for the Gulf" Event

By David J. Ringer, National Audubon Society

The Nature Blog Network, which represents more than 1,300 nature, science and conservation blogs from all over the world, sponsored a virtual event called “Blog for the Gulf” last week. Organizers asked bloggers to write about Gulf Coast restoration and recovery, and specifically, the Senate’s need to act during lame duck to dedicate Clean Water Act penalties to environmental restoration.

Responses were passionate. “As embarrassing as it is that Congress couldn’t pass a[n] oil spill bill in the immediate aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe when public opinion was overwhelmingly on their side, it’s far more pressing now,” wrote North Carolina-based Nathan Swick in his post “Blogging for the Gulf: It’s not over.”

“If the current lame duck Congress doesn’t pass legislation to this effect, this critical moment may pass without redress or remediation,” wrote New Yorker Mike Bergin in “The True Gulf Before Us.” He continued, “The real gulf we need to consider is the vast chasm between industry and accountability, between energy security and environmental stewardship.”

“Money from oil spill fines must go to help restore the gulf! … A healthy Gulf is a healthy America,” concluded Twin Cities naturalist Kirk Mona in his post “Short Attention Span: Remember the Gulf?“

All participating bloggers asked their readers to call on their Senators directly for action.