About

Why we’re starting BetterGulf.org

By Andy Brack
President, Center for a Better South

JUNE 1, 2010 — Shrimp season opened today in South Carolina. It’s a reminder of how fishermen across the Gulf of Mexico face are losing their livelihoods due to the disastrous April oil spill that’s still gushing. It’s a reminder of the birds, fish and other wildlife that have died – and will die – because of this man-made catastrophe.

People’s lives along the Gulf will change dramatically in the months ahead. A quick look at the size of the area of closed fisheries crudely mimics the shape of the Florida peninsula. It’s just 120 miles or so west of the Florida west coast. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist – especially on the first day of hurricane season – to figure out that fisheries along the west coast will be impacted.

Thinking about all of these things – and how it may be weeks before the gusher is capped – yields an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Wildlife organizations appear to advise that people should stay away because oil is toxic. They prefer volunteers trained to deal with hazardous waste to help in cleanup efforts. So we’re faced with watching mind-numbing loops from television and sitting on our hands while waiting for results from a huge multi-national corporation and our government.

Not willing to give in to the notion of doing nothing, the Center proposes to launch a new project to shine a light on what’s happening in the Gulf. Starting this week, we will begin publishing a new photo blog that pairs vivid images with stories and news to provide users with different perspectives about the spill and its impact. We will encourage people along the coast to send photos and their stories to us so we can use the Internet to spread the word and better understand situations on the ground from New Orleans to Pensacola and beyond.

We believe this new photo blog will be informative and cathartic for people across the South. As we gear up our efforts, please send your thoughts, comments and suggestions so that we can provide the resources you need to better understand what’s happening in the Gulf of Mexico. And if you’d like to offer some photos from the Gulf region, send them along.

As always, any gifts you can make to help defray our costs are appreciated.

The Center for a Better South is a pragmatic, nonpartisan think tank dedicated to developing progressive ideas, policies and information for thinking leaders who want to make a difference in the American South.

To learn more about the nonprofit Center, click here.