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  • Bigger ‘Dead Zone’ projected for Gulf, even without oil’s effects

    A satellite view of past Dead Zone in the Gulf: The red areas show how a vast, nitrogen-fed algae bloom has risen, blotting out most sea life underneath.(NASA)The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration just released a report that contains even more bad news for the Gulf of Mexico. This year’s Gulf Dead Zone will be […]

  • Expert measures human cost of Gulf oil leak

    Dr. J. Steven Picou is Professor of Sociology at the University of South Alabama. He is currently working on human response to the BP oil spill.Photo courtesy of stevenpicou.com Steven Picou doesn’t have the happiest of jobs. He specializes in the human toll of disasters. As a sociology professor at the University of South Alabama […]

  • What would happen if we admitted to the high risk of deepwater drilling?

    Was the Obama administration “arbitrary and capricious” in imposing a six-month moratorium on deepwater oil drilling? U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman thought so. His June 22 order reversed the moratorium, citing the “immeasurable harm” to “the local economy, the Gulf region, and the critical present-day aspect of the availability of domestic energy in this country.” […]

  • ‘Hands Across the Sand’ protests are a hit [SLIDESHOW]

    Code Pink forms the words “End Oil” on Venice Beach, Calif.Photo: Lisa SmithlineProtesters gathered in 860 locations around the world on Saturday, June 26, to protest offshore drilling and call for clean energy. The events are being billed as the largest protests against offshore drilling in history. Although they had an expected anti-BP feel, Hands […]

  • What Role Will Senator Murkowski Play in Climate and Energy Negotiations?

    Speaking at a sparsely-attended luncheon in Fairbanks, AK on Friday, Senator Murkowski (R-AL) touted her failed effort to block the EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions as a ‘badge of honor.’ She went on to explain why she considered the maneuver, which went down by a 53-47 margin on June 10th, a qualified success. “We […]

  • Ask Umbra on turning oil spill depression into transformation

    Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, I always love reading Umbra’s Q&A’s.  But right now with the oil spill taking over the Gulf and ruining so many ecosystems, I just don’t know if anything I do really makes a difference. I live in southern Louisiana and remember feeling the same way after Katrina. […]

  • ‘Hands Across the Sand’ could be largest Gulf oil demonstration yet

    Handsacrossthesand.comSaturday could bring the biggest public demonstration yet about the Gulf oil gusher, when Hands Across the Sand gathers people on beaches around the world at noon to hold hands in support of coastal economies, oceans, marine wildlife, and fishing industries. Organized by surfer and Florida restaurant owner Dave Rauschkolb, the dispersed event looks to […]

  • MMS gets a makeover, smell lingers

    Newly appointed Bureau of Ocean Energy Director Michael Bromwich and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar testify before the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee regarding reforms to strengthen offshore oil and gas oversight and enforcement.Photo and caption: U.S. Department of the InteriorIt’s a classic Washington paint job: new name, new leader, new promises about tossing bad […]

  • BP's approval ratings approach Saddam Hussein's

    Considering the devastation that BP has caused, it’s not surprising that the company is unpopular. But, as Think Progress reports, a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll reveals just how low the company’s favorability ratings have plummeted – below O.J. Simpson’s and approaching those of individuals our nation has gone to war against:   Indeed, the […]