Gulf of Mexico oil spill
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Obama’s free ride for oil industry appointees must stop
To shape the government’s long-term response to the Gulf oil calamity, President Obama recently formed an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate the origins of the leak and BP’s efforts to control it. Yet one of the commission’s two co-directors, former EPA chief William K. Reilly, sits on the board of directors of the oil giant […]
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Louisianans take a break from oil-spill angst to celebrate local seafood
Seafood abounds at the Plaquemines Parish Seafood Festival.Photos: Emily PetersonThe sixth annual Plaquemines Parish Seafood Festival, held this past weekend, had the usual fixings one would expect at a South Louisiana festival: fried seafood, a solid lineup of live local music, and plenty of cold beer to beat the high humidity and 90-degree temperatures. One […]
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10 ways cities and towns can kick the offshore-oil habit
With the Gulf oil spill continuing unabated, powering a 21st century economy on a 19th century fossil fuel looks less and less smart by the day. Luckily, we’ve got other options. I described the most promising steps the federal government could take toward reducing oil use in transportation systems last week. But local governments don’t […]
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Black BP out of the web like BP blacked out the Gulf of Mexico
If you’re feeling outraged but impotent about the effect of the oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico, the internet (or some paint and an ad poster) can offer a little catharsis. Web developer jess3 has created a Firefox plugin which splashes a bit of oil on every mention of BP on the web. Once […]
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Ask Umbra on 8 things you can do to fight the Gulf oil spill
Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, This oil spill has really gotten me down. Countless millions of gallons flowing into the beautiful Gulf of Mexico and no end in sight. The leak just keeps on leaking. I hate to admit this, but I’m feeling helpless and a bit hopeless. I’m not a big […]
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Louisiana residents paint mural for Obama and BP
Image of the day: Residents near Grand Isle, La. painted this mural for President Obama’s visit last week. Twitter.com/MacMcClelland Courtesy Mother Jones reporter Mac McLelland, who’s reporting up a storm from the Gulf.
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Fed investigation fuels White House/BP breakup
Trudging through sludge along the Louisiana coast.Photo: Daniel Beltra/Greenpeace USAWith Attorney General Eric Holder now huddling with Gulf states attorneys general, the uneasy relationship between BP and the Obama administration is taking the ugly but inevitable “see you in court” turn. The White House is so anxious to separate itself from the BP stink that […]
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Six reasons not to trust BP
Okay, so Top Kill failed, and we’re on pause for the next few days while BP preps for Plan, um, is it E? For the sake of the Gulf Coast, we hope this next fix-it option, a new kind of cap, works. But it’s getting harder to pull for BP. Here’s why: We don’t need […]
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The BP oil gusher is just the latest in a long line of assaults on the Gulf of Mexico
A fishing boat returns after a night of fishing in the Gulf.Photo courtesy PDub via FlickrI’m a fourth-generation fisherwoman from the Texas Gulf Coast, on a boat since I was eight. Over the last two decades, I’ve become a self-appointed watchdog of the chemical, oil, and gas corporations that are decimating the Gulf. I hate […]