It’s been nearly five years since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the Gulf Coast. Now, the Gulf of Mexico and its communities are in the grip of another epic catastrophe.Oil from BP’s disaster is wreaking havoc on the seafood, wildlife, and coastal cultures that were already imperiled due to the loss of wetlands, barrier islands, and other natural storm defenses. This week, GRN Executive Director, Cyn Sarthou, met with the Secretary of the Navy that is overseeing long-term restoration of the Gulf. Her take away – over the next few months, many important decisions will be made at the national level about the future of the Gulf.Wherever you live, the Gulf needs your public support to ensure an effective response to the BP oil drilling disaster and to remind the nation that the lessons of Katrina still haven’t been learned, and we haven’t committed to the restoration of the Gulf’s natural lines of defense.This August 29th, can you help commemorate the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall by hosting a screening of our “Defend the Gulf” series of documentary shorts?Sign up here: http://action.healthygulf.org/p/salsa/event/common/public/create.sjs?distributed_event_KEY=593A screening in your home, church, or community center is a powerful way to educate your friends, family and neighbors and inspire them to take action for the Gulf. We’ll provide the DVD, fact sheets and action postcards, some other fun southern Louisiana goodies, and we’ll walk you through the process. You set up the venue and invite your friends, family, colleagues, church group, bowling team, whoever!BP’s disaster is the clearest chapter in a long history of Gulf wetlands destruction and ecosystem abuse at the hands of the oil and gas industry. It’s going to take all of us working together to make sure the entire industry is held accountable to pay its fair share. Now is the best opportunity we’ve got. Help us make a statement.Last year, we helped hosts organize over a hundred house parties that were both informative and a lot of fun. This year, we’ve set the goal at two hundred! Please host an event to help build the national call to restore the Gulf.
