Do you believe it’s almost been four years since Hurricane Katrina, then Rita rocked the Gulf Coast?We’ve seen the federal government respond to those twin disasters, and there have been moments of courage, and useful programs that address the needs of struggling communities, but largely, the response has been inadequate. From FEMA to the Corps of Engineers, agencies have often presented more problems than solutions. You may have been with GRN for much of that history, urging action from the Corps, from Congress, and from President Bush and now President Obama.Unfortunately, we have still seen very little progress on building land to restore our coast and protect our communities. It’s time to remind the nation, Congress and the Corps of Engineers that we need to restore our wetlands now. There is no better time than August 29th. But we need your help again. Can you host a screening of the documentary, Paradise Faded: The Fight for Louisiana?Beautifully shot along our coast, Paradise Faded features interviews with the scientists, politicians and coastal residents who know what’s at stake for South Louisiana and the nation if we fail to address our coastal wetlands crisis. It also has great New Orleans and Louisiana music helping underscore our unique culture. It’s a powerful reminder of the storms, the role of our coast in protecting our communities, and the need for action now. Visit this website to sign up to host a screening: http://action.healthygulf.org/…event_KEY=526We will provide a complimentary copy of the DVD if you agree to host a screening on or around August 29th, the 4th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. We’ll also be hosting conference calls with myself and the director Jared Arsement, as well as providing information to make your screening a success. The purpose of these screenings is to raise awareness about the drastic wetlands loss plaguing Louisiana’s coast, as well as to help recruit new supporters like yourself, who can help join our fight to save the Gulf Coast. GRN can’t do this work alone, we need your help.In order to save the Louisiana’s wetlands, we must raise awareness about the rapidly diminishing coastline – a coastline disappearing due to a national need for dependable shipping on the Mississippi River and oil and gas from Louisiana’s coast and the Gulf of Mexico. With 1/3rd of the nation’s wild-caught seafood and oil and natural gas coming from or through Louisiana’s wetlands, this is truly a national issue. All of America is affected.We urge you to act now, and join the fight to save our wetlands. The Army Corps. Of Engineers recognizes the problem, however the solution that they propose is to build bigger levees, largely ignoring the natural storm protection restoring our coast will provide. Again, we greatly appreciate your support, and look forward to working with you to ensure that the Katrina Anniversary Home Screenings are a huge success. Thanks!Aaron Viles is GRN’s Campaign Director
