Beyond Recovery

Remember last summer, when you couldn’t open a newspaper or check your twitter feed without reading about the BP oil spill disaster unfolding in the Gulf? Ten months later, the story is out of sight for the media, but the continuing economic and environmental impacts of the oil are not out of the minds of activists, elected officials or people of faith across the Gulf Coast and across the country.

For these residents and advocates, the message is clear: government action is still needed to restore the environment and economy of the Gulf and to prevent a future disaster on a coast near you. Alabama Senator Shelby testified recently on the continued impacts of the spill for his home state, speaking of the hits to the Alabama economy from lost fishing, recreation and tourism dollars and the on-going impacts likely to result from the spill. Senator Shelby called for allocated resources for restoration efforts and spoke of the need to “put in place mechanisms to assist them with rebuilding and restoration efforts as the Gulf continues to recover from this disaster.”

He concludes that “we need a commitment by all stakeholders to the Gulf Coast’s full recovery,” and on this I could not agree more. Restoration is a long-term effort and one that will require serious resources – both from the companies responsible and from the government – and advocates to champion these choices.

That’s why Oxfam and the Center for American Progress recently released “Beyond Recovery: Moving the Gulf Coast Toward a Sustainable Future,” a report on building an environmentally and economically sustainable future for the Gulf Coast. In responding to the report, one expert explained that we cannot continue to use the Gulf as “America’s energy sacrifice zone,” reaping energy benefits without giving back to the environment. Now is the time to invest in a fair and equitable future for the people and environment of this region from which we all take so much – and that means balancing ecosystem, economic, and development needs.

Speaking at a recent event on Gulf Coast restoration, NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco referenced a principle that undergirded the first Earth Day celebration 40 years ago, explaining that the wealth of a nation is based in its natural resources, and that the economy and the jobs come from these resources. 40 years later, the Gulf Coast illustrates this tenet more than anywhere else in the U.S. The people of this energy- and resource-rich region want to know that their kids will be able to continue calling the Gulf Coast home, and this desire depends on a healthy ecosystem and just economy.

Oxfam, CAP, Senator Shelby and key members of the Obama Administration all agree that Congress must act quickly to get this work started by sending a major portion of the BP Clean Water Act penalties to the Gulf Coast for restoration efforts. Beyond allocating resources for restoration, we must ensure citizen stakeholders finally have a seat and voice at the table where decisions are made on the future of the fossil fuel industries. Finally, now is the time to implement the key recommendations of the bipartisan Oil Spill Commission to ensure environmental and human health and safety are protected as our energy economy evolves. As people of faith, we must be part of this action, as Andrew Simpson from Sojourners explained in his recent piece, “The Truth about the BP Oil Spill.“

Senator Shelby put it perfectly when he explained, “While the Deepwater Horizon rig has been capped, the boom recalled, and the media on to the next story, many may think this disaster is over. This is not true.”

We stand at a true crossroads moment for the Gulf Coast: we can continue with business-as-usual or move toward a safer, healthier, wealthier Gulf Coast. What future will we build?