April 20, 2011 marks the one-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon blowout, and it’s still too early to measure the complete cost of the ensuring disaster. But we do know that the BP oil spill upended lives in ways that defy quantification. Here’s the story of shrimper Darla Rooks, who lost everything but her fighting […]
Grand Bayou, Self-Sufficient and Shrinking, Prepares for a Fisheries Collapse
Members of the Atakapa-Ishak tribe have found a creative use for a high-tech fencing material that has protected soldiers in Iraq and strengthened levees outside New Orleans: They’re building gardens that will keep them fed in the event of a seafood shortage sparked by the BP oil spill. Produced by Barry Yeoman and Richard Ziglar […]
An Oystering Community Contemplates Life Without Oysters
In Pointe-a-la-Hache, Louisiana, the oyster harvest feeds widows, sustains relationships, and keeps the rural economy humming. But oysters can’t migrate, and they’ve been particularly vulnerable since the BP oil spill. Produced by Barry Yeoman and Richard Ziglar for KRVS, Lafayette, Louisiana, and the Louisiana Public Broadcasting “GulfWatch” series. Narrated by Barry Yeoman. Photo by Stanley […]
Oilfield Worker’s Wife Sets Off for White House—on Foot
Cherri Foytlin is an environmental activist in Rayne, Louisiana. Her husband, Forest Foytlin, worked on a deepwater rig before the BP oil spill. On March 13 she leaves on a 1,200-mile walk to Washington, D.C. Her message to President Obama is surprising and complex. Produced by Barry Yeoman and Richard Ziglar for KRVS, Lafayette, Louisiana, […]
Researchers Call Oil Spills and Climate Change a Devastating Combination
Most of us shudder to imagine the impact of another large oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and for good reason. A spill in future decades could have even more far-reaching consequences than the BP spill. The reason is the growing influence of global warming, explains Tulane University’s Torbjörn Törnqvist. Produced by Barry Yeoman […]
200 Ailing Pelicans Change One Man’s Life
The BP spill triggered an outpouring of volunteer energy. Americans lay boom, picked up tar balls, and performed mundane tasks like answering telephones. A few transported and cleaned oiled birds. Regardless of what they did, many volunteers found themselves transformed. Meet party-photographer-turned-bird-lover Bart Siegel. Produced by Barry Yeoman and Richard Ziglar for KRVS, Lafayette, Louisiana, […]
Pointe-au-Chien Indians, Reeling from the Oil Spill, Watch as Their Land Washes Away
The 700-member Pointe-au-Chien indian tribe south of Houma, Louisiana was one of the first communities to take a direct hit from the BP oil spill. For them, the disaster is ongoing—and part of a larger threat to their ancestral home. Produced by Barry Yeoman and Richard Ziglar for KRVS, Lafayette, Louisiana, and the Louisiana Public […]
Vietnamese Fishermen Search for the Monetary Value of a Lost Culture
Kenneth Feinberg, the Boston attorney in charge of reviewing claims for the BP oil spill, says he expects to start paying interim and final claims later this month. But as Louisiana’s Vietnamese-American fishing community has learned, some losses are harder to quantify than others. Produced by Barry Yeoman and Richard Ziglar for KRVS, Lafayette, Louisiana, […]
Saving Louisiana: What Can We Do?
There are solutions for the disappearing Louisiana coastline, but they all come with costs and controversies. Can we act before it’s too late? Part 10 of Losing Louisiana, a series originally published in onEarth. DURING MY TIME IN LOUISIANA reporting this series, I witnessed every variety of frustration and despair. I spent time with scientists, shrimpers, […]
Restoring the Marsh, One Hated Tree at a Time
A universally supported restoration project in coastal Louisiana involves undoing serious manmade damage. Part 9 of Losing Louisiana, a series originally published in onEarth. KERRY STAFFORD CAN’T RESIST THE OPPORTUNITY to catch a baby alligator with his bare hands. He maneuvers his airboat this way and that, reaching over the side, explaining that a picture of […]
