CHANGE
v. to make radically different
n. a fresh set of clothing; money

Change t-shirts 52 times in 2010 to raise awareness and funds for 52 world changers.

What do you change for?


Wednesday, July 14, 2010

THE GULF RESTORATION NETWORK


“We have held hands walking down the beach at the brink of divorce, the budding of new love, the devastation of death and disease --- and the Gulf, she allowed us to breathe in new breath and start again with new perspectives.”

Such is the nostalgic sentiment of a 61 year-old Gulf Coast dweller.

Thanks to The Gulf Restoration Network (GRN), thousands have benefitted from the protection and restoration of the natural resources in the Gulf Region. Since 1995, the GRN has provided “technical support and mentoring to grassroots groups,” developed partnerships and coordination of member activities in the region, and pursued “campaigns on priority issues… including water quality, wetlands, sustainable fisheries, smart energy, hurricane rebuilding, and species-at-risk.”

While numerous environmental threats—from protecting cypress forests to “fil[ing] suit blocking expansion of phosphate strip mining in central and southwest Florida”—have sustained the GRN’s 8 person staff for years, BP’s colossal oil spill has devastated the GRN’s agenda.

Their deep understanding of both wild life and human life in the Gulf Region has enabled the GRN to advise and guide the community through the most recent unchartered waters.

This local, communal knowledge is paralleled by community based t-shirt company, Threadless, which reacted to the unprecedented oil spill with the peliCAN tee. Reminiscent of the oil covered birds in Saved By The Bell’s “Oil Spill” episode (back in 1991), the peliCAN t-shirt is providing funds for the GRN’s on-the-ground efforts in aiding the ailing natural resources in the Gulf Region.

Even though some of the world’s most influential companies, powers, celebrities, and organizations are scrambling to clean up the spill, 3 months later, the oil disaster is flowing freely.

Maybe the failed response is a consequence of the “not-in-my-backyard” attitude.

But this disaster is in someone’s backyard.

It is—
where thousands have lived
where family businesses have thrived
where life has found new perspectives—
for generations.

Please visit healthygulf.org for more information.

(The Gulf Restoration Network unites people to protect and restore the Gulf Region for generations to come)

2 comments:

  1. I'll post this to my facebook so more are aware as it is in my backyard. Thanks for continuing to do good work! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Leah!

    Great to hear from you again-- thanks for spreading the good work of the GRN!

    ReplyDelete