The oceanic acumen filmmaker James Cameron gained while making “The Abyss” and “Titanic” is proving to be more valuable than both of his highest grossing films of all time. Considered an expert in underwater filming, Cameron joined a think tank of 20 scientists and engineers from the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies in Washington on Tuesday to come up with solutions to stop the massive oil leak that’s overwhelming the Gulf of Mexico. The Oscar-winning director recently offered his fleet of deep water submarines to assist in alleviating the spill.
Cameron isn’t the only Hollywood heavyweight putting his mind and his money to good use. As we reported on May 21, actor and activist Kevin Costner has some deep therapy in mind for the devastated New Orleans area – Ocean Therapy. Two weeks ago, BP had plans to test out Costner’s oil extracting machines that were 15 years and $24 million dollars in the making. However, there hasn’t been any word on any testing reports as of yet.
Media coverage on the disaster overall has slimmed down ever since the Associated Press, CBS, and other outlets said they were being allowed only limited access to areas affected by the oil leak, due to plane and boat restrictions on May 29. Officials are reportedly saying that some parts have been closed off to the media in order to protect the wildlife and keep air traffic under control. According to CBS, one of the network’s reporting teams was told the group would be arrested by the Coast Guard under the advisory of BP if they did not leave the area. However, the U.S. Coast Guard says BP is not controlling media access.
Whatever the reason and whoever is in charge, the fact that we’re hearing accounts of coverage restrictions is not good. If the public is to help the devastated region come up with a solution, the public needs to be informed. In the six weeks that have passed since BP’s oil rig exploded off the Louisiana coast, killing 11 people and countless wildlife, the company’s recovery efforts have fallen more than short. According to the New York Times, the government estimates that 12,000-19,000 barrels of oil are being spewed daily from 5,000 feet below the surface.
We’re hoping Cameron, Costner, and the underwater experts working toward relief will be able to prevent further damage. In the meantime, the Greater New Orleans Foundation has formed the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund to connect donors and nonprofits in support of areas that have been impacted by the disaster.
To learn more about how you can volunteer and help the Gulf Coast community, check out the Southeastern Council of Foundations and Tonic.
Photo by Jurvetson, Flickr.
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Tags: BP, EPA, Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund, Gulf of Mexico, James Cameron, Kevin Costner, Ocean Therapy, oil spill
