Oil Remains King at Cajun Festival

I submit this as an example of those who seem to put the interests of the economy (and their own industries) over the long-term safety and stability of the very resources they claim sustain THEM.

The 75th Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival, "an event that proves that oil and water really do mix," is carrying on as always this Labor Day weekend, despite the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history.

online.wsj.com...

There was anger and resentment to be found along the kiosks selling catfish po'boy sandwiches and deep-fried Oreo cookies—but it was all directed at President Barack Obama, whose moratorium on deepwater oil drilling many saw as punishing an entire region for the sins of a few. The ban was enacted in response to the April disaster.

Thursday's fire on a Mariner Energy Inc. platform stoked fears the moratorium would persist, suffocating small-town economies still struggling to recover from hurricanes Katrina and Rita five years ago.

Less venom was aimed at BP PLC, the company responsible for the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that exploded in April, killing 11 workers and triggering the enormous spill that has brought hardship to so many here. BP is a sponsor of the festival on the banks of the muddy Atchafalaya River.

Hmmm, BP sponsors the event, and people dont seem to care.

"It isn't like it used to be, when we had a seawall of shrimp boats coming in here back in the day," said Mr. Dardeau, who works for Cameron International Corp., the maker of the blowout preventer device on the Deepwater Horizon rig. "But the oil industry has really filled the void, and we're grateful for that. It's pretty much all we've got."

Right. so, they over-fished the gulf, and now expect the oil industry to prop them and an unsustainable lifestyle up.

How forward thinking of them.

[edit on 6-9-2010 by justadood]

If this is the 75th anniversary of the festival, how exactly have they been living an 'unsustainable' lifestyle? It seems their way of life had been sufficient for themselves up until the oil spill.

Also I am sure those fisherman all had a backup plan for income just in-case an oil rig exploded, causing the largest oil spill in history, too. So we can expect them to immediately find other ways of sustaining their families and communities that relied on this way of life because of that, right?

I feel so bad the people living in the affected areas... BP being the scum that they are by trying to mask the extent of this mess are pulling yet another PR stunt by sponsoring this landmark event, and they have no choice but to accept it in the name of tradition.

Who else are they going to rely on? Our government already has shown it's incompetency not just with Katrina, or Rita, but this as well.

If you are interested, you can personally support the regrowth of their economy by clicking here.

Be well.

It seems the whole purpose of this staged disaster and the constant fear mongering is to destroy the centuries old livelihoods in the Gulf and to impose regulation … it appears to be failing but more time is needed to know for sure.

Originally posted by Kevinquisitor


I feel so bad the people living in the affected areas... BP being the scum that they are by trying to mask the extent of this mess are pulling yet another PR stunt by sponsoring this landmark event, and they have no choice but to accept it in the name of tradition.

Did you read the article? This festival is sponsored by BP, and the majority of people seem very interested in seeing the oil industry continue, even the shrimpers. IF they think they can continue drilling and not have major accidents liek this, then they are incredibly foolish.

Also, just because they've been harvesting shrimp in the past doesnt mean they can continue to, on increasing levels, forever. To think that is also foolish. The notion that many of the larger-scale fisherman are 'small-time' family fisherman is absurd. Its a major industry. The little guys have been getting squeezed out for years by these bigger players. This is just the final nail in their coffin, and they're still cheering for on offshore drilling.

All so families can continue to strive for that comfortable, unsustainable middle class life with big trucks and too many kids and mortgages they can't afford.

Yes, i'd call that unsustainable.

[edit on 7-9-2010 by justadood]

[edit on 7-9-2010 by justadood]