As someone who bas born and raised on the Gulf Coast, it is incredibly hard to imagine the ever-evolving impact of the oil spill - on people, on ecosystems, on our way of life. In addition to being a Gulf Coast native, I also have the added viewpoint of someone who has worked in the oil and gas fields of Wyoming and lives among some of the largest producing natural gas fields in North America. Oh, and I work for a conservation organization. To say that I am conflicted on the issue is an understatement!
While I have most of the coverage of the spill to be utterly irresponsible and just pain wrong in terms of the portrayal of the oil and gas industry - I mean, hello, do you dogsled to work? - I was intrigued by a recent article entitled, "Oil spill threatens to smother Gulf Coast food cultures" by Gary Nabhan over on Grist.
According to the article, "the Renewing America's Food Traditions (RAFT) alliance will release a comprehensive checklist of over 240 place-based foods of the Gulf Coast that are now at risk -- 138 of them directly affected by the oil spill." Tragic.
The solution? "As Slow Food New Orleans activist Poppy Tooker has proclaimed, "Now more than ever before, 'Eat it to save it' should be our rallying cry!"
I was also surprised to read that "food activists are now preparing to nominate New Orleans as a World City of Gastronomy, appealing to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to recognize that the widely celebrated heritage of the Gulf Coast's food communities is in "urgent need of safeguarding." What an amazing program!
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Thanks so much for the love!