From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Sierra Club TV: Mississippi Coastal Residents Fight Offshore
Drilling
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2006 12:10:44 -0700
For Immediate Release: June 7, 2006
Contact: Annie Strickler, (415) 977-5619
Orli Cotel, (415) 977-5627
SIERRA CLUB TELEVISION SERIES DOCUMENTS THE FIGHT AGAINST OFFSHORE DRILLING
ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI COAST
Battered By Hurricane Katrina, Residents Favor Tourism, Wetlands and
Pristine Beaches
*For a DVD, please contact Orli Cotel or Annie Strickler*
San Francisco, CA - The sixth episode of the Sierra Club's television
series, which premieres Thursday, tells the story of an unlikely coalition
in southern Mississippi that has banded together to fight plans to drill in
the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Across the country the oil and gas
industry is pressuring lawmakers to lift coastal protections to allow
destructive offshore drilling, but Mississippians have fought back in favor
of a lasting tourism industry and pristine beaches. Filming of the episode
was cut short last August when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast,
and now, at the start of another hurricane season, comes the story of these
residents who don't want to see their state's most valued natural treasure
put at risk by oil and gas development.
"Storm in the Gulf," episode six of Sierra Club Chronicles, will air
Thursday, June 8 at 8:30 PM EST/PST and again on June 22 on Link TV and is
available for viewing and download at www.sierraclubtv.org
The episode follows a coalition of unlikely allies, including businessmen,
real estate developers, fishermen, Democrats and lifelong Republicans, a
third-generation charter boat captain and a National Park Ranger who's
risking his career to speak out. These allies are fighting drilling on the
Gulf Islands National Seashore, a necklace of pristine barrier islands off
the coast of Mississippi.
"Never has there been an issue that has united coastal residents and
ignited passions as has the threat of offshore oil and gas drilling to our
beloved barrier islands," explained Louie Miller; state director for the
Sierra Club in Mississippi.
Through a manipulation of an Appropriations Bill passed in Congress last
April, a clandestine clause was added to the bill that allowed Republican
Governor (and former RNC Chairman) Haley Barbour to pave the way for oil
and gas industry to start drilling. The residents profiled in "Storm in the
Gulf" are just a few of the growing thousands of Mississippi coast dwellers
who have banded together to expose and shame Governor Barbour for selling
the state’s most valued natural treasure to oil and natural gas companies
for a series of campaign contributions and under the guise of national
security and responsible energy policy.
As our cameras were there filming this episode, the Category 5 Hurricane
Katrina was within days of hitting the Gulf Coast forcing us to pull out.
We returned to find massive devastation of land and property but the people
were resilient. In fact, the destruction could have been much worse proving
that the coalition was on target in stating the value of the barrier
islands for the hurricane protection they provide. Now, their fight goes on
as they rebuild their lives and continue to fight to protect the islands.
Sierra Club Chronicles is a monthly series by award-winning filmmaker
Robert Greenwald ("Outfoxed," "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price").
Produced by Greenwald’s Brave New Films in association with Sierra Club
Productions, and hosted by Daryl Hannah, the series captures seven David
vs. Goliath stories: the dramatic efforts of committed individuals across
the country working to protect the health of their environment and
communities.
The next and final episode, "Rats to Roses," which airs July 13 and 17,
covers "community gardens" in some of the most diverse and economically
challenged parts of New York City. There were some 800 of these gardens, a
number which has dwindled to 200 -- most of which were once empty lots full
of weeds, trash and graffiti, but local residents got together to plant
flowers, foliage, and, in many cases, to grow vegetables and fruits used to
feed the needy. The episode chronicles a multi-year time arc of the threat
and loss of the community gardens in New York -- but also the commitment
and resilience of community organizers. Charles Louis founder of the Euclid
500 Gardens, says "these gardens have become community centers for people
with nowhere else to go."
Summaries of all seven episodes and tips for planning a house party are
available at www.sierraclubtv.org.
Link TV is on DIRECTV channel 375 and Dish Network channel 9410. Emmy
Award winner Molly O'Brien co-executive produces and Richard Ray Pérez
serves as director and supervising producer. Kim Haddow and Adrienne
Bramhall oversee the production for Sierra Club.
Sierra Club Chronicles is made possible by the generous support of the Ford
Foundation.
About Sierra Club Productions
Emmy Award-winning Sierra Club Productions is a division of the Sierra
Club, which is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots
environmental organization in America, with more than 750,000 members
nationwide. Sierra Club Productions develops and produces dramatic and
non-fiction programming for television and film that reflects the
Sierra Club belief that every person is connected to, inspired by and
responsible for the natural world. (www.sierraclub.org/scp)
About Brave New Films
Brave New Films is the new media company from Robert Greenwald, the
award-winning producer of over 60 films, and the director of the 2 recent
documentaries, "Wal-Mart: the High Cost of Low Price" and "Outfoxed: Rupert
Murdoch's War on Journalism." A pioneer in 21st century activism,
Greenwald's films provide the centerpiece for guerilla campaigns designed
to break through noisy news cycles. By utilizing the latest technologies,
collaborating with numerous activist groups, and building a growing network
of dedicated volunteer field producers, Brave New Films is producing and
distributing entertaining and engaging films, television, radio, music,
books and blogs outside the corporate system, building essential media
infrastructure for long-term social progress. (www.bravenewfilms.org)
About Link TV
Link TV is a non-commercial, independent television network available in
more than 26 million U.S. homes on DIRECTV channel 375 and DISH Network
channel 9410. The 24-hour programming is a mix of documentaries,
international news, foreign films and the best of World Music. The network
recently received the first satellite-only Peabody Award for MOSAIC: World
News from the Middle East, a daily news show featuring English translations
of national television reports from more than 24 countries in the Middle
East. Select Link TV programs are streamed on the Internet at
www.linktv.org. Link TV is operated by Link Media, Inc., a California
non-profit organization, with production studios in San Francisco, New York
and Washington, DC.
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