Storm Surge: Stories of Survival, Resiliency and Gulf Coast Recovery.

(The following is a direct copy of the announcement put forth by Moontown Foundation of the upcoming screening of the documentary of the BP Spill.)

The BP Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig was capped several months ago, but the trauma flows on.

Thousands of people have fallen ill because of acute exposure to a mixture of oil, methane gas and Corexit - an oil dispersant that has been, ironically enough, banned in the UK as it’s known to cause respiratory, nervous system, liver, kidney and blood disorders, as well as rectal bleeding.

http://www.npr.org/2010/11/30/131694...848/bp-spill-psychological-scars-similar-to-exxon-valdez?sc=17&f=1001

The financial and emotional stress with shrimpers, crabbers and fisherman, whose families have harvested and made their living from the waters of the Gulf of Mexico since pre-Civil War America has led to a marked increase in alcohol and drug abuse, divorce rates and attempted suicides.

Massive sea birds, marine life and fish kills have occurred at unprecedented levels.

And the cynicism about BP, the federal government, the Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency, local governments, and even neighbors is palpable beyond words.

STORM SURGE is a mini-documentary film which tells uncensored stories of Gulf Coast residents (from New Orleans to Bayou La Batre, Alabama) struggling to rebuild, recover, and survive in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Great Recession, and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Disaster.

This past August, three members of the Moontown Foundation took a three week road-trip to the Gulf. Their goal was to determine whether the mainstream media, BP and the government were accurately reporting the on-the-ground facts and adequately assisting with the effort to help people get their lives and livelihoods back on track.

Moontown’s trio of citizen journalists captured frank and sobering tales of fraud, corruption, and Stalinesque censorship and message control that would make the old Soviet Union proud.

We invite you to share in this experience.

After the film, a panel discussion featuring Seattle-based volunteers, student groups and community organizations that recently returned from the Gulf, as well as citizen activists who currently live in the region, will share their insights and perspectives on the issues people are facing.

Appetizers and refreshments provided.

Seating is limited and filling up FAST so reserve your spot today! http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/139045

Private VIP Reception 6:00pm - 7:00pm ($55.00)
General Admission 7:00pm - 9:00pm ($20.00)
Students with valid ID ($5.00)

Film Runtime: Approximately 25 minutes

***Funds raised from this event will be used support the BuildSmart Initiative of New Orleans, a green job training program for disadvantaged youth and young adults, and a LEED Level Retrofit of the Bryant Community Center in Bayou La Batre that was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina.***

About Moontown Foundation:
Launched in 2006, Moontown is an innovative non-profit social enterprise that creates experiential learning and leadership development opportunities in environmental, social and economic sustainability for urban youth and young adults. For more information visit http://www.moontownfoundation.org/ or Twitter @moontown.

Contact: Emmanuelle.Escandar@moontownfoundation.org for more details about the Private Reception or to inquire about sponsorship and tabling opportunities.

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City of Seattle and Moontown

The city of Seattle got a big federal grant just the other day. The funding was awarded to much fanfare and bombast as the mayor flew to D.C. in order to accept the reward from the Department of Energy. The city has decided to use the funds to weatherize the buildings of south Seattle including both public and private.

It is a good day for sustainability folks as the money is going directly to people who need it and it is a great first step towards making the city carbon neutral. What is important now is how the city contracts the actual work that will start to take place within the next few months and I offer up for your consideration: Moontown Foundation.

Moontown Foundation is the brain child of Stacey Nolan, a giant in the sustainability, environmental, and green jobs crowd here in Seattle. The foundation is based around green jobs in energy efficiency, weatherization, solar power, and raising awareness of the impact of global climate change.

If the city of Seattle has not considered organizations such as Moontown, perhaps they can take a second look. Using local organizations to do the work that was awarded to them would not only help the local economy, but show the city's dedication to real sustainability.

I'll let the foundation speak for itself here.

Moontown: Who we are

Moontown Foundation’s programs include outreach and advocacy, curriculum development and recruitment, career orientation workshops, and launching demonstration programs designed to:

• Raise awareness of the impact of global climate change on poor and historically disadvantaged communities in both the United States and the emerging world;
• Introduce underrepresented minority teens and young adults to green career opportunities in the clean and renewable energy industry sectors (i.e., wind, solar, and biofuels);
• Implement effective education and training programs that meet industry demand, recruitment and supports our the target demographic groups;
• Link basic and remedial education with occupational skills training that are in demand now;
• Involve employers and labor unions in the determination of core skills and competencies; and
• Ensure that supportive services, integrated with education and training are delivered by organizations with direct access to targeted demographic groups.