AP Photo/Gregory Bull
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I've been wondering whether the BP spill—now the Gulf's largest ever—would go the way of Exxon Valdez and leave a long-term, underreported impact on the ecosystem and affected communities.
It looks like AP, for one, is working to make sure that doesn't happen: the agency just announced the creation of a full-time Oil Spill Editor. In a memo that said: "It is now clear this story will be with us, and with the people of the Gulf Coast, for a good long time to come. So we are taking steps to set up for this long haul," AP announced that Steve Gutkin, former Jerusalem bureau chief, will fill the new position.
Meanwhile, a guy in Brooklyn used Kickstarter, a site we love more everyday, to raise $2,000 (a goal they far exceeded) to surround BP with vuvuzelas. The idea behind the project:
BP is not feeling the pain they are causing in the Gulf. BP is spending millions on PR. In order to put a bit of public pressure on them, we plan to buy 100 vuvuzelas and hire 100 vuvuzela players off Craigslist to play in front of BP's International Headquarters in London for a one-day flash mob.
And the Refresh Project, a Pepsi-run charity, has just announced it will give $1.3 million in grants to projects that will help communities in Texas, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama.
The Cypress Times explains how the selection process will work:
Beginning on July 12, Pepsi will accept up to 1,000 ideas intended to refresh communities in the Gulf region at www.refresheverything.com. The submission period will stay open through July 16.
On August 2, Americans choose their favorite ideas to support Gulf coast communities at www.refresheverything.com. The ideas with the most votes will be funded. The voting period lasts through August 31.·On September 2, the 32 ideas with the most votes will be announced that will receive $1.3 million in funding.
More on the BP and Exxon Valdez oil spills:
Must See Aerial Footage of BP Oil Spill Shows 'The Gulf Bleeding' (Video)
Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill: The What, When and Where [UPDATED]
