Summer is almost over...

So I promised that I would try to write more, and unfortunately I got busy and didn't. Well here I am posting again!

Anyways. So a week ago, exactly, I was driving to Baton Rouge after spending the day in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes. IT WAS AWESOME. In a, "I'm finally in Louisiana, learning about all these problems from people who are being effected by them" way.

Some background as to how this was happening. My friend who is part of an environmental group with me told me about this environmental leadership training camp (basically grassroots organizing) and she was going to the one in Louisiana. So the camp was called SPROG and it was put on by Sierra Student Coalition. There were 39 other greenies, and it was so nice to be around people who care as much as I do. Not that I don't have friends that care, its just nice to know that we aren't the only ones. And I now have connections in other areas of the country!

That aside. The 16th was an optional volunteer trip that I went on. We were toured around by a staff member from a community group called BISCO. The first stop was to show the difference between a federal levee and a levee in need of repair. The difference was amazing. The federal levee actually wasn't even funded by the federal government like it was supposed to be. The community raised $30 million dollars through taxes and some state funding to build a 7 mile stretch. But, the federal government was supposed to build more once they did that. And they haven't. The levees help build up land again. Something that is much needed since Louisiana loses 1 football field of land every 38 min. From across the water we could see a BP staging area which we visited later. Next we went to see this community that looks like a ghost town since many people have been abandoning it due to land loss. It was sad. I felt like I was back in the Egyptian slums. Trash everywhere and rickety old houses. While there our guide stopped to talk to another local who was talking about shrimp fishing. They aren't catching too much, but they are getting by. I also couldn't believe this because in the past 30 min I saw the effects of land loss, a bp staging area and heard from a local fisherman. So the next stop was the staging area. We saw the shipping containers filled with waste, and as we were learning about what's going on there, a truck pulls in ready for its next load. The waste is either being recycled, having minerals extracted or being thrown in landfills. From there we drove to LUMCON (Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium - a research station. On our drive down we passed a bp claims/community center, shrimp boats with oil booms and just plain ol' shrimp boats. At LUMCON we got to go up to the observation tower from which we could see the Gulf of Mexico (and some oil rigs in the distance), some shrimpers, another bp staging area, and more signs of the land loss. We then went back to Thibodeaux and helped BISCO with a community event. We were almost caught in the tropical storm so we hung out at our day's guide's house and ate pizza. Then the day was over and we had to drive back to Baton Rouge.

It's weird to think this was all just a week ago because it is so fresh in my mind.
I'm writing an article about the land loss/Louisiana in general.

I miss my fellow Sproggers...
Especially the guy who could ballroom dance and is a photographer. ;)

no aid for people with AIDS

I just read this article about how the federal program that helps people with AIDS and HIV receive medication is having to cut back because of economic downturns. I know it could never happen but I wish that pharmaceutical companies could just suck it up and give people the medication they need. These people are unemployed and don't have the money for so much medication so they can live. It IS a matter of life or death and these companies don't care. For one man it costs him $4,500 a month for medication alone, and he is unemployed. I can't imagine it would be easy to get a job if you have AIDS and now because he missed the deadline to re-enroll in the federal program he can't get the medicine. The program is just ridiculous in general, they have to re-enroll every 6 months. That is such a hassle and its not like AIDS would go away within those 6 months. I suppose they have to make sure the people actually NEED the free meds but that exposes another issue. Should people really have to pay in order to live? The constitution says everyone has a right to life, but these medications and treatments for life-threatening ailments are costly and therefore not everyone can afford them. What if this treatment was free? What if the pharmaceutical companies sucked it up and only made a profit on the non-dependent for living medications like viagra and botox? I suppose the drugs cost money to make but its still just seems ridiculous. I guess the people with AIDS or HIV should have been more careful. But for some it wasn't their fault, contaminated blood supplies could have caused it. But back to the original issue, the federal program is being cut in different states who don't want to deal with it. Louisiana cut it because they said the waiting list was giving people false hope. Well there shouldn't be a waiting list and in economic hard times like now what we need to do is stop wasting our money on stuff like the war and focus on more pressing issues at home like AIDS and the oil spill.

On a side note I haven't seen any headlines about the oil spill in forever, it hasn't gone away though....

volontiers

I REALLY want to go down to Louisiana or somewhere South to help with the oil spill. I feel I have to do something or I will regret it. But, a bunch of things say you have to be 18 and every site seems to make it difficult to volunteer! What happened to mobilizing people for the effort and why must I be 18? I'd do it with my mom if I had to. I am so motivated to do this, it's frustrating doing nothing. I can't just sit here and do nothing, whining about how terrible it is. I HAVE to go down there and get my hands covered in oil and get the real experience. I want to wash some birds and save some turtles. Why do I need to be a veterinarian or something to do so? They offer specialized training, but again I have to be 18. What I should do is talk to them and show them my determination, but I don't want to drive all the way to Louisiana just to be turned away for being young. What happened to youth empowerment? The youth is the most active, usually. Just look at the 1960s. I think one of the problems is laws have been passed to keep children from being in danger. But I am willing to take the risk and I know my mom wants me to go anyways.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/05/27/us/201005_oil-spill-photo-gallery.html

^ that is not sand

j'ai retourné un peu différent

I have decided to start blogging again but about real-er things. like my thoughts on what is going on in the world such as oil spills or politics or local things. the old blog was much more "dear diary..." style this will be more opinion/editorial style.

STRESS

Ok so the entire year people have asked me in wonder how I am not dying of stress. Well I've finally reached that point.

I am sooooo busy what is wrong with me! I love my work and I love my after school activities and I love my classes but they are starting to be too much to handle. But I can't drop any of them! On top of that I don't seem to be able to go to bed early enough, which results in much sleeping in and coming to my first classes late. SUMMER COME SOON! But I already know I am in for a busy summer. And being so busy is terrible because I really want to do this great article for my newspaper but I don't have time!

hmmm maybe I'll cover Model UN.....

I wonder if I can get kids on the record saying they are there to blow it off or there to be serious and regard "the other side" as people blowing off the class. I wonder if I can get them saying that they come high and drunk to class....... hmmm this might actually be good.