gulf oil spill

Jack Johnson Raises Money For Gulf Oil Spill Recovery

Singer Jack Johnson has announced his support of Gulf Oil Spill recovery efforts. Johnson is due to embark on the second leg of his "To The Sea" tour, which begins on August 13th in Salt Lake City, Utah, and continues on to Texas and through the south to Florida. Many stops on the tour will be in areas directly affected by the Gulf Oil Spill.

As part of the All At Once campaign, Johnson's "To The Sea" tour will work with local and national non-profits in areas affected by the Gulf Oil Spill to encourage volunteerism and direct donations. Information on how to help will be available at the Village Green area at Jack Johnson concerts taking place in areas affected by the Gulf Oil Spill. Johnson's newest charity, the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation, is committing up to $70,000 to the All At Once non-profit partners working on Gulf Oil Spill relief efforts--a total of $30,000 in direct donations and up to $40,000 in matching grants. Johnson is auctioning off prime seats to his August shows via TicketMaster with all auction proceeds going directly to the nonprofits working on relief efforts in the Gulf. All At Once is Jack Johnson's social action network that offers connections with non-profit groups and ways to take environmental action. Participants earns rewards like free downloads.

Tags: Gulf of Mexico oil spill, gulf oil spill, jack johnson

Tony Hayward's Golden Parachute

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

They may be sending BP CEO Tony Hayward off to Russia but he'll be leaving with quite the golden parachute. Today there was widespread speculation that Hayward, who become the target of national ire after BP floundered to contain the massive Gulf oil spill, will step down as chief executive of the company in October. Various outlets have reported that he will take a job with company's joint venture in Russia. Shipped off to Russia in ignominy? That's rough. But let's not feel too bad for the yacht-owning executive, BBC News says that he could receive an immediate annual pension worth about £600,000 ($930,000) when he leaves his post.

The rules of BP's pension plan say that anyone who joined the company before April 2006 can take the pension at any point from age 50 and Hayward is 53 so he's off and spending if he chooses. He's also set to get a year's salary plus benefits worth more than £1 million (over $1.55 million). His total pension is valued at around £11 million (over $17 million) and he will keep his rights to shares that, depending on whether or not BP bounces back in the stock market, could also be worth millions. Hayward became the chief executive in 2007 and has been criticized for being to slow to take action on issues of safety. His statement in an interview that he "just wanted his life back" angered those whose lives were devastated by the spill. His colleague Bob Dudley is set to replace him. Dudley grew up in Mississippi and is reputed to be a safety-minded straight arrow.

Tags: gulf oil spill, Tony Hayward

Saints Super Bowl Rings Handed Out, You Can Win One

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Sports

Women aren't the only ones who love little blue boxes from Tiffany's. The 2009 New Orleans Saints got their Super Bowl XLIV championship rings at a ceremony at the city's Roosevelt Hotel on Wednesday June 16. The rings were designed by Tiffany & Co. and feature a bunch of touches that resonate with fans of the Saints and their city. The rings are yellow gold and feature the New Orleans Saints fleur-de-lis logo set with round diamonds. The words "world champions" are set into the bezel of the ring with eight diamonds on each side (a total of 16 symbolizing the games the Saints won during the season). The rings also bear the score of the game, the NFL shield, images of the St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square and the Louisiana Superdome, a scene from the championship parade and the first few notes of the song "When The Saints Come Marching In." The underside of the ring bears inscriptions of team mottoes from last season: Be Special; Finish Strong; and Smell Greatness.

No precise estimate was given but they are believed to have a value of around $30,000 each. One ring wasn't there, it will be raffled off to raise money to benefit the relief efforts for the Gulf Coast oil spill. The winner will be announced at the nationally televised New Orleans Saints season opener on September 9, 2010. The winner will receive the ring and a cash prize in the amount of $2,178 to mitigate the winner's tax liability that results from winning the raffle. The proceeds benefit the New Orleans Saints Charitable Foundation and the Celebrities for Charity Foundation. Raffle tickets are $2 each with a minimum order of 5 tickets. The Saints organization hopes to raise as much as $1 million through the effort.

Tags: Gulf of Mexico oil spill, gulf oil spill, new orleans saints, oil spill, oil spill cleanup, oil spill louisiana, oil spill relief, super bowl, super bowl rings, tiffany, TiffanyAndCo, tiffanys

Vacation Rental Prices Cut By Half Along Alabama's Shore

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

As the oil washes ashore in the Gulf region more and more vacation rentals are getting some deep discounts. The Mobile Press-Register reports that some property managers are offering as much as 30 percent to 50 percent cuts at condominium units and beach houses. Cancellations have been rising and there has been a struggle to fill the properties. The article quotes David Bodenhamer, a partner in Young's Suncoast Vacation Rentals in Gulf Shores, who says he received $220,000 in cancellations in just three days and that they are running at less than a 50 percent occupancy. Even with new lower rates they still aren't getting enough takers as more and more people are opting to stay away from beachfront rentals.

As the picture above shows, Gulf Shore, Alabama is full of tall buildings positioned on the white sand beaches. Recent updates have waters closed at the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. The beaches are open and visitors can walk on the beach but that isn't being recommended. The Alabama Department of Public Health has expanded the swimming advisory to gulf waters off Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan, as well as bay waters immediately adjacent to Fort Morgan, in Bayou St. John, Terry Cove, Cotton Bayou or Old River. Beach raking machines are scouring the beaches. Small tarballs have also started to wash up on nearby Dauphin Island, another popular spot for beach rentals.

Can condo owners find relief from BP? Alabama's WAFF has a report on a woman who rents out her Gulf Shores condo. She filed a claim with BP for her losses and received a check. As the situation continues to worsen more condo owners who rely on vacation rentals in order to pay their mortgages may have to take similar action.

Tags: alabama, dauphin island, Gulf of Mexico oil spill, gulf oil spill, gulf shores

Jewelry Line Raises Awareness And Funds For Gulf Oil Spill

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Charity, Green

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill has generated plenty of conversation, controversy and compassion. New Orleans-based jewelry designer Mignon Faget, has a new line of cause jewelry to raise awareness and funds for the environmental disaster.

The new collection, called simply "In Mourning" pulls together animal-centered pieces that Faget used in previous collections. The collection takes the oysters, redfish, speckled trout, pelicans and other animals and uses them as tie tacks on black ribbons and pendants on black cords. Blackened oxidized silver pieces represent the effect of the oil on the oysters and other wildlife. The pieces are designed both to celebrate the diversity of the Gulf's marine and wildlife habitats but also to remind people of the tremendous losses caused by the spill.

Pieces retail from $65 to $300 and benefit the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, a nonprofit organization that has been around since the 1980s working on restoring and protecting the Louisiana coast. The collection is available at MignonFaget.com.

[via National Jeweler]

Tags: cause jewelry, Gulf of Mexico oil spill, gulf oil spill, mignon faget, new orleans, oil spill

Gulf Resorts Offer Clean Beaches Guarantee

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

As the oil spill in the Gulf continues past day 40, the effects for the industries in Florida, Louisiana and other states are starting to mount up. Vacation resorts in Florida are getting proactive to reassure potential vacationers that they won't be seeing any oil slicks on the local beaches. As CNN reports many hotels are changing their cancellation policies and promising refunds in guests see oil on the beaches. The six properties operated by The Resort Collection of Panama City Beach has an oil-free beach guarantee and the company's Facebook page has an ad with the slogan "The only oil on our beach is suntan oil!"

In Alabama, oil-free beach guarantees have also slowed down the rate of cancellation. Royal Shell Vacations, the largest vacation rental company serving Sanibel and Captiva Islands, Florida, with more than 400 luxury homes and condominiums, has announced a provisional refund policy, the Royal Shell "Clean Beaches" Guarantee. Royal Shell Vacations will provide a proportionate refund to any rental clients should the City of Sanibel or Lee County authorities officially close either Sanibel or Captiva Islands beaches. Royal Shell Vacations will be providing daily or as-needed "Clean Beaches" updates on both its website and Facebook page.

In Louisiana the tourism outlook isn't so bright. The lure of traveling to Louisiana isn't relaxing on the beach, it's often activities like sportfishing. With oil washing ashore into Louisiana's marshes recreational fishing is at a standstill. Sadly, hotels are full, but with workers, journalists and others who are there because of the spill.

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Tags: alabama, BP oil disaster, bp oil spill, clean beaches guarantee, florida, gulf oil spill, Louisiana, oil spill louisiana, oil spills