www.RestoretheGulf.com

Petition attracts more than 100,000 signatures in 100 hours after official launch. We are grateful for your support!

Media Coverage Propels Campaign

Restoring the Gulf
Editorial, New York Times, Thursday, August 19, 2010
Is the crisis in the gulf over? In a word, no. Another, even bigger, challenge lies ahead: reversing decades of man-made degradation in the vast Mississippi River Delta.

Where’s the aid for the oft-ravaged Gulf Coast?
Washington Post Wednesday, July 28, 2010
In a crisis-saturated world sodden with cynicism and conspiratorial ennui, these women inspire.

What's Right Now!
INStyle, August 5, 2010
Sandra Bullock & Blake Lively star in Restore the Gulf Campaign

QR Codes Used to Help Clean Up the Gulf
Mashable Wednesday, July 28, 2010
In an interesting intersection between technology and social activism, QR codes could prove instrumental in helping ensure that the Gulf is fully restored.

Read what celebrities are saying about the campaign

Read the news release

About the campaign

Women of the Storm has harnessed the latest in social media techniques as it seeks to capture hundreds of thousands of e-signatures that its members will take to Congress and the Administration in a return visit to Washington, DC.

The innovative campaign emphasizes the importance of the Gulf Coast to America, especially in seafood, energy, oil and gas, shipping, ecosystem and culture.

Among its stars of its moving video are Sandra Bullock, Wendell Pierce, Lenny Kravitz, John Goodman, Dave Matthews, Mary Matalin, James Carville, Drew Brees, Peyton and Eli Manning, Emeril Lagasse, Harry Shearer, Dr. John, Leah Chase, Bryan Batt, Blake Lively, Alfre Woodard, Eric Harvey (of the band Spoon), Jack del Rio, Clay Hensley and many more.



Ms. Bullock issued the following statement on Tuesday, August 10:

“Ms. Bullock’s participation in the Restore the Gulf campaign does not imply support for, or endorsement of, any organization or of any other message than as expressed in the Restore the Gulf public service announcement.  The restoration of our Gulf Coast is of great importance to her.  She supports any person or persons who are honorably trying to bring help and light to a very dire situation.  She will NOT support anyone who is using these terrible circumstances to advance a self serving cause that does not benefit the Gulf Coast or that burdens tax payers with obligations that should rightfully be the responsibility of others.”

The restorethegulf.com campaign is supported by an aggressive PR strategy, a social media presence that includes Facebook and Twitter accounts and a YouTube channel, and by a “Be the One” t-shirt, sold through Café Press. The t-shirt’s design includes a 2-D barcode that enables people to sign the petition by scanning the code with their smartphones

. The initiative does not advocate a particular piece of legislation. It simply seeks to demonstrate to national leaders the strong and deep support across America for the essential funding for Gulf Coast restoration.

Please sign the petition at the url above or by clicking on the logo at left, share it with all of your contacts and friends ––and help restore this crucial part of our nation.

We thank you for using your voice to make a difference––and for  being the one for the Gulf Coast.

Get the facts:

There’s a saying, often attributed to Mark Twain, that “a lie can be halfway around the world before the truth gets its boots on.” We want you to know the truth at www.restorethegulf.com, in the face of misleading information and poor reporting that’s out there in the blogosphere.

Women of the Storm funded the Restore the Gulf initiative independently, using no money from America’s Wetland Foundation or any oil companies. Women of the Storm is supported through contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations. While America's Wetland Foundation is a strategic partner, it has no influence on development of Women of the Storm’s strategy, content, publications or projects. We simply share the goal of drawing attention to coastal restoration.

Women of the Storm is not asking for, nor does it expect, American taxpayers to pay for damage caused by other parties to the Gulf, its coastline or wetlands. Our petition does not specify a public or private funding source, only that we request a restoration plan to be funded and implemented. It will ultimately be up to Congress and the White House to determine how the plan for restoration is fully funded. However, nothing in our campaign is intended to absolve any entity from its responsibility for funding restoration of the damages it has caused.

We’ve been working on this for awhile now. As many of you may know, the critical need for coastal restoration precedes the oil spill. Louisiana has contributed $1.3 billion in three years toward repairing its coast, and Congress authorized nearly $2 billion for Gulf Coast restoration in the Water Resources Development Act of 2007. That money has never been appropriated and is thus unavailable. Marshland the size of a football field turns into open water every 38 minutes in a trend that has been ongoing for decades; we have lost land larger than the size of Delaware since the 1930s. That vanishing acreage acts as speed bumps for hurricanes. In its absence, hurricane energy is free to wreak havoc on coastal populations – human and otherwise – and on the U.S. economy.

Sign it. Share it. Restore it.

Again, thank you for supporting this cause. We shall not be distracted by half-truths and innuendo—our goal is simply too important. We currently have more than 120.000 signatures on our petition. Please help us maintain the momentum by continuing to spread the word.

Get more facts about Women of the Storm

Restore the Gulf was designed to communicate the importance of the region to the entire country, giving Americans in every state a concrete way to show their support for the Gulf Coast. 

In order to communicate this message as broadly as possible, the Restore the Gulf campaign was created to specifically leverage social media and the mobile web – providing flexible and efficient touchpoints.  Ensuring that our content was easy to find, share and act upon was of the utmost importance in crafting a communications strategy.

Key partnerships with social media and technology vendors allow us to extend the reach of the campaign through the innovative use of QR codes added to t-shirts, pocket cards and the video. The QR code, developed in partnership with Scanbuy, Inc., resolves to an optimized mobile petition. Other features include a fully branded YouTube channel, Twitter and a Facebook presence with an embedded petition.

About Scanbuy, Inc.
Scanbuy is the leading global provider of mobile barcode solutions that use the camera phone as the link between the physical world and the digital world. The ScanLife solution consists of a widely available mobile application and a Code Management Platform.  The technology has been successfully deployed and supported by leading mobile providers and handset manufacturers in North America, Latin America and Europe.   Media companies and marketers use the solution to create and manage measurable barcode campaigns, extending brand engagement onto mobile devices.

Scanbuy has the largest and oldest patent portfolio of any company in the industry, with over 30 patents granted covering the entire solution.  The company's investors include Motorola Ventures, Hudson Ventures, Masthead Venture Partners, and Longworth Venture Partners.

For more information on Scanbuy, please visit www.scanbuy.com or www.scanlife.com.  

• The region is a vital economic engine for the country, supplying $3 trillion annually to the U.S. economy.
  
  
• The Gulf of Mexico is critical to the nation’s energy supply, contributing more than 44% of the crude oil, 43% of the dry natural gas, and more than 50% of liquid natural gas that fuels this nation.
  
  
• Two-thirds of the royalties that the United States Treasury receives annually from oil and gas produced from the Outer Continental Shelf is generated by operations in the Gulf.
  
  
• The Gulf Coast region is responsible for one third of the U.S. oil and gas production, which accounts for about 49% of the nation’s oil supply.
  
  
• One-third of the seafood consumed in the country comes from the Gulf.
  
  
• Two-thirds of the royalties that the United States Treasury receives annually from oil and gas produced from the Outer Continental Shelf is generated by operations in the Gulf.
  
  
• The Gulf of Mexico's shores and beaches support a $20 billion tourist industry.
  
  
• The commercial fish and shellfish annual harvest from the five U.S. Gulf states is estimated to be 1.3 billion pounds valued at $661 million.
  
  
• The Gulf landings of shrimp harvest led the nation in 2008, with 188.8 million pounds valued at $367 million dockside, accounting for about 70% of the U.S. total.
  
  
• The Gulf also led in production of oysters in 2008 with 20.6 million pounds of meats valued at $60.2 million and representing 70% of the national total.
  
  
• The Gulf's coastal wetlands serve as an essential habitat for numerous fish and wildlife species, including migrating waterfowl (about 75% of those traversing the U.S.), seabirds, wading birds, furbearers, and sport and commercial fisheries.
  
  
• Out of the top 10 sea ports in the United States, seven are on the Gulf of Mexico.
  
  
• Agricultural production (crops, livestock, and associated products) in the Gulf States totaled nearly $29 billion in 2001 according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  

One-third of the nation’s supply of oil and natural gas is produced from Louisiana offshore waters and 70% crosses our coast. One-third of the nation’s seafood comes from Louisiana; the port system in South Louisiana is the largest in the nation. Coastal restoration is essential for the wellbeing of all American citizens!

Read more »

Learn more about the importance of saving America’s Wetland!

• Women of the Storm Coverage Archive 
• The Platform for Coastal Louisiana
• The 11 Lines of Coastal Defense
• Map of the Vanishing Coastline

Women of the Storm is a non-partisan non-political alliance of Louisiana women whose families, businesses and lives were affected by Hurricanes Katrina and/or Rita. Members are culturally, socially and economically diverse.  Bound by their passion for their communities, Women of the Storm educate elected leadership and media and opinion leaders about the urgent needs of the areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita for safe and secure neighborhoods and communities, including commiment of federal funds for restoration of our vanishing coast. The group offers educational tours, data and personal stories about families whose lives have been forever altered by the 2005 hurricane season; some 57 U.S. Senators and 149 member of the U.S. House of Representatives have visited to see post-hurricane Louisiana firsthand. Read what media are saying. Learn more about Women of the storm.