Oil Spill Round Up

by: Mae Singerman

Fri Jun 11, 2010 at 10:58:47 AM EDT

After the jump, a round-up of news about the oil disaster that you might not know about with a focus on faith, activism and workers rights.

• Hands Across the Sea  is getting people across the country to join hands on their beaches on June 26th to "say no" to off-shore drilling" and "yes to clean energy." Other protests have been happening around the country in places like Houston and Orange County and DC.
• Faith leaders are getting involved in the spill from some Christians who are suggesting the oil disaster is the sign of the Apocalyse to the Council on American-Islamic Relations who are urging prayer leaders in the nation's 2,000 mosques to offer "special supplications" for the Gulf on Friday to us Jews who are working across organizations to brainstorm how to get involved and raising money.

• BP has ignored calls to halt paying out dividends to shareholders until victims of the spill have been paid out. Ew.
  
• The oldest oyster shucking company in the US is shutting down shop, leaving 25 employees without work. 
• Clean-up workers are probably inhaling chemicals that cause many severe health problems, though most workers are currently being treatd for overheating. 
• Celebrity activists come out for the Gulf Coast, but is it just a business move? 

The memes people are talking about: