We've been busy celebrating in la la land with our Oscar nominations and winner, The Cove. In case you didn't watch the four-hour marathon broadcast you missed seeing glitzy celebrities who probably spent the past week getting dressed for their big night. Despite the emphasis on who was the best and worst dressed, the awards ceremony was also an opportunity to shine light on many of the issues we're working on here, including saving dolphins, food safety, Iraq veterans and environmentalism. And, despite the world seeming to stop in Los Angeles for the Academy Awards, the rest of the world was still going, offering many ways for us to get involved.
The Cove
Best Documentary winner! With this win, a powerful message has been sent to the Japanese government that the world now knows about the senseless killing of dolphins in Japan. In case you missed the huge banner that dolphin activist Ric O'Barry displayed, it said text dolphins to 44144. Text to learn more and send a message to the Obama Administration and the Japanese government that the cove needs to be shut down. It's also about our personal actions. Many of those dolphins are captured and sent to dolphinariums and swim-with-dolphin programs. Before you choose to visit one of these places, get the facts.
The Cove filmmakers are not retreating after their Sunday night victory. The New York Times reported on Monday morning that the team had performed a sting operation at a Santa Monica, CA sushi restaurant that was selling whale meat, which is illegal in the US. While it's shocking that whale meat would be sold in the US, as a consumer you can make sure you choose the safest and most sustainable seafood.
Food, Inc.
We at Participant were in a both fortunate and unfortunate situation. Lucky that we had two films nominated for Oscars but unfortunately both were in the same category. The nomination of Food, Inc. was much deserved as the film has already helped to propel a national discussion and movement towards a more sustainable and just food system. While we might always try our best, we sometimes just can't make a farmers-market sustainable meal three times a day. In light of this, learn about how some of your favorite restaurants might rank, based on a new report from Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Countdown to Zero
Iran is in the news every day. Whether it's the ongoing political reform movement or its attempts to build nuclear weapons, the President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is delicately creating adverseries while also attracting hard-line supporters in his country and around the globe. I was disappointed to see a picture on the front page of the New York Times today of him embracing Afghan President Hamid Karzi. Iran is a threat to the stability of the Mid-East and its determined efforts to build a nuclear weapon is alarming. Our documentary, Countdown to Zero, will be scarier than any horror film you've ever seen. Stay tuned for a July release date.
The Crazies
Speaking of horror films, have you seen The Crazies? While it's not a documentary, there's some serious threats in the real-world that might scare you enough to let out a horror-film scream. It turns out that there are thousands of dangerous chemical facilities dotting the nation's landscape. Whether you live in a major city like I do or a rural area, there's a good chance that you live near one. The problem is, that they're not secure. They're accessible to terrorists or accidents and if this happens up to a million people could die. Find out if you are safe.
Then, you can do something about it by taking action today. Tell the US Senate that you really don't want to live near insecure chemical facilities; there's no need to make a Hollywood horror film reality. Sign this petition today and urge others to do so.
Charlie Wilson's War
The Hurt Locker's win was one of the best ways to remind the US public that we're still fighting a war in Iraq. For some reason, people seem at times more interested in what Hollywood celebrities are wearing. There are hundreds thousands of soldiers who've returned from the war with mental and physical injuries. Get involved today with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, whom we worked with on our Charlie Wilson's War campaign They're on the frontlines fighting for veteran benefits and providing much needed support and resources.
No comments:
Post a Comment