New Orleans, LA – As part of a global day of action, citizens gathered along the Mississippi River levee in the Lower Ninth Ward today at noon to join hands and form a “line in the sand,” symbolizing the need for further action to protect Louisiana’s communities from the impacts of oil and gas development, and to combat recent attacks on energy efficiency and solar net metering. The gathering was part of Hands Across the Sand, an international grassroots event that brings people together to promote a clean energy future. One of the central focuses of the gathering in New Orleans was the need for a citizen role in ensuring the safety of oil and gas drilling in the Gulf.

“We’re proud to join hands and draw a line in the sand to stop the expansion of offshore drilling, but the Gulf has already borne the burden of the nation’s oil addiction”, stated Aaron Viles, Gulf Restoration Network’s deputy director. “From ongoing oil spills lasting over 9 years to faked water samples run through coffee filters, BP is not the only bad actor offshore. It’s time for an independent, off shore energy citizens’ advisory council to watchdog the oil industry,” he finished.

In the wake of the BP disaster, a consortium of non-profits have been working together to monitor ongoing impacts of the disaster, and new oil, gas, and chemical spills. They discovered widespread problems with how the oil and gas industry operates in the Gulf.

“I hope that one day our volunteer pilots will fly over the Gulf Coast and be unable to spot pollution fouling our rivers, estuaries, and marine areas. Independent monitoring by nonprofits and citizens is a crucial step toward ensuring industry accountability. When we citizens report pollution that we find, it shows our government how much we value consistent enforcement of the environmental laws meant to protect us all,” Meredith Dowling, Gulf Program Director for SouthWings.

Citizens also expressed concerns over recent attacks on energy efficiency and solar net metering.

“Right now our state’s energy efficiency and net metering rules are under attack by the Public Service Commission (PSC). Unfortunately, the LA PSC has recently rescinded the statewide energy efficiency rule. Energy efficiency is the largest untapped energy resource and while the PSC has the power to invest in saving people money, they have simply chosen not to,” says Linda Stone, Executive Director for Global Green. “There is also a proposed change to solar net metering that would negatively affect solar owners and the solar industry. This will go for a vote on May 21st.”

In the Lower Ninth Ward, residents are particularly impacted by the PSC’s recent actions.

“Folks in the Lower Ninth Ward are committed to rebuilding their community with a focus on sustainability. Standing in the way of our citizens benefiting from the energy efficiency measures they have taken while rebuilding their homes is wrong-headed and discourages people from trying to reduce their energy use,” Arthur Johnson, with the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development. “This is bad for our community and bad for our coast.”

Sponsors of this year’s event included the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development, Southwings, Gulf Restoration Network and Global Green, USA.

Check out Global Green’s post about the event: http://www.globalgreen.org/articles/global/180

Aerial photos of the event, courtesy of SouthWings, are available at: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjF9Dprf

“It is hard to understand the controversy surrounding this kind of mining unless you see it from the air,” White says. “I love to fly, and if I can fly and help people like SouthWings and their clients at the same time that’s a good thing.”

The family grew and so did the size of the airplanes. After accumulating his ratings and some short term missions experience, practicality and expedience took him to commercial aviation. He worked for two airlines, America West and US Airways, as an A&P mechanic and a Maintenance Systems Instructor on Boeing and Airbus aircraft. Along the way, he stayed current in little airplanes, joined the Civil Air Patrol, flew Young Eagles, and has been active in the FAA’s Wings Program. To date he has accumulated 900 hrs of flight time over 20 years of flying. Greg has a Commercial License, and is Instrument and Multi-Engine rated. For several years, he developed maneuvering skills in towing gliders in the California high desert and flying skydivers near the Blue Ridge Mountains. Then within the last two years, with the friendship and fellowship of another Greg, Cardiologist Dr. Greg Braden, the proud owner of Cessna 182, N2376X, he is again able to join his first loves; flight and stewardship of creation with SouthWings. Now employed with the Winston-Salem based B/E Aerospace, Greg works right on the air field, convenient to his Cessna 182. With his wife Chris, they have four sons. In the summer of 2007 two daughters-in-law join the family. Greg and Chris enjoy living in North Carolina, and also relish visiting family back out west and, of course, the views on the way.

Before retiring in 2006 Andy spent 34 years in information technology including 11 years as a program manager with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and Avineon, and 23 years with the Internal Revenue Service as a program manager, project manager and communications specialist. He has a M.S. degree in Software Systems Engineering and B.S. in Applied Mathematics. Andy served in the United States Air Force on active duty from 1966 to 1970 as a ground radio repairman and he has extensive experience in electronics, radio communications and computers.

Andy is married to Cindy Meranda, his wife of 33 years, and has three daughters aged 38, 29 and 25. Andy and Cindy retired and moved from Northern Virginia to Lake James, North Carolina because of their love of Western North Carolina’s beauty and their fond memories of summer camp and college. They have traveled in their airplane throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast as far North as Bar Harbor, Maine and as far South as Tampa, Florida. In May 2008 they spent two weeks traveling in Alaska by car, ski plane, float plane and helicopter as far North as the Denali National Park and as far South as Seward.

Darwin now has over 5,000 hours of flying experience and almost 2,000 hours in some unusual attitude, like upside down, aerobatics.  Darwin flew aerobatic competition with the International Aerobatic Club for 15 years winning many awards.  Darwin says that flying for SouthWings is the rewards that he seeks now, working with great people and helping preserve our natural heritage.

Darwin is married to Jan and they have four grown daughters and five grandchildren, three boys and two girls.

Hap enjoys flying to put passengers in a position to help the mountains and wetlands of the Southeast. He owns a Cessna 182 and is based out of the Asheville Airport in North Carolina. His wife Julia, an artist and musician, enjoys flying to the Bahamas. Hap enjoys travel and has flown in Africa, Alaska, and the western backcountry. His most recent adventure was a kayak trip in Bhutan. Hap is the co-owner of Camp Rockmont, a summer camp for boys located in Black Mountain, North Carolina.