Deepwater Horizon film: Help the Gulf and its people recover!

Deepwater Horizon is a huge Hollywood production about the 2010 BP drilling disaster which will soon be released. The film tells the story of the well blowout that killed 11 workers on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. The 11 men will be cast as the film's heroes, and their loss is indeed tragic. 

Unfortunately, BP did not act heroically in responding to the disaster. BP lied about the amount of the oil being released, and they relied on a spill response plan that was shown to largely be a work of fiction, listing walruses as a local Gulf species, and counting on assets they didn't own and couldn't quickly mobilize.

The worst element of BP's response was the over-reliance on dispersant, a toxic chemical mix used to break up the oil, and keep it from reaching shore. Thousands of workers were exposed to the chemical, as it was sprayed on the surface by planes and by boats, in addition to being used at the well. Significant clean up worker health and environmental impacts have been linked to the dispersant. BP's unprecedented use of toxic dispersant was a massive science experiment on the people and environment of the Gulf.

The story of BP's dispersant use and its health impacts is told in a documentary film also being released soon. The Rising seeks to tell the public about the legacy of BP's chemical response to their drilling disaster, and warn against continued reliance on dispersant to "clean up" after oil spills.

Join us in telling the Deepwater Horizon filmmakers: Please direct some of the film's proceeds to non-profit groups in the Gulf working to help people and the environment recover from BP's damage. In addition, please support The Rising with marketing and distribution and by urging theaters showing your film to show The Rising trailer.