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'The Vampire Diaries' Ian Somerhalder on the Gulf Oil Disaster: 'Let's learn from this one'
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I've been speaking with "Vampire Diaries" star and passionate activist Ian Somerhalder all summer about the tragic Gulf oil disaster, so it was particularly appropriate that Zap2it was on location in Atlanta with "The Vampire Diaries" cast and crew when news broke that BP's initial cap test appeared successful.Together, while Somerhalder was on a short break from filming, we read the Breaking News headline that no oil was leaking into the Gulf of Mexico for the first time since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20.
"I feel relieved," he said. "I've felt physically sick about this for months now, literally, so even just a small amount of relief is a powerful feeling."
He's only cautiously hopeful, though, as he explains that there's still a serious risk that the build-up of pressure under the oil cap will render it useless and cause another gush of oil into the ocean. Though initial tests have been successful, we won't know whether the cap is a solution for quite a while.
Somerhalder is so dedicated to his personal B.P. boycott that when he ran out of gas on his way to the filming location that morning, he "cruised on fumes," passing several B.P. stations, until he finally found a Chevron.
He notes that the cap may be holding at the moment, but this development raises a host of new questions.
"All right, it's capped for now. There's no oil coming out. What do we do?" he asks. "Well, first we have to make sure B.P. makes good not only on the promises they've made, but on the responsibility that they now have. And I hope the U.S. government doesn't bow down like they did when the oil was leaking. I hope the government makes B.P. compensate."
He goes on to ask, "How do we rebuild these communities? How do we rebuild these economies and these ecosystems that are now destroyed? I don't know. Honestly, I don't know, and it's a baffling question. The wildlife and the people who depend on that ocean have to be a priority. The government can't turn their head away from that."
It's important to remember that despite the apparent success of B.P.'s cap, an entire ecosystem has already been devastated. The cap's temporary fix doesn't mean that the Gulf disaster shouldn't remain in our cultural consciousness, and it also shouldn't lull people into a false sense of security. Until changes are made in the way that we consume energy, we risk another catastrophe.
"The moratorium has been lifted. Congress says that - what is it? - that there's no evidence that offshore drilling is harmful to the environment," Somerhalder says, laughing bitterly. "That is the most bizarre thing. For a country as sophisticated as we'd like to think that we are, the fact that we can pass that kind of legislation? Again, it's not a political agenda of mine. It's just a question: How dumb can we be?"
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Thank you for this, I love how passionate he is on this issue.
It amazes me that congress can claim that there's no evidence that offshore drilling is harmful to the environment. I hate to think what will have to happen for them to realize how wrong they are.
I respect Ian tremendously for his activism, but a boycott of BP gas stations does nothing to harm BP and everything to harm the independent small business franchise owners who operate the stations. BP makes most of its money selling crude oil to OTHER companies, such as Chevron and Shell. To further confuse the matter, a lot of the gas at BP gas stations doesn't come from BP. A boycott is a simplistic and ineffective method of dealing with this.
AHHHHHH. HE IS SO HOOOT.. Sorry, just a little fan moment :) *dies*
Anyways.. I love how much he cares about this oil thing. If it wasn't for him i wouldn't pay any attetion to it. He is amazing! Brillian actor...and very SEXY. Sorry, i can't control myself :(
Yes. Ian Somerhalder is a really, really handsome man, and he's a good actor. I greatly enjoy his work. But, he doesn't know a damn thing about geology or petroleum engineering, or the economy. Ruby is right. Boycotting BP doesn't punish BP, only the local business owners who run their stations. And even if it did hurt BP, all that does is hamper their ability to clean up their mess and compensate its victims. I think it's a credit to Somerhalder that he's so passionate about this, but he should really stick to his expertise.
@ zap2it could you send me the video?? i love the way he says: Holy Cow!
All celebs should care this much about their homes and the people who make their living there. Louisiana very lucky to have him, dont know if it will ever make up for their great losses in this disaster. It is good to Boycott BP brands though, Castrol is one. God speed Ian, U Rock.
I agree that boycotting BP stations is much more harmful to the small business owner, however, Ian's passion & dedication to this issue has certainly helped to bring it to the public's attention. People have to start thinking smarter. Offshore drilling is extremely harmful in so many ways. It's so effident. You believe differently than your're quite the fool. Thank you Ian for all your efforts. You are a truly amazing person in my eyes and the eyes of so many others.
Hmm, my comment must've been a formatting nightmare with the URLs, so I'll try without them.
That constant leak really was like an incessant nagging trauma, a psychic wound left open.
Originally, according to Marketwatch when BP was first lowering the new cap, they speculated they'd need up to a week to test out the cap (just mentioning this to support that 'another 6 days' comment that cadlymack mentioned before) and 6-48 hours was more widely mentioned, now it seems they're extending the tests in 24 hour increments.
I think it's 4 billion gallons a decade rather than per year, but once that black oceanic morass in my head reaches past numbers ending in 'illion' it gets rather fuzzy. That figure's from the National Academy of Sciences, via a USA Today article on the worldwide total that reaches our oceans.
You can easily find links on what Ian's talking about at the end with regards to Africa, including a BBC article on Nigeria being the 'world oil pollution capital' with leaks going on for years.
ABC wrote an article entitled 'BP Gas Station Boycott: Is It Fair to Station Owners?' with, as I mentioned, some fair points, but I was more convinced by the quotes and comments in the ABC article. It may or may not be ineffective or superficial -- but branding's powerful, hence the presence of the signs -- it sends a message, and it's a good start, leading into more effective and refined awareness. A certain level of hypocrisy is always required with most forms of activism when it reaches into everyday behaviour. I once tried to boycott Philip Morris and ended up throwing out half my grocery list before giving up.
I can't believe we allow this sort of drilling despite seeing the epic catastrophes waiting to happen and the bumbling nature of the 'regulation' and cleanup. It's so hard for individuals to think long-term as a unified group known as 'humanity'.
It's nice to be so opposed to off shore drilling when you have money to buy gas no matter what the price. However, for the rest of us, off shore drilling is necessary to keep the prices down and keep up with the demand. I think celebrities need to stick with what they're good at- acting- and less about politics and economics. Leave that up to the experts.
BP brands to boycott include: Castrol, Arco, Aral, am/pm, Amoco, Wild Bean Cafe Boykottiert ARALSee More