The Vancouver Expedition to TEDxOilSpill

Comments 3 by Rebecca Bollwitt

Our pal and local web and photography icon Kris is currently down in the Gulf of Mexico snapping photos of the oil spill effects before heading to Washington, DC for TEDxOilSpill later this month.

On Twitter June 14th: Looks like we’re headed to Biloxi Mississippi bright & early to photograph a 3-State Rally for Vietnamese Fisherfolk #tedxoilspill #oilspill- kk



Photo credit: kk on Flickr

TED is a non-profit foundation that hosts exclusive conferences that bring together the top minds in the world each year. TEDx events are interdependently-run conferences of the same vein, organized by local groups. While Kris had just returned to Vancouver from a trek across Asia, he took off for this new adventure shortly after we saw him at WordCamp on Saturday.



Photo credit: kk on Flickr

If you’re wondering why Kris, and his fearless companion Danielle, have hopped another plane, this blog post by James Duncan Davidson explains.

Yesterday, I tweeted and posted a Facebook status that I was going to the Gulf of Mexico to document what’s going on down there and to bring back images and stories to TEDxOilSpill.

I’ve been ramping up for this for days, if not weeks, and you might have gotten the clue from my tweets and advocacy for the event. But, the time for being coy is done. Here’s the full scoop as it stands right now.

We have a team of three photographers and videographers—Kris Krüg, Pinar Özger, and myself—confirmed to go to New Orleans on Monday to spend a week documenting the oil spill and its effects from land, sea, and air.


Photo credit: kk on Flickr

They are going to experience, document, and be witnesses to this disaster. Then the group will report their findings, photos, and videos at TEDxOilSpill on June 28th.


Photo credit: kk on Flickr

On Twitter June 16th: Today’s wildlife death tally: 770 birds, 341 sea turtles, 41 mammals. http://bit.ly/9pE96u #oilspill – kk

“There is a sense of anger sadness and frustration building about the oil spill back home,” Kris told me over Twitter. “A feeling that the news we’re getting isn’t the full story. I was asked to go down, check things out, get to the bottom of the story. Report back. We’re talking to locals, fisherfolk, community leaders, etc… to hear whats going on for them. And it’s not pretty.”


Photo credit: kk on Flickr

Leroy Stick (pseudonymous humorist behind @BPGlobalPR) will be at TEDx along with other speakers including Philippe Cousteau and Sylvia Earle. Topics at the conference will include mitigation of the spill and the impending cleanup efforts; energy alternatives; policy and economics; as well as new technology that can help us build a self-reliant culture.

On Twitter June 16th: at the Gulf Restoration Network in New Orleans hearin’ stories bout Leroy Stick of @BPGlobalPR & the $20k he’s donated from tshirt sales – kk


Photo credit: kk on Flickr

There will be TEDxOilspill meetups in satellite locations including a Vancouver event June 28th.

Links:
Follow the expedition online
Follow Kris’ updates on Twitter
View all of Kris’ photos on Flickr
View all of Duncan’s photos on Flickr

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3 Comments  —  Comments Are Closed

  1. bevWednesday, June 16th, 2010 — 10:36am PDT

    I am so proud of people who are willing to open their eyes and witness what is going on in the world, thanks for being there KK and thanks miss604 for posting.

  2. Jeff MacLeodWednesday, June 16th, 2010 — 11:43am PDT

    Good to see people caring so much about the environment. I’m curious though, what top minds are going to be at the conference and what are they top in? BP and those other companies involved with the spill should all be held accountable, including Halliburton. They did not have the right safeties in place, namely relief wells, that should have been drilled. They are currently drilling two relief wells in order to take the pressure off the main well so they can cap it, something that should have been done prior to the blowout. If the planned oil well goes in off the coast of BC lets hope they do it the right way and not the quick, easy way.

  3. Rebecca Bollwitt, Miss604 Rebecca BollwittWednesday, June 16th, 2010 — 11:50am PDT

    @Jeff TEDx conferences are different from TED conferences. These are slightly less formal and not organized by the TED foundation. You can view a full list of speakers for TEDx here.

    Side note: There will be a TEDx UBC in a few months and TEDx Whistler was during the Paralympics.

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