Back to Waveland

I spent Labor Day on the beach at Waveland, MS. This was my first time back to this closest bit of Gulf Coast since Katrina. I wasn't ready to go. I'm still not sure it was a good idea.

We had a wonderful time. The beach was beautiful. The weather was fine. Not crowded. We found the rare tar ball, as we would on any beach in California or the French Riviera. All the houses and other buildings were new and pretty. The pine trees are looking good too, though small.

And in the back of my mind this whole time was some obscure ache. As bad as things got five years ago and as horrible as the BP disaster was, here is a beautiful scene. The Gulf is huge. Nature is resilient. It will keep coming back after we abuse it. I suppose it could reach a point where it can't recover. We've had Hiroshima and Chernobyl and mountain top removal and factory chicken farms and so much more, and still Labor Day on the Gulf with the family was wonderful.

I no longer care to warn abusers that they will suffer for their sins. I have no evidence that they will. As far as I can tell, they never have. Some of us will suffer while others profit. Most of us will not see much change. So what will motivate a new model of cooperation and earth justice?