ted danson
New Issue of Oceana's Multimedia Magazine
The second issue of our spiffy multimedia magazine is now available!
This issue, which opens with a video intro by Oceana CEO Andy Sharpless, features the following videos and stories:
*The Gulf of Mexico oil spill and our scientific expedition in the gulf
*Oceana's 2010 Ocean Hero, Jay Holcomb of International Bird Rescue Research Center
*Our huge victory over a coal-fired power plant in Chile’s Punta de Choros
*Ted Danson talks offshore drilling on CNN’s Larry King Live
Ted Danson in Parade Magazine
Oceana board member and actor Ted Danson was featured yesterday in Parade Magazine, which many of you probably receive along with your Sunday newspaper.
Ted tells Parade about his decades-long involvement in ocean conservation. And while he is quite knowledgeable about the issues plaguing the oceans, he says, “I am an actor. My job is to stand next to the experts and focus attention on them.”
Check out the always delightful Mr. Danson, and learn more about his involvement with us here.
Previewing The Latitude's Research In Mississippi
Tuesday was a busy day on the Latitude, as the crew docked in Mississippi to share preliminary findings of the first weeks on the water. Here's Dustin's update:
The Oceana Latitude arrived in Gulfport, Miss., late Monday. Over the next few days, equipment for Oceana’s upcoming deepwater oil exploration efforts will be loaded onto the vessel.
On Tuesday, Oceana was joined for a press conference by corporate partner Nautica and celebrity activists, including award-winning actors Ted Danson and Morgan Freeman as well as New York-based Spanish model Almudena Fernandez and San Pedro (Belize) mayor Elsa Paz.
At the press conference, experts provided an update on the first legs of the two-month research expedition and discussed the approaching efforts to map the subsurface oil plume with cutting-edge science and document seafloor habitat areas that may have been harmed by underwater oil with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) capable of reaching depths of more than 3,200 feet and filming in high-definition.
The press conference was covered by several media outlets, including Associated Press, Thomson Reuters, EFE, CBC Radio, Biloxi Sun Herald, Mississippi Press and local ABC affiliate WLOX.
Scientist-in-charge of the expedition Dr. Michael Hirshfield also led two tours to Ship Island on Tuesday. Ship Island, which survived Hurricane’s Camille and Katrina, was devastated by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Although this island’s fort was once capable of protecting the local coasts, it was no defense against oil. According to BP contractors, 1,200 pounds of sandy tar balls were removed from the island Tuesday, 1,400 pounds Monday and 1,600 pounds Sunday.
Ted Talks Oil Spill, Sharks on the Late Late Show
Oceana board member Ted Danson was on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson a few nights ago, and after they discussed, among other things, Larry David’s germophobia, they bantered about the oceans.
Ferguson, who is hosting Discovery’s Shark Week starting August 1, recently swam with sharks in the Caribbean. He also made a shark PSA for us -- stay tuned for that.
In the meantime, watch their ocean banter:
Ted Danson to Testify on Fishing Subsidies
Actor and Oceana board member Ted Danson will testify before a Congressional subcommittee hearing tomorrow about the negative impact of fishing subsidies on the oceans.
In the hearing, entitled Marine Wealth: Promoting Conservation and Advancing American Exports, Danson will describe how government subsidies negatively affect the oceans and global seafood market, and he’ll explain why sustainable fishing is necessary to preserve ocean health and jobs.
Ted Danson On Offshore Drilling - in 1991
I thought it was prescient when Oceana board member Ted Danson testified before Congress early last year about the dangers of offshore drilling. Now, in the midst of the biggest oil disaster in U.S. history, Ted has become one of the most visible critics of the oil industry and its false promises, most recently with an appearance on Larry King Live last week.
Ted's ocean activism goes farther back than the oil disaster, of course. I dug up a newspaper story about Ted's first appearance before Congress in April 1991. Still at the height of Cheers fame, Ted is introduced thusly:
"Gone was the carefully blown-dried hair, the red Corvette and the babe-seeking wandering eye of the country's most famous bartender: Cheer's [sic] star Ted Danson wanted to be taken seriously when he told Congress that President Bush's Energy Policy basically stinks."
The article, written with some skepticism about a Hollywood star's place in the halls of Congress, quoted Rep. Wayne Allard, who compared the amount of oil spilled into the oceans to "the teaspoon or so of gas that dribbles down the side of cars at the gas pump. 'Is that an unacceptable risk?' Allard asked."
Nearly twenty years later, it's not hard to tell who was vindicated by history, even if it's a bitter victory. As Ted said then about our energy policy: "It ain't working, guys. Something's got to change."
To view a PDF of the entire newspaper page, including a vintage photo of Paul and Linda McCartney debuting her frozen-foods line, click here.
Ted Talks Drilling on Larry King Live
Oceana board member Ted Danson was on Larry King Live last night sounding off on offshore drilling. It’s an issue near and dear to Danson; he has been an outspoken critic of offshore oil and gas development for decades.
If you're as incensed as he is, sign our petition to stop offshore drilling and pass it on.
Make the Pledge and Cast Your Vote!
Today is a big day -- we’re launching an exciting initiative leading up to World Oceans Day on June 8. And it’s all about everyday ocean heroes.
First, starting today you can be an ocean hero by pledging to help protect the oceans. For every pledge made, we’ll receive $1 toward our campaign work -- up to $100,000!
In case you need more encouragement, here are some of our celebrity supporters in a brand new PSA:
And secondly, today is the official start of voting for our Ocean Heroes Contest. After you pledge, you'll have the chance to vote on this year's Ocean Hero. We received more than 300 nominations, and we’ve narrowed it down to six adults and five juniors, all with incredible stories.
Thanks to everyone who shared their stories -- they were a lot of fun to read, and it was hard to choose. I'll be highlighting the finalists in the coming weeks here on the blog.
And once you have pledged and voted, you can encourage others to do the same. By placing our pledge widget on your blog or website, you can help us reach the $100,000 mark. And if there’s an ocean hero finalist you really want to win, you can help them garner more votes with our campaign badges.
So pledge, vote and start spreading the word!
Danson’s Heart of Green (and Blue)
Well, I guess the theme of this week on the blog is winning, because I have another proud moment to announce today: The Daily Green has announced the winners of its 2010 Heart of Green Awards, and guess who’s on the list? The one and only Ted Danson.
The actor and Oceana board member is being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award; other awardees include chef Jamie Oliver and National Audubon Society's John Flicker.
The awards celebrate individuals “whose work inspires real people to go green," said Dan Shapley, editor of The Daily Green, who interviewed Ted about his work for the oceans. "This year’s honorees embody that mission by championing some of today’s most important causes, including ocean conservation, healthy seasonal eating, urban parks creation and climate change."
Danson on Water
As I mentioned in last Friday’s Scanner, Oceana board member Ted Danson will be live on CNN.com on April 1 in a 30-minute interview about the oceans.
Send in your burning questions and the actor and longtime ocean activist will answer them during the show.
Also, Mr. Danson was the subject of a long profile by Frank Bruni in the New York Times this weekend.
The article points out what many Oceanans know well: he may play egotistical roles on TV, but he is quite the opposite in person.
I was particularly amused by the end of the article:
Just before lunch, during a meeting with his editor at Rodale, he spoke in an animated voice and expansive style, saying that he had a biblical, grandiloquent notion for the cover of his save-the-oceans book, scheduled for publication in April 2011. The cover could show him in a Jesus-evocative pose atop the ocean’s surface, with the words: “Danson on Water.”
No sooner had he uttered that phrase than he took it back, desperate to clarify that he was joking — that he would never really consider something so, well, vain.
