Sandra Bullock, Academy Award winner and star of The Blind Slide, has asked to be removed from a promotion video for the Restore the Gulf Campaign, after finding out that one of its sponsoring organizations may have ties to BP, according to Think Progress.
The campaign is an online signature collection aimed at drawing the attention of government officials to the issue of restoring the damaged Gulf of Mexico, its coastlines and its wetlands. The campaign was started by Women of the Storm, an organization set up in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina, and is sponsored as well by America’s Wetland Foundation.
In the Restore the Gulf Campaign’s promotional video, Sandra says “What can you offer? Your voice. Speak up.” Familiar faces, like those of Blake Lively, Wendell Pierce, Lenny Kravitz, Jack Del Rio, Alfre Woodard also appear in the video.
Soon after learning that BP is allegedly one of the sponsors of America’s Wetland Foundation, the actress asked to be withdrawn from the video through her representative.
“Ms. Bullock was originally contacted through her attorney to be a part of the PSA in order to promote awareness of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. At no time was she made aware that any organization, oil company or otherwise had influence over Women of the Storm or its message. We have immediately asked for her participation in the PSA be removed until the facts can be determined,” said a statement from Bullock´s representative according to Think Progress.
While AWF does received corporate sponsorship, including from big oil companies, for some of its activities, in a press release issued July 30, it says that organization does not have any direct involvement in the campaign, as it does not have any strategic influence over Women of the Storm.
“AWF had no relationship with this video product and no part in its conception or production. It is a blatant lie to assert that there was any conspiracy to use celebrities as pawns to lure the public into the oil industry’s corner by the AWF ... No large financial contributors to the foundation and no oil company representatives sit on the board or make strategic decisions for the foundation,” reads the statement.
AWF was created by the state of Louisiana in 2002 as a “neutral arbiter to bring leaders of industry, environment and communities together to act in cooperation to save Louisiana’s eroding coastline,” says the organization’s website.
According to the official website of Women of the Storm, their past efforts have successfully won support from a number of members of the House of Representatives and senators.
The campaign is an online signature collection aimed at drawing the attention of government officials to the issue of restoring the damaged Gulf of Mexico, its coastlines and its wetlands. The campaign was started by Women of the Storm, an organization set up in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina, and is sponsored as well by America’s Wetland Foundation.
In the Restore the Gulf Campaign’s promotional video, Sandra says “What can you offer? Your voice. Speak up.” Familiar faces, like those of Blake Lively, Wendell Pierce, Lenny Kravitz, Jack Del Rio, Alfre Woodard also appear in the video.
Soon after learning that BP is allegedly one of the sponsors of America’s Wetland Foundation, the actress asked to be withdrawn from the video through her representative.
“Ms. Bullock was originally contacted through her attorney to be a part of the PSA in order to promote awareness of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. At no time was she made aware that any organization, oil company or otherwise had influence over Women of the Storm or its message. We have immediately asked for her participation in the PSA be removed until the facts can be determined,” said a statement from Bullock´s representative according to Think Progress.
While AWF does received corporate sponsorship, including from big oil companies, for some of its activities, in a press release issued July 30, it says that organization does not have any direct involvement in the campaign, as it does not have any strategic influence over Women of the Storm.
“AWF had no relationship with this video product and no part in its conception or production. It is a blatant lie to assert that there was any conspiracy to use celebrities as pawns to lure the public into the oil industry’s corner by the AWF ... No large financial contributors to the foundation and no oil company representatives sit on the board or make strategic decisions for the foundation,” reads the statement.
AWF was created by the state of Louisiana in 2002 as a “neutral arbiter to bring leaders of industry, environment and communities together to act in cooperation to save Louisiana’s eroding coastline,” says the organization’s website.
According to the official website of Women of the Storm, their past efforts have successfully won support from a number of members of the House of Representatives and senators.
