Sophia Bush, Austin Nichols on Gulf Oil Disaster

ZAP2IT.COM. JUNE 23, 2010 By Carina MacKenzie

CW stars Ian Somerhalder, Sophia Bush, Austin Nichols on Gulf Oil Disaster: We're enraged!

"One Tree Hill" star Sophia Bush has never been a fan of online social networking, but she and her co-star Austin Nichols signed up for Twitter accounts this week (@SophiaBush and @AUS10NICHOLS).

"I've never been a person that's wanted to open up any facet of my personal life to any kind of social media," Bush tells Zap2it, calling from New Orleans, where she and Nichols have been working with Global Green and learning about the impact of the B.P. oil spill.

"We started accounts because we were so angry about the spill," Nichols -- Bush's boyfriend on screen and off -- explains. "We wanted to get as many followers as we could before we got here so that we could tell people what's going on."

After two days of touring Grand Isle, speaking to natives, and trying to get answers from B.P.'s contracted workers, she's furious. "I'm enraged. I'm not even mad anymore. Coming down here I was angry, and leaving this place tomorrow, I am enraged and shocked that any of what's going on down here is legal in the first place."

The access that Bush and Nichols got to the affected areas was limited at best. "There's a section of beach that's blocked off by this giant orange boom, and they're saying that on the other side of it is a crime scene," Nichols says. "If we cross over it, then we are violating criminal trespass. And they're calling it 'the hot zone,' and it's like - is there an Ebola contamination?"

"You're blocking off public property and saying that it's now a crime scene, and there's 4,400 miles of coast in Louisiana, so you've got 4,400 miles of crime scene?" Bush says, speaking quickly, frustration clear in her voice. "And what I find interesting is that if a murder has been committed, you don't send the murderer in to the crime scene to clean the blood up off the floor, so if this is a crime scene, why is B.P. in there running the show? Why can't the people who live here and the people who are affected get in and help?"

Full Zap2it Article

STAR NEWS ONLINE. JUNE 23, 2010.By Jeff Hidek

“One Tree Hill” stars Sophia Bush and Austin Nichols share photos, outrage from the Gulf

Sophia Bush and Austin Nichols are spending their hiatus from the locally filmed drama series “One Tree Hill” at the beach. But it’s no vacation.

The stars have been sharing their outage over the Gulf oil spill through their Twitter accounts (@SophiaBush & @AUS10NICHOLS) and other social media for the past few weeks, and they just released photos from their recent trip to Grand Isle, LA, to Zap2It.com.

The pair share their outrage at the limited access they received and the claims of locals who want to help but say BP won’t let them.

Full Star news Online Article

E! ONLINE. JUNE 21, 2010. By Ted Casablanca

Sophia Bush and Austin Nichols Take to Twitter in Support of Gulf

Finally! Aside from that sexy Ian Somerhalder, we've been shocked at the lack of celebrity outcry about everything terrible that is happening down in the Gulf right now, to humans and sea creatures alike.

Larry King has called in some celebrity troops to help with a telethon tonight, but in comparison to, say, Haiti (obviously a valid cause), Hollywood hasn't exactly been quick to rally and do something about the terrible effects of BP's "mistake."

Enter Sophia Bush and Austin Nichols...

The happy couple are not so happy about the situation down south.

The two babes have been all over Twitter, trying to boost awareness about the level of devastation. Sophia and Austin are each trying to get 50,000 followers to make a big donation to Global Green. The two have already made several donations to the charity on their own and are in Grand Isle, La., as we type with Global Green's Mathew Peterson.

Full E! Online Article

HOLLYWOOD LIFE. JUNE 21, 2010. By Kirstin Benson

Good For You, Sophia & Austin! You’re Trying To Raise Awareness About The Oil Spill!

We love seeing stars using their fame for a good cause! Long-time secret couple Sophia Bush and Austin Nichols are doing their part to educate America about the Gulf oil spill by traveling to Louisiana to raise public awareness.

Austin, 30, has been tweeting about what he and Sophia, 27, have experienced while traveling around with a group called the Bucket Brigade.

“Birds, soiled boom, useless boom. We got on a boat and ran down the coast guard. We have tons of info,” actor wrote June 21. “Thanks everyone for spreading the word. We have info that people are not getting!!! They think they can throw boom in the water and we will think its fixed??? No chance. We are not stupid bp!!!!”

Austin and Sophia are touring the area with Global Green CEO and President Matt Petersen and New Orleans Director Beth Galante. After meeting with fisherman and community leaders, they are returning to tell us what they saw first-hand.

Full Hollywood Life Article