|
||||
 Raining Oil in the Gulf The internet is all afoot with rumors of oily rain in Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida. The Huffington Post couldn’t resist posting about it. Twitter and Facebook are all abuzz. So what’s the hype? This is the story: A video has surfaced where residents of inner Louisiana filmed it raining in their home town. The rain had some visible features similar to BP’s oil spill in the Gulf. And that was enough to go viral. Read the latest Update: BP Forced to Stop Hurting Sea Turtles
This story makes my stomach turn. I would love to ignore it, but it is too gruesome to let go. BP seems to be allowing the burning of living, endangered sea turtles. In the never-ending pursuit of profit and corner-cutting, BP realizes that it will face a steep penalty for killing so many endangered sea turtles. $25,000 per violation according to some sources. So how do you save yourself from facing those steep penalties? Destroy the evidence.
I know all of you have seen the horrific pictures of dead and dying animals on our Gulf Coast in the wake of the BP oil spill. Because of the deluge of media coverage I have not posted many pictures of wildlife on this blog. But this article raises an issue that I find utterly reprehensible. According to a contractor for BP, the oil company has told them that they do not want any pictures of dead wildlife being sent out to the public. I am inclined to believe him, since we know that BP has placed a gag order on all of the cleanup crews that they have employed to clean up the spill. For those of you who would like to get an idea of the overall impact that the BP oil spill has had on the Gulf, this map from CNN will give you an idea of the devastation that BP has wreaked upon our shores. As you move your mouse over the red squares on the map, you will see the name of the city that has been impacted. Then if you click on the square you can see either a picture or short video by CNN reporters that highlight the challenges facing that particular region.  Bp-The Wicked Witch So we’re off to see the Wizard. Who will help us? Who can tame the Wicked Witch known as BP? I think we’re all looking at the Wizard, President Obama. But let’s look a little deeper into the allegory, as Henry Littlefield described it over 50 years ago. The Wizard is nothing more than a magician. An illusionist. He is able to be “all things to all people.” When the common people are finally allowed to look behind the curtain, they see just a common man. The only power that the Wizard can bestow is that of self-delusion. That is why he could not send Dorothy home: It was a real, tangible request.
I’ve never really known how effective these web-based form letters are at promoting change, but I guess it can’t hurt. The reason I even bring this to the site is that President Obama is set to speak to the public this Tuesday and outline his “demands” for BP. Now I am not one to put too much faith in after-the-fact ultimatums, but maybe we can use the political tide to our advantage. Politicians are merely creatures of opportunity. In the words of Winston Churchill “You can always trust America to do the right thing. After they have exhausted all other possibilities” This is part of an ongoing series of posts that highlight Gulf Coast Charities working with the victims of the BP oil spill.
The Gulf Restoration Network (GRN) has been in existence since 1995. They are focused on protecting and preserving the natural resources of the Gulf Coast. Their priorities, according to their site, focus on reducing and eliminating pollutants as well as protecting marine life and habitats. They represent five states and three nations. Their site contains an insightful blog that has first-hand accounts and video of the destruction caused by the BP oil spill. They also have a “call to action” form letter that you can send to BP through their site.  BP's High-Tech Cleanup Effort To say this article is disturbing is an understatement. Mother Jones reporter Mac McClelland traveled to Isle Grande Terre by kayak to check on the progress of BP as they are supposedly cleaning up the oil spill. McClelland had to travel by kayak in order to travel without a BP escort. The pictures that he provides paint a very different story than the one that BP has been feeding the public. The Gulf Coast oil spill is supposedly being cleaned up by BP contractors who work under nondisclosure agreements, so it is difficult to get an unbiased report on BP’s cleanup efforts.
So it looks as if our English allies have gotten a case of extreme nationalism, running to the defense of BP, the main party responsible for the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf. Their main objections? President Obama is being too hard on BP. Apparently the British are worried about their pensions, as highlighted in the Daily Express. Talk about disappointing. Eighteen Americans dead, unknown environmental damage done to our coast, Gulf Coast fishing and other small businesses destroyed, and the Brits are concerned about their pensions? Disappointing indeed.
Now that may seem outrageous at first glance, but remember that James Cameron directed Titanic before he directed Avatar. In addition, Cameron filmed two documentaries that utilized submersibles. Because of these past experiences, James Cameron is considered an expert underwater photographer. And an additional perk of being James Cameron: He has access to submersibles and “really smart people” who are accustomed to working at depths far below that of BP’s oil well. |
||||
|
Copyright © 2010 BP Oil Spill - All Rights Reserved |
||||
