Saturday, June 26, 2010

Ponies and Balloons

Do me a favor, and read this. It's not long. I want to show you a few YouTube videos about what's going on in the Gulf.

Disclaimer: I don't really know what I'm talking about. I'm not an expert, I'm just a person. I'm just another guilty consumer. Also, I don't fully agree with everything said and shown in the following videos.

Did you hear about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, 65 days ago? It happened on April 20th, and made for some rather spectacular footage on the news. While flipping through the channels I'd catch a glimpse of the CNN coverage. It was interesting to see how technology could chart the future progression of the oil gushing from the well, into the gulf and beyond. It made for a good conversation topic in the first few weeks, and gave everyone a new national enemy to rally against.

After two weeks, I sort of forgot about it. I mean, I knew it was still going on, and I knew it was bad news for the Gulf, but I had my own life to focus on here in Michigan. It was finally spring, here!

I was screwing around on YouTube this morning, watching funny videos. I'm not sure how I stumbled upon the first of the four videos posted below, but I'm sure glad it happened.

I don't really have the words to effectively express how awful the situation is in America. Please excuse this primitive post. I'm just getting it out there.

This is heartbreaking. I know Michigan feels like it's a world away from the oil spill. You're wrong. We're all wrong. We've been wrong for a long time, and it's time to right ourselves. It's been MONTHS, now. And what are we hearing about on the news? Michael Jackson's demise, one year later (and the G-20 Summit, and whether or not it's still relevant).

The videos below are of REAL PEOPLE. They're like us, but they happen to live along the Gulf, rather than amidst the Great Lakes. Just watch these videos, and think. That's all I ask. Use that powerful mind of yours. It'll take you 20 minutes, if you actually take the time.

Kinda Arnesen is the daughter and wife of Louisiana fishermen. From what I understand, BP invited her in to go behind the scenes of their ongoing recovery effort. I don't know how or why she was chosen. Posted just two days ago, this is a video of Kindra telling (what I assume to be) her neighbors about her experiences.


Here's an interesting perspective, that of the activists fighting not just for their own lives and lifestyles on the coast, but also for the countless animals suffering.


It's literally raining oil in Louisiana...


... and the surf on Pensacola Beach is BOILING with acid.


Here's a timeline of the spill, if you're interested. Here's another, by Newsweek.

I hope you're angry. I sure am. And horrified. And embarrassed.

It's not on the news, and it's certainly not on the front page of today's Lansing State Journal.

Being aware is better than nothing, which is what most of us are doing, right now. The silver lining of this horrible disaster is that maybe, finally, we'll begin the transition to a safer world. An economy not focused on greed and gain.

(Parts of this post have been revised for clarity. I'm awfully sorry if you were one of the first to read my jumbled thoughts!)

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I have been, quite angrily, tracking this oil spill story since the beginning. It's nauseating, heartbreaking, terrifying, baffling, bewildering and a million other sentiments. This is a complete disaster and I feel like, in a lot of ways, it's being swept under the rug. And I find it utterly distressing to hear that there are some out there who are still pressing for more drilling off the coast.

If you're interested, check this out: stopthedrill.org