Simulation should load immediately, if not please go directly to Ocean Currents Likely to Carry Oil to Atlantic
A summary of events up until Day 44 of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that began with the April 20 explosion and fire on the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, owned by Transocean Ltd. and leased by BP PLC, that killed 11 workers. Since then, oil has been pouring into the Gulf from a blown-out undersea well.
Giant Scissors
Engineers have been forced, yet again, to reconfigure hopes and plans to somehow stave off the worst oil spill in U.S. history. This time, they are hoping giant, industrial-sized scissors will work where a diamond edged saw did not.
CEO Admits Company is Unprepared
BP's top executive acknowledged the global oil giant was unprepared to fight a catastrophic deepwater oil spill. Tony Hayward, Chief Executive, told The Financial Times Newspaper that it was "an entirely fair criticism" to say his company was not prepared for a deepwater oil leak, certainly not one of this proportions. Calling it a "low-probability, high-impact" accident, Hayward hinted at the business perspective with which his company viewed a possibility of such an event occurring.
Criminal Indictments Next?
BP and other companies involved in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill are now facing criminal charges and civil penalties that could translate into hundreds of millions of dollars in fines--assuming that the spill is capped before it reaches the Atlantic currents. However, in order for any company executives or workers to be indicted individually, legal experts say the Justice Department will have to find evidence they orchestrated a coverup, destroyed key documents or lied to government agents. Prosecutors could seek serious jail time - five years or more - if they charge anyone with obstruction of justice, making false statements to the FBI or other U.S. officials or conspiracy to hinder a federal probe. But there must be evidence that a person was aware of the wrongdoing, well beyond mere negligence or incompetence, experts said.
Commission
The new presidential commission investigating the Gulf oil spill will include two experts who have been active on the subject of global warming, including one who wrote just last month that the country should redouble efforts to lessen its dependence on oil. The two will join former Florida Sen. Bob Graham and former Environmental Protection Agency chief William Reilly. Together, the backgrounds of the four panel members selected so far suggest the commission will look at more than just what went wrong, including the bigger picture of the country's conflicting environmental and energy needs.
Cost of Repair--So far...
The Coast Guard directed BP to pay for five additional sand barrier projects in Louisiana. BP said Thursday the project will cost it about $360 million, on top of about $990 million it had spent as of its latest expense update Tuesday on response and clean up, grants to four Gulf coast states and claims from people and companies hurt by the spill.
The Catastrophe Reaches Florida
Oil reached the Florida Panhandle's white sandy beaches, while crews on the mainland do everything possible to limit the catastrophe. The oil threatens a delicate network of islands, bays and white-sand beaches that are a haven for wildlife and a major source of tourist income for the locals in the region. Officials say the slick thus far that has reached the shores consists mainly of "tar mats" about 500 feet by 2,000 feet in size, although larger portions of oil mats are nearby.
Toll on the Wildlife
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have reported 522 dead birds - at least 38 of them oiled - along the Gulf coast states, and more than 80 oiled birds have been rescued.
Showing posts with label Take Action. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Take Action. Show all posts
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Thursday, July 23, 2009
On Swimming Pools, Harvard Arrests and Flash Point Racism
For the past few weeks, my inbox has been inundated with references to Whites Only swimming pools in Philadelphia, the arrest of Henry Louis Gates and things of the like. With each subsequent email, I've been reminded "this is post-racial America" 1, 2. The type of tongue-in-cheek commentary, I imagine, is meant to elucidate the continued significance of race in America. Unfortunately, I see three issues with this: 1) these emails and posts tend to go to the choir (this is not a new point so I won't go into it), 2) these cases are extreme examples of racism and exclusion in contemporary United States, which makes them easy to dismiss for everyday people and 3) they don't demonstrate the ways that race operates perniciously beneath the surface to include some and exclude many. I do think these cases need to be highlighted so pool owners, police, and everyday people can be aware certain behaviors will not be tolerated, but they're also all to easy to disassociate from for the majority of Americans who identify with the idea of "postraciality." They're rationalized away as the actions of "a few bad apples" rather than be seen as symptoms of the national disease of racism. These incidents become flash points in the media and even talking points in our commentary on race and reality, but the issue with a flash point is that it is the lowest level at which our sensibilities around race will flare brightly, but then they quickly dim. Unfortunately, inequalities of race have not dimmed, nor should our fire to expose and fight them.
Now this is not going to be a "complain and blame" post, instead, I'd like to offer some humble suggestions (or as humble as one can be if they're writing on a blog which is kinda an egotistical thing to start with, but ya'll know what I'm saying). It is critical that we begin to talk about race in ways that expose the subtle fabric of inequality. While it's easy to explain why Skip Gates' harassment and subsequent arrest were wrong and wrongheaded, it's more difficult to explain how policies leave many innocent men and women sitting in jail or on death row due to false accusations and procedural bureaucracy. It's easy to point on the wrongness of exclusion from the Valley Swim club but it's more difficult to explain why suburban schools are almost as and sometimes more unequal than urban schools, in part due to their exclusion of Blacks from equal educational resources. It's easy to suggest that race matters when Sotomayor is berated in her confirmation hearings, but it is more difficult to explain the significance of critical race theory to understanding and interpreting the law. As scholars, as activists, and as citizens we've give up the project of relaying the complex conditions to the masses who need to be reminded not that race still matters, but the various ways that it still matters and what role all can play in racial justice.
I think it is wholly possible to take the flash point moments and deepen dialogue, but its rare that it happens. Instead, we recycle old dialogues on race and its significance when more complex racism(s) exist. The reality is that we've got to get equally complex in our discussions of the intersections of race, class, gender and sexuality (to name a few). If we are serious about "justice for all" we must update our discourse and activism. Because as Brother Malcolm said, "The White power structure is just as much interested in maintaining slavery as it was 100 years ago. Only now they use modern methods of doing so." Let's expose the modern methods as well as the old!
*footnote if you've never seen the dialogue between Malcolm X, Wyatt Tee Walker James Farmer, and Alan Morrison do yourself a favor and watch it!
**Shout out to Native Notes for being on the same page with that quote!
Now this is not going to be a "complain and blame" post, instead, I'd like to offer some humble suggestions (or as humble as one can be if they're writing on a blog which is kinda an egotistical thing to start with, but ya'll know what I'm saying). It is critical that we begin to talk about race in ways that expose the subtle fabric of inequality. While it's easy to explain why Skip Gates' harassment and subsequent arrest were wrong and wrongheaded, it's more difficult to explain how policies leave many innocent men and women sitting in jail or on death row due to false accusations and procedural bureaucracy. It's easy to point on the wrongness of exclusion from the Valley Swim club but it's more difficult to explain why suburban schools are almost as and sometimes more unequal than urban schools, in part due to their exclusion of Blacks from equal educational resources. It's easy to suggest that race matters when Sotomayor is berated in her confirmation hearings, but it is more difficult to explain the significance of critical race theory to understanding and interpreting the law. As scholars, as activists, and as citizens we've give up the project of relaying the complex conditions to the masses who need to be reminded not that race still matters, but the various ways that it still matters and what role all can play in racial justice.
I think it is wholly possible to take the flash point moments and deepen dialogue, but its rare that it happens. Instead, we recycle old dialogues on race and its significance when more complex racism(s) exist. The reality is that we've got to get equally complex in our discussions of the intersections of race, class, gender and sexuality (to name a few). If we are serious about "justice for all" we must update our discourse and activism. Because as Brother Malcolm said, "The White power structure is just as much interested in maintaining slavery as it was 100 years ago. Only now they use modern methods of doing so." Let's expose the modern methods as well as the old!
*footnote if you've never seen the dialogue between Malcolm X, Wyatt Tee Walker James Farmer, and Alan Morrison do yourself a favor and watch it!
**Shout out to Native Notes for being on the same page with that quote!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Honor Malcolm: Support Troy Davis and Fight Police Brutality
This post will not be a lofty tribute to Brother Malcolm, if you would like to see one like that, check it out here. This will be a call to action, because that is one of the things El Hajj Malik El Shabazz was about. Today is a National Day of Action to Stop the Execution of Troy Davis and today I saw a heinous video of a young teenager brutalized by the Police of Toledo. I do not doubt that Malcolm would have been disturbed to action by both. Let's honor him by doing the work!
Today is global day of action for Troy Davis who is set to be executed if we, that includes you, do not demand a retrial. You have probably seen Davis' name and maybe even read up on the case. Well there is plenty of material online but I'll summarize. Davis was convicted of shooting an off-duty police officer in 1989 in Savannah, Georgia at Burger King (there was also a shooting at a party earlier that evening). The scene of the shooting was a Burger King where Sylvester Coles got in an altercation with a homeless man. Coles and Davis are physically similar in size and the overlap in Davis and Coles' night is eerie. The State of Georgia put its resources into investigating Davis and little into properly investigating Coles. As a result they arrested Davis and convicted him on 9 eye-witness testimonies. Since conviction, Davis has maintained innocence. In 2001, 7 out of 9 "witnesses" re-canted their statements saying they were coerced into saying Davis was the shooter via improper police and legal procedures. Through a railroading and denial of a re-trial Troy Davis is scheduled to be executed in the near future. If you're in NYC, join us at Union Square from 6-8 for a National Day of Action for Troy Davis or find a local event or activity here
Davis' stays of execution and case have only gotten this far because everyday people are putting pressure on the State of Georgia, to be "fair" and not "final". Let's keep up the pressure and stop the loss of another innocent Black man's life.
As I was typing this post, I came across a video of police brutalizing a 14 year old boy, Trevor Casey, in Toledo, Ohio. The video footage (which is graphic) is here. While I do not know the circumstances leading up to his arrest, choke and bloodying, I do know that the young man's life would likely have been in even greater danger if this was not caught on tape. Police brutality is common in our communities, but seldom gets taken seriously, let's not let this be the case.
The reality is that our young Black youth everyday come in contact with a police force that fears them more than protects and serves them. It's all too often that I walk down the street in Harlem and see "undercovers" jump out, harrass youth, and then continue on with their patrol. Even more disturbing then these "stop and frisks" is the way that many of the young brothas and sistahs I see harrassed respond. They get searched, often illegally, and continue on with their day as if it has been or should be a routine occurence.
If we truly want to honor Malcolm, then we cannot let the State (of Georgia and Toledo) in these cases go unchecked. Troy Davis, like many on death row and those killed on death row, was railroaded and we cannot let his case go quietly. While we celebrate the arrival of a Black Attornery General, the real power to respond to judicial injustice must come from the people. Stand up, speak out! Trevor Casey was brutalized in front of his home and the community is crying out for help. The disease of racism and fear of young Black men runs deep, don't let his case be "investigated" (the Oscar Grant trial from Oakland is now happening) and dismissed as so many cases of brutality are. Stand up, speak out! Don't read about this stories and get sad, in fact, get angry. Because if Brother Malcolm taught us, "Usually when people are sad, they don't do anything. They just cry over their condition. But when they get angry, they bring about a change."
Today is global day of action for Troy Davis who is set to be executed if we, that includes you, do not demand a retrial. You have probably seen Davis' name and maybe even read up on the case. Well there is plenty of material online but I'll summarize. Davis was convicted of shooting an off-duty police officer in 1989 in Savannah, Georgia at Burger King (there was also a shooting at a party earlier that evening). The scene of the shooting was a Burger King where Sylvester Coles got in an altercation with a homeless man. Coles and Davis are physically similar in size and the overlap in Davis and Coles' night is eerie. The State of Georgia put its resources into investigating Davis and little into properly investigating Coles. As a result they arrested Davis and convicted him on 9 eye-witness testimonies. Since conviction, Davis has maintained innocence. In 2001, 7 out of 9 "witnesses" re-canted their statements saying they were coerced into saying Davis was the shooter via improper police and legal procedures. Through a railroading and denial of a re-trial Troy Davis is scheduled to be executed in the near future. If you're in NYC, join us at Union Square from 6-8 for a National Day of Action for Troy Davis or find a local event or activity here
Davis' stays of execution and case have only gotten this far because everyday people are putting pressure on the State of Georgia, to be "fair" and not "final". Let's keep up the pressure and stop the loss of another innocent Black man's life.
As I was typing this post, I came across a video of police brutalizing a 14 year old boy, Trevor Casey, in Toledo, Ohio. The video footage (which is graphic) is here. While I do not know the circumstances leading up to his arrest, choke and bloodying, I do know that the young man's life would likely have been in even greater danger if this was not caught on tape. Police brutality is common in our communities, but seldom gets taken seriously, let's not let this be the case.
The reality is that our young Black youth everyday come in contact with a police force that fears them more than protects and serves them. It's all too often that I walk down the street in Harlem and see "undercovers" jump out, harrass youth, and then continue on with their patrol. Even more disturbing then these "stop and frisks" is the way that many of the young brothas and sistahs I see harrassed respond. They get searched, often illegally, and continue on with their day as if it has been or should be a routine occurence.
If we truly want to honor Malcolm, then we cannot let the State (of Georgia and Toledo) in these cases go unchecked. Troy Davis, like many on death row and those killed on death row, was railroaded and we cannot let his case go quietly. While we celebrate the arrival of a Black Attornery General, the real power to respond to judicial injustice must come from the people. Stand up, speak out! Trevor Casey was brutalized in front of his home and the community is crying out for help. The disease of racism and fear of young Black men runs deep, don't let his case be "investigated" (the Oscar Grant trial from Oakland is now happening) and dismissed as so many cases of brutality are. Stand up, speak out! Don't read about this stories and get sad, in fact, get angry. Because if Brother Malcolm taught us, "Usually when people are sad, they don't do anything. They just cry over their condition. But when they get angry, they bring about a change."
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Happy Earth Day
It's hard (at least for me) to think about Earth Day without at least thinking about some of the issues we have created for our little blue planet.
So I offer, this presentation which summarizes the proposal published in Science back in 2006 by Pacala and Socolow based on their studies at Princeton University. While I do not agree with every recommendation suggested (I am strongly opposed to corn and soy-based ethanol) I do think it does a decent job of quantifying attainable solutions to curbing carbon emissions in the immediate future.
For those naysayers (Hi, Dad!) who do not think the retooling of a green America is feasible, I offer this point. At the start of the US involvement of World War II, the following wartime production goals were issued on January 6, 1942:
Recycling, particularly of metals, on a large scale was enforced.
Victory gardens and rationing encouraged less waste and locally grown produce.
If we could do that based on the technology of the 1940s, surely we are even more capable of greater innovations today.
At this point in the post I was going to address the concerns of those who feel that the climate crisis is exaggerated, unreasonable or otherwise imaginary...(Hi, again, Dad!) but I don't think that focusing on the gloom and doom is the best way to move forward, so instead, I offer some resources for those who are interested in resizing their carbon footprint.
The Lazy Environmentalist http://www.lazyenvironmentalist.com/books/ is a great resource for finding cheap ways to make easy, environmentally friendly choices.
Carbon Footprint Calculator: http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/
Home Energy Saver: http://hes.lbl.gov/ The Home Energy Saver was the first Internet-based tool for calculating energy use in residential buildings. I used this site recently to complete a home energy audit of my parents' house.
Department of Energy:
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy – Do It Yourself Audit
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/energy_audits/index.cfm/mytopic=11160
Information for Apartments
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/apartments/index.cfm/mytopic=10010
Energy Savers: Tips for saving energy at home: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/home_energy.html
Energy Guide: Smart Energy Choices http://www.energyguide.com/ A tool to help analyze your energy consumption.
Energy Information Administration: http://www.eia.doe.gov/
EIA is the Nation’s premier source of unbiased energy data, analysis and forecasting. EIA provides this information to promote sound policy making, efficient energy markets, and public understanding about energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment. By law, EIA’s products are prepared independently of Administration policy considerations. EIA neither formulates nor advocates any policy conclusions. This isan excellent resource to look at national energy data and economic or event-driven issues that may impact theenergy market.
Happy Earth Day, Everyone!
So I offer, this presentation which summarizes the proposal published in Science back in 2006 by Pacala and Socolow based on their studies at Princeton University. While I do not agree with every recommendation suggested (I am strongly opposed to corn and soy-based ethanol) I do think it does a decent job of quantifying attainable solutions to curbing carbon emissions in the immediate future.
For those naysayers (Hi, Dad!) who do not think the retooling of a green America is feasible, I offer this point. At the start of the US involvement of World War II, the following wartime production goals were issued on January 6, 1942:
- 45,000 tanks
- 60,000 planes – (229,000 produced by 1945)
- 20,000 anti-aircraft guns
- 6 million tons of merchant shipping
- Production of Automobiles was banned for 3 Years
Recycling, particularly of metals, on a large scale was enforced.
Victory gardens and rationing encouraged less waste and locally grown produce.
If we could do that based on the technology of the 1940s, surely we are even more capable of greater innovations today.
At this point in the post I was going to address the concerns of those who feel that the climate crisis is exaggerated, unreasonable or otherwise imaginary...(Hi, again, Dad!) but I don't think that focusing on the gloom and doom is the best way to move forward, so instead, I offer some resources for those who are interested in resizing their carbon footprint.
The Lazy Environmentalist http://www.lazyenvironmentalist.com/books/ is a great resource for finding cheap ways to make easy, environmentally friendly choices.
Carbon Footprint Calculator: http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/
Home Energy Saver: http://hes.lbl.gov/ The Home Energy Saver was the first Internet-based tool for calculating energy use in residential buildings. I used this site recently to complete a home energy audit of my parents' house.
Department of Energy:
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy – Do It Yourself Audit
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/energy_audits/index.cfm/mytopic=11160
Information for Apartments
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/apartments/index.cfm/mytopic=10010
Energy Savers: Tips for saving energy at home: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/home_energy.html
Energy Guide: Smart Energy Choices http://www.energyguide.com/ A tool to help analyze your energy consumption.
Energy Information Administration: http://www.eia.doe.gov/
EIA is the Nation’s premier source of unbiased energy data, analysis and forecasting. EIA provides this information to promote sound policy making, efficient energy markets, and public understanding about energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment. By law, EIA’s products are prepared independently of Administration policy considerations. EIA neither formulates nor advocates any policy conclusions. This isan excellent resource to look at national energy data and economic or event-driven issues that may impact theenergy market.
Happy Earth Day, Everyone!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Think the Whales are Saved? Think Again.
Save the whales? Didn't we do this already? This is a question I've heard quite a bit lately. The truth is that although some whale species have increased in numbers due to the conservation efforts of the 70s and 80s, most species are still threatened and many are at the brink of extinction. The issue is current. One of the final acts of the Bush administration was to kick-off the process of effectively ending the international moratorium on commercial whaling by pulling together a "small working group" and drafting text that extends "scientific whaling rights" into international waters. I recently had the pleasure of attending a presentation by Jake Levenson of the International Fund for Animal Welfare that helped summarize the current and continued threats to whales worldwide.*Humpback whale. Photo © IFAW
Many people believe that the major threat to whale species was solved with the 1986 worldwide commercial whaling ban. However, an estimated 30,000 whales have been killed in the last two decades since the ban. Japan has increased its “scientific whaling” practices which are allowed under the treaty. Iceland also continues its whaling practices using this loophole. Whaling ships in Iceland often follow whale watching vessels to find easy targets. These hunting practices often involve the use of grenade tipped or explosive harpoons, which promise to provide an 'instantaneous' death but often take several hours to kill the animal. Multiple gunshots are often used to 'speed up' the process. Although this whaling is done in the name of scientific research, all of the scientific information that is gathered can now be obtained through humane practices. Additionally, meat and oil products from endangered whale species (by products from scientific whaling) can be found in markets in several countries.
Aside from the direct threats of commercial whaling efforts, whales face three major anthropogenic threats: sound pollution, vessel collisions and entanglement. Sound travels twenty-five times faster underwater than it does through air. For most marine life, sound is not only something that is heard, but also something that is felt. Whales have evolved to communicate across oceans, in order to find hunting grounds or potential mates. Ocean background noise levels have doubled every decade for the last 60 years, causing confusion, navigation issues and potentially inhibiting mating. The primary causes of increased ocean noise include oil exploration, oil related construction and drilling, military sonar and increased shipping activity. Mass strandings of whales can be linked to military sonar activity nearby.
Vessel collisions can result in immediate death or severe injury to the whales. Amputation of fins or gashes that do not result in death can leave the animals open to infection and impair swimming abilities. Four out of six of the right whale deaths recorded in 2006 are attributed to collisions with ships. The reason is simple. Shipping has increased dramatically in the past decade and shipping lanes directly overlap right whale habitat.
More than 300,000 cetaceans die annually due to entanglement. IFAW believes this number is an extremely conservative estimate because it is reported by fishermen and not every country provides reports. The organization believes that the number is closer to 900,000. Entanglement is the number one cause of extinction among whale species. It is a slow, painful death generally realized through starvation or exhaustion. When entanglement does not result in the death of a whale it can compromise their physical conditions, leaving the individual prone to infection or adversely impacting its behavior. Again, understanding the problem is simple. There is too much rope in the water. Whale + Rope = Panic. Distentanglement efforts can be logistically difficult, dangerous to both whales and humans and can cause additional trauma to the whale. Whales must be tracked and essentially trapped in order to cut away the lines attached to their bodies.
IFAW has implemented some innovative and technologically interesting solutions to many of these anthropogenic threats. For example along the eastern coast of the United States they have deployed 13 buoys along major shipping routs. The buoys are equipped with hydrophones that listen for whale calls and alert the shore and nearby ships of whale activity nearby. The system works much like the ones used by airplanes and radio-control towers to avoid collisions in the air. There are also efforts underway to develop remote controlled rope cutting devices to provide a less traumatic disentanglement process.
Here's what you can do to Save the Whales (again)...
Send a letter to your congressperson(s) through Stop Whaling Now: http://www.stopwhaling.org/c.foJNIZOyEnH/b.4489567/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?msource=DR080902001
Stop Iceland from Killing Protected Whales: http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw_united_states/get_involved/take_action/index.php#x
SHOW US YOUR TAIL! IFAW is collecting worldwide pictures of people showing their support for the whales.
As enough pictures for a country are collected, they are published in book form and sent to the government leaders of those countries.
Post your picture here: http://tailsforwhales.org*Twiggy Whale Tail Photo Courtesy of tailsforwhales.org
For more information on IFAW and who they are check out their site: http://www.ifaw.org
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