I'm writing this post 1 day early. I know tomorrow I will be too busy to post. This is an important topic, I don't want to miss it.
One year ago, on April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded killing 11 people who worked on that oil rig. At least 1 person committed suicide as a result of the disaster aftermath, who knows how many more may have done the same. Families were destroyed, marriages probably broken. Animals died, the planet suffered. Now, 1 year later, families are still being destroyed, animals are still dying, and the planet still suffers. What have we learned?
I have learned that large corporate behemoths are conspiring to cover up truth. I believe the government is doing the same. I have learned do not trust the media. I have learned not to trust anyone assigned the job of helping business owners who lost business, like for example small eco-friendly vegan lodges in the Florida Keys, who filed claims for lost revenue. This makes me wonder about the people actually living around the Gulf, and working in the immediate area. I suspect they are not being treated better up there than we are right here, maybe its even worse treatment for them.
Sure, I guess I knew all that before, didn't I? Maybe all of it except for the part about not trusting anyone assigned the job of helping small business owners and people recover. That I can directly attribute to this disaster. Thanks BP and thanks Gulf Coast Recovery Fund. Oh, I'm especially enjoying your latest daily full page ads in our newspapers down here about how you're still helping us; what's your cool slogan.... "making things right." Har-de-har-har. Maybe I'll also offer a hellohowyadoin' to Mr. Feinberg himself, yeah, a real tip of the hat. Thanks Ken, you're a real prize. Oh, I wonder, to you Tony Hayward, do you have you life back now? How's that working out for ya?
I've learned that there are forces at work wanting to brush all this off, in fact just this morning I was reading how some scientists are saying how the Gulf has recovered nearly to the exact same health it was before the disaster. Yeah, right. Oh, sure. Want to buy a bridge? Then again, thanks to the oil industry and agri-business the Gulf was being choked to death before April 20, 2010 too.
Oil rolls in on the shores daily still in some areas. There's a spike in dolphin deaths, and a spike in turtle deaths. I'm sad to say I believe this is barely the beginning of the impact on the wildlife and marine animals, the effects will be felt for generations in that world, and will be studied for a very long time by humans.
We're killing our planet. We're killing ourselves. We're killing the animals, the plants, the water and the air. On this, the 1 year anniversary of the BP disaster, the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon which spewed a truly unknown volume of toxins into the Gulf, coupled with the travesty of the chemical dispersants to cover it all up and make it seemingly magically all go away, we cannot ever forget. Do not be fooled by the corporations. Their job is to make money, and make money for their stockholders. Environmental protection is not a priority. They are about free enterprise, no matter the cost. Look to the Gulf and the past year to see confirmation. Do not be fooled by the government. There's much more than meets the eye with the oil industry and our government, we all know this. Its a topic too complex for this Happy Vegan to tap out a few keystrokes on this blog.
Do I sound angry? Maybe I don't sound angry enough. The angst I felt for months as the oil spewed day and night was almost surreal. Running on our street every day in searing heat, trying to cope with a myriad of emotions, but mostly filled with worry about something so far out of my control, something entrusted to people who I had no trust in.... staring at the faces of baby Key deer, birds, raccoons, and all other life around me. The beautiful water. The sky. Oh, yes, I am still very angry.
The BP disaster had a devastating impact on many. Here in the Keys we miraculously escaped the oil, but we did not escape the economic devastation. We are no different at our tiny little green lodge in suffering financially and dealing with the bureaucracy all this time. No, we have not been treated fairly, decently or even courteously by the Fund administrators. It is a battle, it is like we are the enemy, like we caused this problem, like we should be punished or something. Meanwhile, we go out every day, collect trash on the beaches & streets, have hundreds of things in place at our little lodge to reduce our footprint, and we continue to plan for the future hoping there will still be a planet worth tending to by future generations. In my opinion, arguably we at Deer Run have a more environmentally & socially responsible business plan, and business model, than BP and its partners.
I will not forgive those associated with this disaster, for they knew to a certain degree it was going to happen, they denied the data, they denied the signs & symptoms, they denied everything. And, they continue to deny the reality of the scope of the damage, and are working hard with others colluding to cover up the realities.
On this, the 1 year anniversary, just days before another Earth Day, take a moment to reflect on the disaster, and all that it has meant to so many; people, planet & animals. Do something positive today, and then carry that forward every other day from now on doing something positive. For people. For planet. For animals. Let's keep hope alive.
One year ago, on April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded killing 11 people who worked on that oil rig. At least 1 person committed suicide as a result of the disaster aftermath, who knows how many more may have done the same. Families were destroyed, marriages probably broken. Animals died, the planet suffered. Now, 1 year later, families are still being destroyed, animals are still dying, and the planet still suffers. What have we learned?
I have learned that large corporate behemoths are conspiring to cover up truth. I believe the government is doing the same. I have learned do not trust the media. I have learned not to trust anyone assigned the job of helping business owners who lost business, like for example small eco-friendly vegan lodges in the Florida Keys, who filed claims for lost revenue. This makes me wonder about the people actually living around the Gulf, and working in the immediate area. I suspect they are not being treated better up there than we are right here, maybe its even worse treatment for them.
Sure, I guess I knew all that before, didn't I? Maybe all of it except for the part about not trusting anyone assigned the job of helping small business owners and people recover. That I can directly attribute to this disaster. Thanks BP and thanks Gulf Coast Recovery Fund. Oh, I'm especially enjoying your latest daily full page ads in our newspapers down here about how you're still helping us; what's your cool slogan.... "making things right." Har-de-har-har. Maybe I'll also offer a hellohowyadoin' to Mr. Feinberg himself, yeah, a real tip of the hat. Thanks Ken, you're a real prize. Oh, I wonder, to you Tony Hayward, do you have you life back now? How's that working out for ya?
I've learned that there are forces at work wanting to brush all this off, in fact just this morning I was reading how some scientists are saying how the Gulf has recovered nearly to the exact same health it was before the disaster. Yeah, right. Oh, sure. Want to buy a bridge? Then again, thanks to the oil industry and agri-business the Gulf was being choked to death before April 20, 2010 too.
Oil rolls in on the shores daily still in some areas. There's a spike in dolphin deaths, and a spike in turtle deaths. I'm sad to say I believe this is barely the beginning of the impact on the wildlife and marine animals, the effects will be felt for generations in that world, and will be studied for a very long time by humans.
We're killing our planet. We're killing ourselves. We're killing the animals, the plants, the water and the air. On this, the 1 year anniversary of the BP disaster, the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon which spewed a truly unknown volume of toxins into the Gulf, coupled with the travesty of the chemical dispersants to cover it all up and make it seemingly magically all go away, we cannot ever forget. Do not be fooled by the corporations. Their job is to make money, and make money for their stockholders. Environmental protection is not a priority. They are about free enterprise, no matter the cost. Look to the Gulf and the past year to see confirmation. Do not be fooled by the government. There's much more than meets the eye with the oil industry and our government, we all know this. Its a topic too complex for this Happy Vegan to tap out a few keystrokes on this blog.
Do I sound angry? Maybe I don't sound angry enough. The angst I felt for months as the oil spewed day and night was almost surreal. Running on our street every day in searing heat, trying to cope with a myriad of emotions, but mostly filled with worry about something so far out of my control, something entrusted to people who I had no trust in.... staring at the faces of baby Key deer, birds, raccoons, and all other life around me. The beautiful water. The sky. Oh, yes, I am still very angry.
The BP disaster had a devastating impact on many. Here in the Keys we miraculously escaped the oil, but we did not escape the economic devastation. We are no different at our tiny little green lodge in suffering financially and dealing with the bureaucracy all this time. No, we have not been treated fairly, decently or even courteously by the Fund administrators. It is a battle, it is like we are the enemy, like we caused this problem, like we should be punished or something. Meanwhile, we go out every day, collect trash on the beaches & streets, have hundreds of things in place at our little lodge to reduce our footprint, and we continue to plan for the future hoping there will still be a planet worth tending to by future generations. In my opinion, arguably we at Deer Run have a more environmentally & socially responsible business plan, and business model, than BP and its partners.
I will not forgive those associated with this disaster, for they knew to a certain degree it was going to happen, they denied the data, they denied the signs & symptoms, they denied everything. And, they continue to deny the reality of the scope of the damage, and are working hard with others colluding to cover up the realities.
On this, the 1 year anniversary, just days before another Earth Day, take a moment to reflect on the disaster, and all that it has meant to so many; people, planet & animals. Do something positive today, and then carry that forward every other day from now on doing something positive. For people. For planet. For animals. Let's keep hope alive.
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