The Gulf oil spill in context and how we the media get it wrong again
This past week, my cohort on the Wednesday Science took me to task for not being more vociferous in my outrage regarding the massive BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill that is all the rage in the news these days. It has made me think a bit about the context of all of this and placed a little clarity in the situation.It also helped to read the latest article in the marvelous web site dedicated to climatology, reaclimate.org.While the massive oil spill is an egregious assault against nature motivated by greed, it is also a perfect example of how the media gets it wrong yet again, regarding what is news and what is not.While the gulf spews oil, we the media, spill metaphorical ink that has at least as toxic. It misleads our viewers, readers and listeners. Some might think I am splitting hairs and maybe even comparing apples and oranges, but allow me to explain.The Gulf oil spill, taken in context, against the backdrop of the unbelievable sucking of crude from the lithosphere, is but a pinprick of the gargantuan outflow of oil we send into our environment. With the more than 700 million cars and trucks, 2 billion small engines and thousands of hydro electrical plants, we consume every day, some 5,000 times the 40,000 barrels per day of oil that is now headlining our media focus. That is an unbelievable 30 billion barrels oil per year to fuel our greed and way of life!!!!All of this winds up in the atmosphere, oceans and ground as it is pumped, transported, burned, refined and consumed as we go on in our daily lives. It acidifies our oceans, destroying our reefs, creating ever expanding dead zones, heats up the atmosphere, and pollutes the very ground walk and live on while our ever expanding fossil fuel driven quest for more continues unabated.While it breaks my heart to see the devastation in the Gulf, our media gets it wrong again. It is not the Gulf spill that should be the news. It is but a pimple in the vast cancer of our fossil fuel inspired growth. The BP spill allows the media to create an immediate photo-op masquerading as news, that distracts us from the overall devastation that happens daily in far away places and eco-systems without voters, jobs and lost incomes to splash all over our collective consciousness. The millions and millions of stacks that spew CO2 are the story. The way of life that demands the continued growth of people, consumption and its attendant pollution is the real news. The inability of our media to understand what is real news is the story. Sorry. Our media is just ambulance chasing yet again.
3 Responses to “ The Gulf oil spill in context and how we the media get it wrong again ”
Add New Comment
June 25th, 2010 at 7:40 am
Richard, you’ve lost it. I am not defending the burning of oil for fuel, principally because there are literally dozens of cleaner, cheaper replacement energy sources that the oil companies, media and corrupt politicians have kept suppressed at any cost. No, I’m not talking about solar and wind power. I doubt you believe this, but if readers are curious just do some research on Stanley Meyer and Nicola Tesla for a start.
Anyways, back to your ridiculous claim. You are equating CO2 with crude oil. For the millionth time, CARBON DIOXIDE IS NOT POLLUTION. Its almost as if you’re saying that dumping a litre of crude oil in someone’s well is no worse than carbonating it. What would you rather drink, a bottle of Perrier or a cupful of crude oil? Those little bubbles ares CO2 you know.
Anyone that has actually taken the time to research the whole issue of “global warming” with an open mind, rather than an axe to grind, realizes that CO2 is almost completely unrelated to global temperature.
July 10th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
Academically, you’re right. What we do to this planet collectively as a species is far worse on a daily basis than what is happening in the gulf right now. But it’s also invisible to most people. They don’t see or understand the impact they have as individuals, or as groups when they light and heat their houses, or drive their cars to the store. The imagery of the tragedy in the gulf makes it very real to every one what oil and our greed for oil means. It’s in the dead bodies of every bird, turtle and fish that washes up on shore; it’s in the disgusting oil slick on the surface; it’s in the ruination of the livelihoods of thousands of people for the near future and over the long term; it’s in the oil blobs contaminating the beaches. People can get their heads around the oiled up carcass of a pelican and feel an outrage that simply can’t be created by an environmentalist pointing out the facts of our coming doom.
The media’s tendency to jump on the ‘flavour of the day’ tragedy often borders on the ridiculous, but in this case, it can also be used for good. We can’t escape the obvious in the imagery coming from the gulf. It can’t be argued with and the resulting contamination can’t be ignored. The impact on the environment and the people who live in it is an effective warning to the rest of us. The media’s coverage can be used as an opportunity to point out our impact on the planet in a very tangible way that even the most self-absorbed can’t deny.
July 21st, 2010 at 12:13 pm
I could not agree more. The media is motivated by greed and greed alone. How can you people live with yourselves? Here you are on the radio mouthing off all day and for what, a buck. The only reason you media people report on anything at all is to garner a few seconds of our attention so you can sell us a Ford rtuck or some Tide. Sad state of affairs really. You hit the nail on the head.