The Crude Truth

Repercussions of the BP oil spill in 2010 are still affecting the Gulf of Mexico. A recent study shows that many species of fish are experiencing lethal heart defects as a result of the oil spill. Economically important species of fish are dying off or have become to dangerous to eat. Fishers all over the gulf are still losing their jobs, and the damage to the ecosystem is detrimental. Such awful repercussions all for oil. What else has been expended just to gain oil?

While there are a multitude of companies and problems that have arisen because of oil, I believe a light needs to be shined on Chevron, and the damage they have caused in South America.

Recently in Ecuador, Chevron was found guilty for causing extensive damage to the Lago Agrio forest. Chevron was fined 18.2 billion.

While this was less than a month ago. The impact of oil companies in South America has been present for decades. The Lago Agrio area has been torn up and drilled since the early 90's. First by Texaco, then it was acquired by Chevron in 2000.

You may be wondering how the oil company got away with drilling there for over 20 years. Well the case against Texaco actually started in 1993. But the tribe that controlled the area received over 300,000 dollars worth of bribes. Also, with the use of strong legal teams, Chevron was able to deny the allegations made against them in court. They were finally able to reach a verdict because the case moved from american courts to an Ecuadorian court.

The plaintiffs of the case said that Texaco/Chevron "knowingly dumped... 17 million gallons of crude oil into the rain forest during its operations."

If the environmental problems weren't bad enough, thousands of villagers living in close proximity to the drill sites have been diagnosed with cancers and birth defects. Because of these oil drills, they have polluted all the water sources that the villagers depend on. Natives are forced to bath in and drink contaminated water because they can't get water from anywhere else. Also the contaminated water kills the crops that many of the natives make a living off of.

It seems to me that what some of these american corporations have done to other countries and other people is outrageous. The self intrest of the US drives them to do these economically profitable things but at the cost of destroying the environment, hurting foerign people, and bribing countries. Does this seem fair to you? What are other examples of America's self interest taking a toll on other people or countries?

American Logging Monopolizing the Industry

The Australian government has been accused of misleading the UN in its bid to strip the World Heritage Protection from the Tasmanian Forest. The UN wanted the area for logging so when Australia was asked about the land, they said that it was unsuitable to be logged because to much had already been taken and because it would disturb the ecosystem. In reality, the forrest was in extremely good shape and considered "ecologically pristine".

The way the Guardian spook about the issue seemed very negative towards Australia. The guardian specifically showed the hypocrisy of Australia by "releasing pictures of ecologically pristine areas" in Australia. The Guardian seemed to be shaming Australia for trying to maintain their forrest by calling out their lies. I think that Australia has a right to keep the land, and not let the UN, who is deeply enforced by the US, deforest it.

Today, our world is dealing with major issues of the environment. While there are many problems to name, deforestation is a major concern. Deforestation is raising carbon monoxide levels which in turn are destroying our atmosphere. Also deforestation is ruining ecosystems and causing animal species to become extinct. This problem doesn't seem to be ending, but only growing.

According to a blog by National Geographic, Forests currently take up 30% of the land on earth. But every year forests the size of Panama are being torn down and destroyed. At the current rate, there will not be a single rainforest on the planet in one hundred years. Forests have been deforested for many reasons, and there are many people or companies behind the reasons.

In countries all over south america, american companies have exploited cheap labor or corrupted governments to get at the logging, or oil underneath the land. While oil is a whole other issue, much of the forests in South America have been torn down for the purpose of oil. According to the World Bank, 80% of Peru's logging is illegal. And most of the wood that is logged there ends up in american products, giving the US about $72 million in profit from timber smugglers.

In 1994, an agreement was reached between a logging company from Asia, with ties to american corporations, and Suriname that granted the company 25% of Suriname's land, 7.5 million acres, and valued each acre at less than $35. The unfair deal was created because Suriname was in need of financial aid but this deal ultimately gave them $2 million while the US received $28 million annually.

Coming back to Australia, I believe that they have a right to keep their forest. While under developed countries can't hold the US off of their materials, I think countries like Australia should keep their own products for themselves. Do you agree? What else has america monopolized like the logging industry? Does Australia keeping their forest really affect the US and their industry?

The Blank Pages of Flight 655

In our American Studies class we have been discussing the whitewashed history of our country. Talking about what information or events that will or wont be discussed in the future. While searching online for certain examples I came across an unbelievable case.

In 1988, the US air force shot down Iran Air Flight 655. This was a commercial plane with traveling passengers. All 290 people, including 66 children, were killed. The jet flew its usual path from Tehran to Dubai and was mistaken as a military jet. The plane was in Iranian airspace when it was shot down. I couldn't believe that something like this happened. The fact that 290 people died because of a mistake is outrageous. And that the plane was in Iranian territory when it was shot down is extremely awful.

I had never heard of this. So I asked my parents if they had heard of this. Both said they don't remember that ever happening. That seems like a very significant event so I think it has been whitewashed from history. I wonder what the average Iranian knows about this. Hypothetically if the roles had been reversed I feel that almost every person in the US would know about what happened. I would think that it would be similar to how we remember 9/11.

Every year we remember all those people who unfortunately lost their lives on September 11th. But what recognition do these passengers on flight 655 get? If you consider recognition $300,000 for the families of the passengers on the plane, than thats what they got. And eventually the government of Iran was paid off, $131 million, to not pursue a case against the US in the international court of justice. And to top it off the US "denied having any responsibility or liability for what happened." That doesn't seem like justice to me.