Does everything really happen for a reason? It would be pretty amazing if this was true. Is it something we tell ourselves when we are trying to cope with some unexplained tragedy? OR Is it something we use to explain an unexpected good fortune?
Some things can be explained as being purely random in life and others, which appear to be random, aren't. In my short and seemingly inexperienced life I have managed to come across this question many times. There have been times when something so tragic occurs that the only way to get through it is to tell myself that some how there is a divine purpose or reason behind it. If a child is born with a birth defect, the parents might, to cope with it, tell themselves that there is a reason behind it, that out of every misfortune there is a higher power behind it. When we fall in love with a person, we say its meant to be, there was a reason we came across this person in our lives and then when we break up, we say there is a reason behind that too.
BUT,
What if we are wrong? What if things just happen to people for no reason? Where does that leave us? Hopeless, sad, and in some cases pessimistic about life in general. If the phrase "everything happens for a reason" had never been introduced to us, what would we use to explain all the good and bad in the world? Would be just simply say "that's Life"? Would we just tell each other to "get over it"? Its funny how such a small paring of words can mean so much to someone if said at the right time. How words can give someone hope in midst of some catastrophe, because some where deep in their mind they truly believe "everything, good and bad, happens for a reason". It is not about God or a hand in human affairs that is unseen. It is about the use and abuse human beings put all conditions on earth to, in their search for their purpose in life.
Now, personally, I would agree that everything does happen for a reason. Its helped explain things to me that would otherwise have left me with answer-less questions. When a father walks out on his family, or a baby dies at birth, or a car accident leaves someone in a wheelchair, when an earthquakes kills thousands and a war kills even more..if the only thing left is the glimmer of hope that it all has a reason for occurring well I am no one to discredit what gives someone else hope.
If at the end of the day, telling ourselves and those we love that "Everything happens for a reason" makes them a little happier or eases their pain just a bit, well then I think true or not, it serves the purpose of giving hope in other wise hopeless situations.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
BP...I'm done with you.
It can be hard to keep track of all the devastating statistics, quotes, and facts concerning the oil spill disaster, but it is essential that the public maintain a working knowledge of what's going on, both politically and environmentally.
Despite promising efforts to stop the Gulf oil leak through a 'top kill' effort, a mind boggling amount of damage has already been done to this precious ocean ecosystem and it seems it is not getting the amount of attention it needs.
As a people, we must demand change from both an oil industry that drills first and asks questions later, and the corrupt government agencies that let them get away with it. We must also realize that we have encouraged this sort of behavior through lifestyles that are addicted to oil, and an unwillingness to make sacrifices for a cleaner, healthier future.
So the damage is done. What do we do now? Well first lets review the facts.
New estimates show the undersea well has spilled between 17 and 39 million gallons. These estimates dwarf those of BP, who claimed the spill had only released 11 million gallons to date, and mean that the Gulf leak is far bigger than Exxon Valdez, making it the worst spill in American history. I don’t know about you, but knowing that we are being fooled by the same company that caused all of this makes my skin crawl. What gives them any right to down play anything about this devastating situation? Also, SHAME ON YOU MEDIA! How dare you use the same tactics that you use for celebrity gossip on a world altering disaster. You GENUINELY can not believe everything you hear so PLEASE do your research people and don’t be left in the dark like the ignorant idiots the government and huge oil companies think you are.
The National Wildlife Federation reports that already more than 150 threatened or endangered sea turtles are dead. And 316 sea birds, mostly brown pelicans and northern gannets, have been found dead along the Gulf Coast as a result of the spreading oil. Well this just makes me sick. Don’t turn the other cheek on this. First its animals then its our economy, (WHICH DOESN’T NEED THIS RIGHT NOW).
The Minerals Management Service, directly under the supervision of the Interior Department failed to impose a full review of potential environmental impacts of the BP drilling operation because preliminary reviews of the area concluded that a massive oil spill was "unlikely." Unlikely my ass, but you know, honestly, I blame us, YES US. Because if we didn’t wait for things to affect us or come back and bite us in the ass then maybe we would have taken better care of our oceans and realized how SERIOUS a massive oil spill could be if it “UNLIKELY” happened. I feel ashamed of all of us for not seeing this coming and just being oblivious to what is going on around us.
The Department of the Interior’s Office of the Inspector General released a report indicating that at one Gulf Coast office of MMS, agency officials attended sporting events on the dime of oil companies, stored porn on company computers, used cocaine and crystal meth, falsified inspection reports, and accepted "gifts" from "good friends in the oil industry." (Links via ProPublica). I think this fact speaks for itself.
A significant amount of the oil slick is being drawn well to the south in the east-central Gulf of Mexico, meaning that it has been captured by the Loop Current. Oil in the loop is a hazard to the Florida Keys, (and entire East Coast) as well as areas of the west coast of Florida. Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico could also be at risk of exposure to the oil, which also could be drawn into the Gulf Stream through the Florida Straits, and perhaps northward to part of the Atlantic Seaboard. Yeah that’s right, our favorite vacation destinations will be affected, but that’s not a big deal right?
As much as we'd like to forget it, the Gulf Coast is prime hurricane country, and if a storm blows in, the result could be devastating. The presence of oil could lead to a more powerful hurricane because crude accumulating at the surface could be raising the temperature of the surrounding water. Because Houston and New Orleans could DEFINITELY use some more powerful hurricanes. Pshhh…=/
Transocean Ltd., the owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig leased by BP, has been flying under the radar in the mainstream blame game. Because of past experience with Gulf Oil spills, Transocean decided to insure the Deepwater Horizon rig for about twice what it was worth. In a conference call to analysts earlier this month, Transocean reported making a $270 million profit from insurance payouts after the disaster.
Perhaps because it knows the possibility of remedying the situation is practically impossible, BP has made publicly available its laughable "Oil Spill Response Plan" which is, in fact, no plan at all. Besides mentioning the protection of Arctic wildlife (probably lifted directly from the Exxon Valdez plan), the plan does not include any disease-preventing measures, oceanic or meteorological data, and is comprised mostly of phone numbers and blank forms. Most importantly, it includes no directions for how to deal with another deep-water explosion in the future.
A large number of fishermen are becoming seriously ill - and many of them believe that the chemicals that BP is using in the Gulf are to blame. Local shrimpers in Louisiana are already predicting that it will be seven years before they can set to sea again.
Gambling websites are now placing odds on what species will be first to become extinct as a result of the oil belching from BP's ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico.
Lets just all sit back and think that until the oil is at our door steps or all the sea life is dead we shouldn’t care. Well it is at your door step, it is getting worse with every passing day and maybe we don’t see the devastating consequences of our mistakes now, but I know my generation will. By then it will be too late, actually it could very well be too late. My question is, instead of finding new places to drill or fixing a never-ending problem, why don’t we consider that maybe this is all because of us and our sick addiction to what oil gives us?
Despite promising efforts to stop the Gulf oil leak through a 'top kill' effort, a mind boggling amount of damage has already been done to this precious ocean ecosystem and it seems it is not getting the amount of attention it needs.
As a people, we must demand change from both an oil industry that drills first and asks questions later, and the corrupt government agencies that let them get away with it. We must also realize that we have encouraged this sort of behavior through lifestyles that are addicted to oil, and an unwillingness to make sacrifices for a cleaner, healthier future.
So the damage is done. What do we do now? Well first lets review the facts.
New estimates show the undersea well has spilled between 17 and 39 million gallons. These estimates dwarf those of BP, who claimed the spill had only released 11 million gallons to date, and mean that the Gulf leak is far bigger than Exxon Valdez, making it the worst spill in American history. I don’t know about you, but knowing that we are being fooled by the same company that caused all of this makes my skin crawl. What gives them any right to down play anything about this devastating situation? Also, SHAME ON YOU MEDIA! How dare you use the same tactics that you use for celebrity gossip on a world altering disaster. You GENUINELY can not believe everything you hear so PLEASE do your research people and don’t be left in the dark like the ignorant idiots the government and huge oil companies think you are.
The National Wildlife Federation reports that already more than 150 threatened or endangered sea turtles are dead. And 316 sea birds, mostly brown pelicans and northern gannets, have been found dead along the Gulf Coast as a result of the spreading oil. Well this just makes me sick. Don’t turn the other cheek on this. First its animals then its our economy, (WHICH DOESN’T NEED THIS RIGHT NOW).
The Minerals Management Service, directly under the supervision of the Interior Department failed to impose a full review of potential environmental impacts of the BP drilling operation because preliminary reviews of the area concluded that a massive oil spill was "unlikely." Unlikely my ass, but you know, honestly, I blame us, YES US. Because if we didn’t wait for things to affect us or come back and bite us in the ass then maybe we would have taken better care of our oceans and realized how SERIOUS a massive oil spill could be if it “UNLIKELY” happened. I feel ashamed of all of us for not seeing this coming and just being oblivious to what is going on around us.
The Department of the Interior’s Office of the Inspector General released a report indicating that at one Gulf Coast office of MMS, agency officials attended sporting events on the dime of oil companies, stored porn on company computers, used cocaine and crystal meth, falsified inspection reports, and accepted "gifts" from "good friends in the oil industry." (Links via ProPublica). I think this fact speaks for itself.
A significant amount of the oil slick is being drawn well to the south in the east-central Gulf of Mexico, meaning that it has been captured by the Loop Current. Oil in the loop is a hazard to the Florida Keys, (and entire East Coast) as well as areas of the west coast of Florida. Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico could also be at risk of exposure to the oil, which also could be drawn into the Gulf Stream through the Florida Straits, and perhaps northward to part of the Atlantic Seaboard. Yeah that’s right, our favorite vacation destinations will be affected, but that’s not a big deal right?
As much as we'd like to forget it, the Gulf Coast is prime hurricane country, and if a storm blows in, the result could be devastating. The presence of oil could lead to a more powerful hurricane because crude accumulating at the surface could be raising the temperature of the surrounding water. Because Houston and New Orleans could DEFINITELY use some more powerful hurricanes. Pshhh…=/
Transocean Ltd., the owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig leased by BP, has been flying under the radar in the mainstream blame game. Because of past experience with Gulf Oil spills, Transocean decided to insure the Deepwater Horizon rig for about twice what it was worth. In a conference call to analysts earlier this month, Transocean reported making a $270 million profit from insurance payouts after the disaster.
Perhaps because it knows the possibility of remedying the situation is practically impossible, BP has made publicly available its laughable "Oil Spill Response Plan" which is, in fact, no plan at all. Besides mentioning the protection of Arctic wildlife (probably lifted directly from the Exxon Valdez plan), the plan does not include any disease-preventing measures, oceanic or meteorological data, and is comprised mostly of phone numbers and blank forms. Most importantly, it includes no directions for how to deal with another deep-water explosion in the future.
A large number of fishermen are becoming seriously ill - and many of them believe that the chemicals that BP is using in the Gulf are to blame. Local shrimpers in Louisiana are already predicting that it will be seven years before they can set to sea again.
Gambling websites are now placing odds on what species will be first to become extinct as a result of the oil belching from BP's ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico.
Lets just all sit back and think that until the oil is at our door steps or all the sea life is dead we shouldn’t care. Well it is at your door step, it is getting worse with every passing day and maybe we don’t see the devastating consequences of our mistakes now, but I know my generation will. By then it will be too late, actually it could very well be too late. My question is, instead of finding new places to drill or fixing a never-ending problem, why don’t we consider that maybe this is all because of us and our sick addiction to what oil gives us?
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