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Something wicked this way comes . . .

Started 10 months ago by DP
Latest reply from Maria

DP
Member Profile

People of the Earth: Hear Me!

An arctic drilling rig is on its way to Elliott Bay. Let's make our voices heard on this insult via the comments section of the article.

Thank you.

http://tinyurl.com/devil-at-our-doorstep

Posted 10 months ago #
anonyme
Member Profile

DP, great minds think alike. I was outraged to read this. It would be really awesome if a flotilla of private vessels blocked it's passage. Of course, they'd probably be risking fines or arrest - unlike what happens if you cause a massive oil spill...

Posted 10 months ago #
cjboffoli
Member Profile

Um, what exactly would that flotilla of private vessels run on? Root beer?

Where is the insult and outrage for the bumper to bumper SUV's, trucks and cars (mostly with one person in them) that can be seen idling in traffic during any given rush hour? Or the excessive plastic packaging that few US consumers can possibly avoid? Or all of the petroleum-derived chemicals we dump on our bodies, our lawns and our kitchen counters on a daily basis?

I also don't see much outrage in these Forums when people are complaining about high gas prices (even though the true cost of a gallon of gas is probably $15-$20). Or how new construction and development in West Seattle should be opposed on the grounds it will mean more car traffic and fewer available parking spaces.

The bottom line for me is that if I use less oil then petroleum companies won't have to potentially spoil pristine environments to find it. In fact, if everyone made changes to reduce their oil (and energy) consumption even just a little, it would scale to huge amounts.

You might as well organize your protest in a circle around your own house. We Americans are the real enemy. Projecting the blame onto the oil companies is ridiculous.

Posted 10 months ago #
Bostonman
Member Profile

I agree, I am going to protest against myself.

Posted 10 months ago #
mpento
Member Profile

Nah, I'd rather watch the movie

Posted 10 months ago #
anonyme
Member Profile

CB, you've made a lot of assumptions in your protest of protests, one of which is that the issues you raise are not or have not also been protested, vehemently, on other days and in other forums. Not the case. This may come as a shock to you, but I actually walk the walk and try to avoid the talk as much as humanly possible. I do ride the bus, which uses gas, but I've never owned a vehicle. I don't use any gas-powered tools or appliances. I avoid all petroleum-based products, for health as well as environmental reasons. The list goes on, but no point debating every single item on your list. While I would absolutely agree that most Americans are guilty of aiding and abetting the crimes of Big Oil, let's not forget who's raking in the billions in record profits.

The difference here is the staggering amount of damage caused to our world specifically by offshore drilling. Have people really forgotten the BP spill already? Safety regulations have improved little since then, yet the drilling begins once again in earnest. Oil production (and use) are detrimental in any number of ways, but this method of extraction has the worst safety record on earth.

I propose a flotilla of...canoes.

Posted 10 months ago #
DP
Member Profile

Well said, anonyme. Huzzah!

cj: I agree with everything you said, except for the conclusion.

Of course we can reduce our oil consumption as individuals, and a lot of people are doing just that — though it's not something you necessarily get on a Blog and talk about (unless you're me, since I share everything with my Blog friends.)

But there is no contradiction between cutting our oil use as individuals AND criticizing the oil industry. We should be doing both.

If someone pulls a Hummer into my driveway, I give them my ordinary dirty look. Searing but non-lethal.

However, if someone drags an Arctic oil rig into my back yard, they get the DP DIRTY LOOK OF DEATH ®.

Well, how about it, Shell?
Do you feel lucky?

Posted 10 months ago #
DP
Member Profile

Here are two views of Royal Dutch Shell's behavior in Nigeria. One from Amnesty International, the other from AlJazeera:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afL0N191IFI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejym4mKelhM&NR=1

Among the accusations against Shell:

— Environmental degradation

— Conspiracy to silence critics

— Contributing to the corruption of the Nigerian government

Oh my! Is this the kind of creature we want swimming around in Elliott Bay?

Smells awfully fishy to me . . .

Posted 10 months ago #
babalou
Member Profile

When the SBX radar was out in Elliot Bay and the oil platform was coming in, it was like the elephant in the room.10 seconds of coverage on TV News. I spoke to some people who said Seattle media is downplaying this because they're afraid of protests.WOW! Protesting is now unamerican and The terrorists have won. If it weren't for protests we'd still have youth dying in Viet Nam. Wait... they still are ..it's been renamed Afganistan. Rove and The repubs manipulated 911 to make questioning the government and demanding to know what our government is doing unpatriotic. Actually, questioning and a Free press, the availibilty of information is the heart and soul of democracy and ours is on life support.Oh no, we wouldn't want to upset anyone with a protest. Hence no Viet Nam like protests over the complete lost cause that is Afganistan--millions of tax dollars down the toilet. Many over the years have tried to control Afganistan and its tribal conflicts and all have failed. Learn some history or listen to Fox news--it's your choice

Posted 10 months ago #
DP
Member Profile

Yeah, babalou. Only happy/sappy stories for our TV news channels, please.

Having a carwash to raise money for Slobovia?

–Newsworthy. Two minutes.

Find a Cheez Doodle that looks like Jesus?

—Newsworthy. Five minutes.

Controversial Artic drilling rig pulls into Elliott Bay for a bath?

—Not newsworthy. Too controversial. Ten seconds, then go straight to Cheez Doodle commercial.

**************************************************************************************

At this link you'll find a list of the corporations that own "Seattle's" TV and radio stations and newspapers:

http://www.reclaimthemedia.org/page/seattle_area_media_ownership

Hmm . . . I see that KING, KONG, and NWCN are owned by a critter called Belo, Inc. that's shacked up in Dallas, Texas.

What the . . . ?!

Dallas, Texas ?!

Why, I DO DECLAY-AH ! Isn't Dallas one of the cities that Big Oil bought and paid for?

**************************************************************************************

Tell you what, Blogsters. I'll give one of my solar kilowatt hours (or equivalent) to the first one of you who can document a link between Big Oil and Belo, Inc., owner of KING, KIRO, and NWCN.

Shouldn't be too hard, folks. Just follow the money.

See, big-bucks advertisers like Shell, BP, Exxon, and others don't like it when punky little "local" TV stations run stories critical of their company and their product. That could end up costing Big Oil money or worse — it could make the public think bad things about Big Oil. It could make people think that their product is harmful, or that their business practices are somehow unethical.

OH MY SOUL! We can't have that now, can we?

Noooooooo! Of course we can't.

Therefore, if said critical stories occur, Big Oil might just have to go and terminate its advertising accounts with the Dallas-based owners of said "local" TV stations forthwith.

See how that works?

Again, one solar kilowatt hour (or equivalent cash value) to the first person who can show me some kind of link between Shell (or just Big Oil in general) and KING, KONG, KIRO* or NWCN. All of these so-called local stations are controlled from outside Seattle, by corporations that could be pretty darn cozy with the likes of Shell.

Your irreverent correspondent,

–David Preston

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*KIRO is owned out of (where else?) Lanta, Jawjah.

KOMO, you're still local, so you're off the hook.

Posted 10 months ago #
babalou
Member Profile

DP: Great pictures! Well, lets see, somewhat related: how about the deafening silence re. the ongoing nuclear catastrophe in Japan. It had its 5 minutes of fame and now zip. Oh it must be over. Wonder if that silence has anything to do with: 1. General Electric built the nuc. reactors in japan. 2) General Electric owns a major slice of U.S. media 3) they wouldn't want to broadcast the dangers of nuclear power to human health since we have alot of those things here (on earthquake faults) and negative reporting might adversely affect their stock price. The 10 seconds of noninformation on local news re. SBX and oil platform in Elliott Bay cited the West Seattle Blog as the source of their info.: How cozy. Hope the blog isn't beholden to GE too

Posted 10 months ago #
DP
Member Profile

Uckin' fay, babalou. You're about to blow this conspiracy wide open.

;-)

No really. That's great info on GE !!! — meaning "great" in the most cynical way possible.

I'm pretty sure the Blog is still clean. Tracy's had plenty of opportunities to have me silenced, but I've never seen anyone trailing me on my bicycle or anything . . .

Posted 10 months ago #
babalou
Member Profile

They won't silence bloggers. The internet is a godsend to those who want to dismantle civil rights, freedom of the press, access to information, due process and anything resembling democracy.The blogs allow people to think their opinion is heard, matters and anyone cares, thus keeping dissenters off the backs of the corporate powers who basically do whatever they want because they are TOO BIG TO FAIL. The net offers a saftey valve for letting off steam without actually changing anything.

Posted 10 months ago #
DP
Member Profile

Well, I'm an important person, and I care about your opinion, babalou. Even if you should happen to disagree with me.

TV news has been brain dead for 30 years; it's relevance is zero. Meanwhile, free information exchange via the Internet has exploded. And along with that phenomenon has come real social change.

You know, Egypt's Hosni Mubarek thought the Internet didn't matter, too. And where is he now? —In the yard waste bin of History, that's where. If the Hosni Mubareks of this country think bloggers don't matter, we'll just have to prove them wrong, won't we?

Betcha we've already changed a few minds on Shell . . .

Posted 10 months ago #
kootchman
Member Profile

GE is changing though... the CEO is on Obama's economic advisory board... oops no...he is the chairperson of it.... oh wait...yea, I forgot GE needs tax credits to make the windmills they produce cost effective... got to give GE credit though...they do cover all the bases... they export jobs, pay no corporate taxes, and damn of they aren't in the Obama Kool Aid Klub... how do they manage to to do all that? Are they good at what they do or what?

Posted 10 months ago #
kootchman
Member Profile

Make it seaworthy...and then get it the hell out of Puget Sound!

Posted 10 months ago #
waynster
Member Profile

Lets see no one wants a oil rig in their back yard at the same time don't put any wind power generators there either. No nukes ,dams and coal power plants They dislike solar panels on roof tops just might devalue their properties hmmmm whats left......? Don't get me wrong we need alternative fuel sources that are affordable just witch ones. AS for that oil rig it will leave the wackos from greenpeace will tag it and its all good in my book......

Posted 10 months ago #
DP
Member Profile

Q: DP, when are you ever gonna shut up about this?
A: When sHell freezes over.

***********************************************************************************

Yesterday I was listening to the "news" on KUOW, and it was interrupted by an advertisement for Shell. Now KUOW is a "public" station, so I'm sure they wouldn't call this thing an ad, but it was an ad all right. The announcer didn't just say: "This program was funded in part by Shell Oil," and leave it that, like they use-ta. Instead, he stretched it out into, "KUOW programming is brought to you by Shell, who reminds you that (blah blah blah) a sustainable future and (yakkity-yak) the Northwest economy. See us on the Web at I_Heart_Polar_Bears.com "

I'm paraphrasing, but you get the gist. It was one of those so-called institutional ads designed to make you feel great about Shell Oil, in spite of all those nasty things human rights and environmental groups have been saying about the company.

Anyway, when I heard all that happy horsesh*t, I thought: Great! There goes any possibility of KUOW running a story on the Arctic Death Star drilling rig in Elliott Bay.

Oh well, good thing there's still YouTube and the WS Blog, huh?

*************************************************************************************

DP's posts are brought to you by (who else?) DP, who is solely responsible for their content.

Posted 10 months ago #
HMC Rich
Member Profile

DP sounds like BP. Definitely different. Since you brought back that cat from Bloom County, when is Deathtongue going to play again?

Good Luck DP. I am glad you are speaking out. Truly.

But I also say, fix that rig, and then get it out of here and back to work!!!! Meanwhile, I bet some people are getting a living wage from it being here in port. Just a thought.

Posted 9 months ago #
Maria
Member Profile

Shell the name shell I take the s off
I will never buy from a shell gas station

Posted 9 months ago #