On the same day Earth Day enthusiasts called for a cleaner earth, an oil rig burned 50 miles off the coast of New Orleans, causing alarm for a potentially massive oil spill. The oil rig, Deepwater Horizon, belonging to the company British Petroleum (BP) burned violently from Tuesday night into Thursday, eventually sinking into the Golf of Mexico.
The sinking of an entire oil rig poses a horrendous environmental threat; Coast Guard officials have stated the sunken rig may expel up to 336,000 gallons of crude oil a day. In addition to the environmental disaster, there includes the human factor.
As of Friday, the coast guard has given up the search for 11 missing workers from the oil rig.
The sinking of Deepwater Horizon comes less than a month after the Obama administration proposed opening nearly 167 million acres of ocean for offshore oil drilling. President Obama’s expansion of offshore drilling includes much of the east coast, from Florida to New Jersey, and portions of northern Alaskan seas.
While Deepwater Horizon’s sinking is not directly related to the areas of President Obama’s oil drilling expansion plan, it does have already skeptical opponents pointing to the environmental risk oil drilling presents. It should be important to note that President Obama’s plan recognizes this risk, and would assess potential risks and benefits of any offshore site before drilling is pursued. However, in the eyes of many environmentalists (including myself), President Obama’s proposal fits right into the Republican “drill baby, Drill!” agenda.
It will be interesting to see whether this tragedy will be pulled into the oil drilling debate, as it proves a perfect example as to what’s wrong with oil drilling.
Drilling for oil off our shores in efforts to fuel a growing demand is just a quick solution to a growing disaster. America desperately needs to divert the money we spend finding oil, and use it for alternative forms of energy. Oil drilling and shipping poses too much of an environmental threat to endure as Americas primary energy source. In addition to the environmental threat, oil rigs can be dangerous to its workers, and accidents like Deepwater Horizon's are not uncommon.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Column: Spring Has Sprung
June is my Favorite month. Its my birthday month, summer is in full swing, and there are good times to be had. However, April holds a special place in my heart.
During April, we say goodbye to the cold and dark winter (yes, the oh so cold and treacherous weather of San Jose) and hello to warmer spring days to come. With the warming sun come greener grass, blooming flowers, and the smells of summer. During April, I kick off my rain boots from winter and slip into my summer boat shoes (barefoot of course, its summer!). With warming weather, Baseball season starts, and while the midsummer classic is months away, April brings a glimpse of what the season has in store. In April the days begin to get longer, and as sunlight stretches longer into the twilight, we have more time to enjoy summertime activities. The Richmond yacht clubs Wednesday night races begin this month; in coming months, I will be sitting on a friends sail boat, donning shorts, discussing baseball, and what the rest of summer brings. Yes, April is the beginning of Spring allergies, Tax season, and there are still plenty of rainy days ahead, but I wont let those bother me, as I think off to the beginning of an endless summer.
During April, we say goodbye to the cold and dark winter (yes, the oh so cold and treacherous weather of San Jose) and hello to warmer spring days to come. With the warming sun come greener grass, blooming flowers, and the smells of summer. During April, I kick off my rain boots from winter and slip into my summer boat shoes (barefoot of course, its summer!). With warming weather, Baseball season starts, and while the midsummer classic is months away, April brings a glimpse of what the season has in store. In April the days begin to get longer, and as sunlight stretches longer into the twilight, we have more time to enjoy summertime activities. The Richmond yacht clubs Wednesday night races begin this month; in coming months, I will be sitting on a friends sail boat, donning shorts, discussing baseball, and what the rest of summer brings. Yes, April is the beginning of Spring allergies, Tax season, and there are still plenty of rainy days ahead, but I wont let those bother me, as I think off to the beginning of an endless summer.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Magazine Blog
GQ magazine, originally Gentlemen’s Quarterly, prides itself on being the go to guide for fashion minded males. With their motto of “Look sharp. Live Smart” GQ features stories not only on fashion, but other stories that matter to the modern male. GQ’s target audience is young successful males living in metropolitan areas, however readers write in that girlfriends are often keen to flip through an issue.
Each month features a different influential man in modern culture sporting the most recent look, as well as other articles on seasonal foods, sports, and women. The writing tone for any fashion article or column in GQ is often a bit presumptuous, which is expected for a magazine in which the world’s richest fashion houses advertise. However, the other articles that appear in the magazine are written to be informative, not name drop.
I enjoy reading GQ, because while I may not always be able to afford dressing the way they suggest, it gives you a guideline on what makes you look sharp. The magazine is filled with awesome one-page articles or diagrams on information men should know, like how to tie ties or perfectly polish your car. Well written articles, precisely planed photo shoots, and a young hip feel make GQ my favorite magazine to read.
Each month features a different influential man in modern culture sporting the most recent look, as well as other articles on seasonal foods, sports, and women. The writing tone for any fashion article or column in GQ is often a bit presumptuous, which is expected for a magazine in which the world’s richest fashion houses advertise. However, the other articles that appear in the magazine are written to be informative, not name drop.
I enjoy reading GQ, because while I may not always be able to afford dressing the way they suggest, it gives you a guideline on what makes you look sharp. The magazine is filled with awesome one-page articles or diagrams on information men should know, like how to tie ties or perfectly polish your car. Well written articles, precisely planed photo shoots, and a young hip feel make GQ my favorite magazine to read.
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