Gulf Oil Deception 5: Truth Beyond Headlines

In this series of posts dedicated to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico, captkujo.com has documented some of the many surrounding mistakes, missteps and blatant mistruths. The list of lies and blunders is lengthy, some of them discussed in parts 1, 2, 3 and 4. From these stories, if nothing else, we have learned to dig beneath the mainstream accounts, to look beyond the headlines and commissioned reports to find the real truth.

The latest example of how important it is to do your own research is the results of the newest "official" report that says that by 2012, the harvests of several crucial species should almost back to normal. Commissioned by Kenneth Feinberg, the administrator of BP's $20 billion compensation fund, the 39-page report says that Gulf of Mexico shrimp and blue crabs did not seem to be largely affected, oysters should ready to harvest in a year or two and that fin fish such as grouper and red snapper were not harmed significantly.

But scientists and others who have read the report have serious concerns about its data and methods. Apparently, the report draws conclusions from old oil spill cases and environmental studies, many of them decades old. In addition, it was not peer-reviewed in the way of most scientific publications. These experts say the one to two year timeframe is far too optimistic, and as a result of the faulty science of the report, it shouldn't be considered a factual or sound scientific study.

The problem in cases like this is the mainstream media takes the first report and goes with it, without saying a word about the dissenting view. This is happening far too often in today's news marketplace, and as a media consumer, it's crucial to distinguish between paid public relations and real journalism.

Another perfect recent example is the report regarding the NASA study on Toyota's deadly runaway acceleration problems. Look it up on Google and you'll find every headline saying that Toyota was "cleared by NASA." The real story is not so clean and perfect. The NASA scientists admitted it was difficult to duplicate the exact conditions under which the fatal accidents out in the real world occurred. Ever had your computer go haywire for no reason? Electronics can have glitches in the software, are susceptible to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and that can be impossible to replicate in a lab. But the media didn't report that.

We can come up with all kinds of possible reasons why the headlines and official reports differ from actual fact. At this point that wouldn't matter nor would it be constructive. The key lesson to learn is that we all need to question authority, be wary of PR and become our own investigative journalist.

sources: tcpalm.com, captkujo.com

Back to

Captain Kujo's Drysuits & Waterproof Bags

Home