Since the beginning of the Gulf oil spill, several writers of the Swash Zone have posted articles on the disaster, which have apparently been NOTICED! Earlier this week, I received an eel-mail notification from Twitter informing us that British Petroleum is following our postings. Apparently, BP News is bogus (please heed the above virus warning).
In case you haven’t followed the latest news, BP is trying to enlist every marine science researcher, every employee of a marine science ecosystem center, and every academic from a college or university within a THOUSAND MILE RADIUS of the Gulf. In exchange for money (read: a per diem consulting fee of $250 per day for a brief junket to the Gulf), BP has every chump and stooge sign a strict NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT that subjects them to strict guidelines with respect to information released to the public or the media. In other words, all information flow is subject to the control of BP!
Three weeks ago, National Public Radio (NPR) reported this story: By Hiring Gulf Scientists, BP May Be Buying Silence
University of South Alabama's Bob Shipp says BP's lawyers tried to hire his whole Department of Marine Sciences to do research for them. Under the deal, the scientists could disclose their results only if BP said so. Otherwise, they'd have to keep it secret for three years.This is happening where I live. Recently, several BP representatives contacted employees of the local Marine Science Center of Volusia County. I have friends working there, and this post will piss off a lot of people. I don’t give a damn! What pisses me off more is the sound of BP goosesteps marching in my backyard.
"They wanted the oversight authority to keep us from publishing things if, for whatever reason, they didn't want them to be published," Shipp says. "People were muzzled as part of the contract. They were muzzled, and certainly it's not something we could live with."
But professors from some universities, like LSU, Texas A&M and the University of Southern Mississippi, did accept BP offers.
ANOTHER UPDATE: How timely! Here is today’s New York Times Op-Ed on the Gulf oil spill: A Gulf Science Blackout.
I will keep you informed as I learn more.
Here is the beauty of twitter; they follow us and anyone following them can then follow us and we can follow them and anyone on their lists we find interesting.
ReplyDeleteMy vote is to follow them - keep your friends close; keep you enemies closer...
Rocky, your comment mirrors my thinking too. Nevertheless, I have a responsibility to you and everyone else here to let you know what going on and give everyone a chance to respond.
ReplyDeleteMore comments and feedback, please!
Agree there's no reason to block BP from following you but this particular account looks like a spammer to me. There's dozens of accts named BP something and the only tweet on the one following you is a spam pitch for something unrelated to the corporation.
ReplyDeleteSome people block spammers but I don't bother. Find that if you ignore them they go away. Wouldn't suggest you follow them back though. Sometimes the spambots do weird things to your account.
Libby's advice seems to be best; I don't bother to get rid of any followers on my personal twitter or my business one but I do pick and choose who I follow.
ReplyDeleteNotice from 8Pus:
ReplyDeleteI changed the above post to reflect the virus warning and correct what I had written previously. Again, many thanks to Libby for the heads up.
Sorry Octo-man. I cannot believe that a multi-billion dollar corporation like BP would give a s*it about what we say. We are just not that important in the changing fortunes of time :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's a jungle out there, darlings. I'm glad for your courage, Octo. And proceed with caution. Of course, BP is buying cooperation; they figure it's going to be cheaper than the awards the courts will give to claimants. They've done more homework on their liabilities than they've done in recent history on their operations.
ReplyDeleteWe all knew BP was buying anyone they could. The thing is the administration is turning a blind eye to it. That almost worked, thank goodness theirs some of us that search the truth. btw I'm being followed by the Administration. My only proof is a story about Gibbs I did was posted in the White House Correspondence pamphlet. I don't care.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the virus warning!
ReplyDeleteThere seems no ploy that both BP and their paid minions, the GOBP, will not use to evade responsibility for the GOP Gusher and the damage that will remain for generations.