The BP oil spill has taken us into some uncharted waters. We still don’t know how much oil is pouring into the ocean each day. (Here’s the latest estimate.) Nor do we know the exact toll this disaster will take on the ecosystem of the Gulf. We only know that things are moving in a very discouraging direction. Above Dr. Lisa Suatoni, a marine expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council, answers some basic questions: “Where is the oil? What is it harming? What unique habitats and biological diversity are at risk?” You can keep abreast of these issues at the NRDC’s Disaster in the Gulf blog, and also help save Gulf Coast wildlife by making a donation to the NRDC.
For Neda: The New HBO Documentary Now Online
Almost a year ago, the Green Revolution was ignited in Iran when Ahmadinejad and the ruling clerics stole an election from Mir-Hossein Mousavi and his millions of supporters. A young generation, intent upon putting Mousavi in office, took to the streets en masse. Protests broke out across the nation … until the holy men decided they had had enough. Ultimately, bullets put an end to the nascent democratic movement (at least for now), and the brutality of the regime was captured in moving images watched worldwide: they showed us a young woman, Neda, getting indiscriminately gunned down by a sniper, her eyes staring at us as she lay dying in the streets. Above, we’re featuring a newly released HBO documentary that introduces you to Neda Agha-Soltan and her life story. Written and directed by the award winning filmmaker Antony Thomas, the 70 minute film was created with a fair amount of risk, and it includes interviews with Neda’s family in Iran. The Iranian regime, naturally doing its best to stop citizens from seeing the film, plans to release its own documentary, putting the official spin on the murder.
For Neda has been added to our growing collection of Free Movies Online. You can learn more about the film on the HBO website.
via 3quarksdaily. H/T to Mike.
Birds in the Oil
So far, the BP oil spill has remained fairly abstract. We’ve seen it depicted in graphs and satellite images. Now we get to see it right up close. These photos show in brutal detail exactly what’s happening to the wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico. Consider the photos a very quick glimpse into the larger environmental disaster caused by this spill. Spread these pictures far and wide. BP doesn’t deserve to keep this mess a distant idea.
Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill: 35 Days From Space
From Our Universe Visualized on YouTube:
The MODIS instrument, on board NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites, is capturing images of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The spill began on April 20, 2010 with the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. This short video reveals a space-based view of the burning oil rig and, later, the ensuing oil spill through May 24, 2010. The oil slick appears grayish-beige in the images and changes due to changing weather, ocean currents, and the use of oil dispersing chemicals. Images in the video time series were selected that show the spill most clearly. The full image archive is available on the MODIS Rapid Response Web site at https://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/
via MotherJones
The Greek Crisis Explained
On a lighter note, and while we’re on the subject of economic crisis, we offer you an animated (and not so serious) explanation of the financial crisis in Greece. The saga continues with Episode 2.
Thanks Eren, aka @Gulfi
Economic Crisis and Globalization
The news isn’t good. The Euro is losing value daily. Countries are slipping into “sovereign debt crises” – meaning they’re going broke. And the markets are swooning once again. We’re watching the proverbial other shoe drop.
Throughout this crisis, many Americans have directed their anger at Wall Street (and deservedly so). But few have wondered whether there’s anything basically wrong with American-style capitalism. And, if anything, the only organized protest movement (The Tea Party) has asserted that we need more capitalism in our lives, not less.
In some rare quarters of academe, capitalism still doesn’t get off so easy. And that brings us to three new online courses taught by the economist Richard D. Wolff at The New School in NYC. Above, we feature the first lecture from Economic Crisis and Globalization, a course that takes a less orthodox view of how we’re managing the Great Recession. (Find the other seven lectures here.) His other courses, both on Marxian economics, appear in our collection of Free Online Courses under Economics.
Bill Gates Holds Office Hours; Talks about Giving Back
The Bill Gates college tour rolled through Stanford University in late April. And Gates brought with him a message for students: Philanthropy counts. No matter how young you are, you can start thinking about giving back.
His visit featured a large public talk where he drove home this point. (Get the full talk in video or audio here.) Then, like any good teacher, he held office hours and answered student questions posed through Facebook. Watch his responses above.
Michael Pollan on Sustainable Food
If you’re looking for some quick insight into Michael Pollan’s bestselling work on food and “our national eating disorder” (The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food, Food Rules, etc.), then you’ll want to spend some time with his 15 minute talk presented at Pop! Tech 2009. The talk gets down to a timely set of questions. How can we, as individuals, eat better? How can we improve our health? And how can we make our food supply more “green” and sustainable. Pollan gives you a quick taste of his thinking here and offers five takeaway tips. Watch above, or download his talk in video or audio from this page.
Support Us
We're hoping to rely on loyal readers, rather than erratic ads. Please click the Donate button and support Open Culture. You can use Paypal, Venmo, Patreon, even Crypto! We thank you!
About Us
Open Culture scours the web for the best educational media. We find the free courses and audio books you need, the language lessons & educational videos you want, and plenty of enlightenment in between.
Advertise With Us
