FACT # 12- BP Claim Payments Exceed $100 Million; 31,000 checks issued in seven weeks - 19 June. BP said today that it has paid $104 million to residents along the Gulf Coast for claims filed as a result of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. BP has issued more than 31,000 checks in the past seven weeks.
The oil from the BP oil spill has been pouring into our gulf for 63 days now. It saddens me greatly, that both my first post and my last post, are both concerning the oil spill. I thought for sure that clean-up efforts would be well underway and the spill would have been eradicated long ago. As of now, clean-up efforts have commenced, however, cleaning up the oil now is like shoveling when it's still snowing!
We discussed often in class that it is completely absurd that we can make microchips so small that they can't be seen by the human eye, but that we can't seem to manage plugging a hole. Though it is obviously much more complicated than that, I still cannot fathom why the oil would still be pouring into the gulf so many days later!
Though I am distraught about this situation, I also wanted to dedicate this post to some of my favorite colloquium memories. I had heard so much about colloquium before the class began and was not looking forward to it at all. I have never taken a class before and been upset when it was over. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy school, but to be upset on the last day of a summer class seems a bit odd. I am so amazed at how much I was able to learn from colloquium and how much I have changed my life and been able teach others some of the same things.
I had planned on writing about my favorite field trip but I don't have one! Each one was so different and gave me a completely different perspective on my life. I never enjoyed nature before visiting Corkscrew Swamp and now I can't get enough, I had no idea there were so many alternatives to growing plants and vegetables before Echo, I had never heard of the historical cottage, my arms had never had such a good workout in the outdoors before canoeing in Bonita and I never would've guessed that the view of downtown Ft. Myers was so amazing!
Some of my favorite experiences were seeing the alligator and the red rat snake at the corkscrew swamp, learning about how water is cleaned in third world countries using moringa and how manure can fuel a stove for an entire family for months, seeing the sea turtle and the little native boy ;), getting to know my classmates better and overlooking the city I live in with some amazing new friends!
Even if my lifestyle changes start small, I'm so proud to be seen using green bags and I am also happy to announce that since my last blog regarding water waste, I have since written a letter to my homeowners association and hope the situation is fixed soon!
Here are some pictures I liked from one of my classmates that really captured my feeling through colloquium!
I loved holding the snake on our first trip!
I got really close with Andrea on our field trips and in class!
I really enjoyed Colloquium and learned so much about the environment and myself! Thank you so much for contributing to a great and memorable summer for me!
