We are wrapping up our series on the Deepwater Horizon Disaster and the BP Gulf Oil Spill. This episode we get into the weird way that BP was using security to create a media blackout on what was happening in the gulf sometimes seemingly with the help of the coast guard and local authorities.

We will talk a bit about BP's history of bad behavior and a few smaller disasters that should have been huge red flags leading up to the Deepwater disaster.

They FINALLY get the flow to stop so we will talk about the Gulf is recovering, some of the longer term damage that was caused, and some actual consequences for BP (Unfortunately never enough in our opinion) Hope you enjoy!

Sources:

“A Sea in Flames: The Deepwater Horizon Oil Blowout” By Carl Safina (2011)

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This week we are getting back into the wonderful world of Deep Sea Oil Cleanup! We discuss the direct aftermath of the destruction of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig and BP's many Failed attempts to stop the underwater leak. We get a little into politics and then we talk about the effects on the local Gulf community and the disastrous effect on the Gulf Ecosystems. We get VERY Sad about the effects on Gulf Birds and Turtles and then Get incredibly mad about BP's refusal to give there cleanup workers masks. Mmmm the smell of righteous indignation in the morning!! Enjoy!

Sources:

“A Sea in Flames: The Deepwater Horizon Oil Blowout” By Carl Safina (2011)

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This episode we are going to do something a little different. At the suggestion of multiple listeners, Emily and I have both watched Armageddon and Deepwater Horizon! Armageddon because: Drilling and Space and we thought it was going to be a fun movie. Spoiler Alert it opened up some existential questions about women's portrayal in the media and what that means for our daughter! Then we watched Deepwater Horizon because we wanted to know what Marky Mark knows about Oil Rigs! It turns out he was the smartest person on the boat and Emily has a theory about a different Iconic film that we will discuss at length.

We will talk about how closely the movie seems to match real life events and then get into the actual explosion and what they think caused the disaster. Next episode we should be back to our normally scheduled programming but Let us know what you think about this format we may be mixing in some of these looser episodes in the future. Hope you enjoy our Movie Night!

“A Sea in Flames: The Deepwater Horizon Oil Blowout” By Carl Safina-2011

“Armageddon” Directed by Michael Bay (1998) Starring Bruce Willis, Liv Tyler, Ben Affleck, Steve Buscemi ect..

“Deepwater Horizon” Directed by Peter Berg (2016) Mark Wahlberg Kurt Russel Kate Hudson John Malkovich

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The BP Gulf Oil spill is the largest marine oil spill in the history of the Petroleum Industry. The spill lasted for 87 days resulting in a conservative estimate of 3.19 Million Barrels or 134 Million Gallons of petroleum into the gulf of Mexico. Leading to over 1300 miles of oiled shoreline and 43,000 mile oil slick on the oceans surface. Not to mention the millions of gallons of oil dispersed under the water.

The breakout began with the explosion of the Deepwater Horizons Oil Drilling Platform. Leading to the deaths of 11 crewmen and the injury of 17 serious injuries.

Because of the chaos of the disaster and the subsequent fumbled clean up effort. The exact circumstances of the explosion are a bit foggy but what we do know paints a picture of bad management, poor decision making, faulty equipment and materials, and a general sense of recklessness and need for cost cutting.

This will be a story of fingerpainting, ineffective fixes, and ham-fisted coverup attempts all while tens of thousands of barrels of toxic sludge get pumped into a marine ecosystem that is pivotal for hundreds of species that come from near and far to rest in the calm warm waters.

Sources:

“A Sea in Flames: The Deepwater Horizon Oil Blowout” By Carl Safina (2011)

“A Very Brief History of Offshore Drilling” Costalreview.org by Frank Tursi (2015) https://coastalreview.org/2015/06/a-very-brief-history-of-offshore-drilling/

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This week we wrap up the Spinach King! We get into the demise of the company and the sons trying to declare their father incompetent, while he tries to claim they've kidnapped him! It's a wild ride but we're going to button up all the loose ends and finish all our spinach.

Sources: The Spinach King The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty by John Seabrook

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The Spinach Saga continues! We get into the Seabrook families involvement in WW2, the expansion of quickfrozen vegetables and the wonder of the mylar bag, the Japanese internment camps sending workers to New Jersey, movie stars, a stroke, skinny dipping and more!

The Seabrooks are peaking and demise is coming soon, but this episode gets into the hey day. Because war is always good for someone's wallet.

Sources:The Spinach King The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty by John Seabrook

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This week we continue the story of C.F. Seabrook and the family farm. We discuss how they started innovating with frozen vegetables, using the expertise of Clarence Birdseye, how they changed the farm to make progress, and the path leading to C.F.'s youngest son Jack taking over.

This episode also gets into the strike of 1934, when black and white workers banded together to strike for higher wages and fairer treatment, and how the Seabrook farm, with the help of the police force, vigilantes and the KKK tried to suppress the movement. Plus communism!

Sources:The Spinach King The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty by John Seabrook

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Welcome back! This week we start our series on the Seabrook family, and C.F. Seabrook, the Spinach King and "Henry Ford of irrigation"! The Seabrooks were a farming dynasty that peaked in the 1950s, and at one point were shipping a third of the vegetables in the United States, only to lose it all a few years later.

This episode we get into their humble origins, how irrigation changed their fortunes, their weird family dynamics, the racism that permeated the industry, and break down how farming has evolved in America in the past hundred years.

Sources:The Spinach King The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty by John Seabrook

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