Sunday, June 20, 2010

Peaceful Pirate's take on the Gulf Oil Spill 2010

Well, here we are facing a huge environmental catastrophe brought on by our need for oil. Oil. More oil! There was a day when ships only used wind to get around. When cars didn't exist. And the only fuel needed was hay and water for our horses.

Ahhh but times have changed. The twentieth century saw the largest technological increase in the history of mankind. Wow! Yet, in the over all scheme of things, I wonder if sometimes our technology only winds up taking us several steps back. Seriously. And we're too blind to see it. It's the whole "can't see the forest for the trees" analogy. Which, by the way, is why I prefer the sea. Nothing can hide out there.

Just this morning, I received a text. I was supposed to meet a friend at an appointment. The text asked if we could reschedule to accomodate another friend. Unfortunately, I had a conflict with the new time. So I texted back...fumbling for the right screen and right keys to convey my reply. It took over ten minutes and several texts to iron out all the details. I thought to myself: it is absolutely astounding that this device will allow me to receive a message and then type a response to someone several miles away! But...now hear me out on this...wouldn't it be cool if you could actually speak into this device and have a real time conversation with someone miles away? It would cut the time dramatically. And I would not have to resort to smiley face emoticons to convey my cheeriness.

Alexander Graham Bell is probably questioning his life's work.

Our society has gone from being able to speak clearly to one another from across the world... to typing on tiny keyboards with our thumbs.

And it is not just with phones. The other day I showed my children the critically acclaimed, and highly educational, film "Funny Farm" with Chevy Chase. In it, Chevy's character takes a picture with a Polaroid camera. The minute he snapped the shutter, the actual photograph spat out the bottom of the camera. My children were amazed! "Whoa!" they exclaimed. "That's more advanced than we have now!". True story.

And, you know? They are exactly right. In Mr. Chase's hand was a photograph. He could touch it. Feel it. Pass it around for all to see. Nowadays, after taking a picture with my digital camera, I have to upload it to my laptop. Then resize it in order to share it with social networks. Or connect a wire from my laptop to my flat screen TV to show my in-laws the picture of the bird I snapped outside my window last Wednesday.

In defense of our digital cameras today, I admit the pixel resolution is much better. This allows my Facebook friends to see a clearer, sharper image of the bird outside my window. And not just any friends. Thanks to the technologically advanced social networking sites, I have reconnected with long -lost childhood friends. And they are enjoying every high resolution picture I post of the bird outside my window. I know they are glad to see it because their smiley emoticons in the comments prove it.

Technology has allowed us to drill for a black substance a mile below the ocean surface. A mile! That's amazing. Yet soon our beaches may look like they did millions of years ago. Desolate and devoid of life. We have not figured out the technology to stop the well from gushing. Maybe we shouldn't. Maybe this is nature's "Do over" so we'll get the message to enjoy what we have...just as it is.

Oh. I see someone agrees! Alexander Graham Bell just clicked "Like" on my Facebook status!

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