Iridescence in the Gulf: BP Oil Spill

Here's a haiku of what I know about the BP (Deepwater Horizon) oil spill.

People were angry.
Dawn can be used to clean ducks.
How to cap this shit?

Twenty year old me knew nothing about this huge event in my own country, the largest oil spill in US history-- and I had every opportunity to get knowledge. I was a student at a university that prided sustainability and research. I lived with hundreds of students, so chances of an activist/environmentalist lurking among them was considerate. I was an engineering student. I even visited and toured the BP Cherry Point Refinery a mere FOUR MONTHS after the event (April 20, 2010). There are millions of photos showing the spill, its far reaches, and animals slicked in the brown stuff. Yet, the only image I can think of?

And this ad campaign started before the BP oil spill! Tut-tut Past Ignorant Donelyn all you want, but can you really blame me? Here's a great video I happened upon via Wimp.com. I truly applaud the candidness of Fareed Zakaria, but more importantly standing up to those in his field. The media is a daunting beast for anyone to tackle, but especially so for someone with stake in it.

Like many things in my life thus far, I feed on the memory of emotion and not details. As a conscious adult, am I to blame? I cuddashuddawould've bought TIME or at least ventured CNN.com, but even if I did, would I have been met with the same emotion-driven feels as was bubbling in the Dawn commercial? My culture/society values the intellect-- or at least someone who can carry conversation...

*Tangent* Whilst I was a resident adviser in the dorms, one of my residents (who I adore), bluntly told me, "You should research a bit on music, so you could contribute to the conversation." CALLED OUT.

We all want to be smart, scalers of the ivory tower, but just as this ideal is a huge part of culture, so is the grasp of media on that culture. News is where my battle between being a well-informed citizen and looking the part comes to fruition; I bookmark CNN. I like Facebook statuses that scream political controversy. I'm even on the Amnesty International mailing list. When the mask comes off, my opinion whittles down to "This topic is ... [insert "Good" or "Bad"]."

Don't get me wrong. We all have to start somewhere and creating a foundation of good and evil is a pretty solid place to start. Yet it was in the same classroom that I learned about an "ivory tower" when I realized life isn't just black and ivory. An idea that issues don't just have sides, but ins, outs, transparency, weight. Sometimes many times, issues can even be iridescent. Shining a spectrum of colors based on what light you hold it in.

Oil'd from Chris Harmon on Vimeo.

This last video is an example of how design and social media can help our society see the iridescence of life. How we can start to see our world through a critical lens, and then, most importantly, take that information for the better. Measuring whether an issue is mostly bad or mostly good can be irrelevant and sometimes naiive-- it's how we move forward with conversation and action that matters.

Designs to Remember: 9/11

Today is Patriot Day. More than a decade later I still shiver like I did as a 6th grader-- still not comprehending the impact of the event. A knot travels from my heart, past my throat, and threatens to drown my eyes. The event isn't only a symbol of different sentiments for all sorts of individuals, but it's also an unwavering tie between citizens of the US and beyond.

Recently, I got the chance to visit the 9/11 Memorial site. It was the first stop of my first trip to NYC and I was nervous. The hype of getting tickets and walking the several blocks along the construction fence to the footprints of the Twin Towers couldn't match how wonderful it is beyond the security gates.

The vast forest of trees planted in concrete is a world apart from the fast-paced, humid streets of lower Manhattan while simultaneously sharing the unique essence of The City (or what I know it as). If the bumble of the streets suffocated me, here the rush of awe knocked the wind out of me. While I stared into the depths of the reflecting pools, 1 WTC looked over me as it reached for the heavens. There was the heart of the city embedded beyond its foundations. Above was its future-- still out of reach but in sight. And at hand's reach were the names of those who walked this earth-- engraved in bronze, smooth and cool to the touch. The memorial's design couldn't have conveyed remembrance better.

What irks me are the visitors. When a little boy asked why we had to go through security his not-that-old older brother responded with an off-handed comment that they were making sure we weren't terrorists. Friendly signs asked visitors to exercise respect for the site as a memorial, but there were hordes of people talking loudly and carelessly like this was another tourist site. People would scoot next to a lonely bronze panel, pose, snap a picture, then run off for a better angle. I'm happy that the importance of this memorial brought them here, but this isn't just anther must-see of NYC. This is the resting place of thousands and a place of solace for countless others. This is where a country stood in shock and despair, and where it's been rebuilding for the past decade.

Even with all that irkin', the spirit of the memorial is steadfast. The waterfalls play their acoustic part by drowning out the traffic and yappy tourists. The welcome brochure is available in various languages, and asks visitors to take time to read and touch the panels of names. The designs of the entire plaza and of 1 WTC are unmatched. If being accountable to thousands of families and the United States of America isn't social responsibility then I don't know what is. I can't fathom a design project like this, but the caliber of design and symbolism it's achieved so far is something I can only hope to attain someday through my work.

If you have the time, check out the NOVA doc on Engineering Ground Zero. It is a fantastic overview of the design and engineering challenges of the memorial and 1 WTC. NOVA can do you no wrong! Take a moment of silence to remember. Take a moment more to learn about how we've been rebuilding since 9/11/01.

Watch Engineering Ground Zero on PBS. See more from NOVA.