Blog 2/10/17
Kevin Bhimani Blog #4
The book Oil on Water presented an interesting take not only on the issues of pollution and degradation resulting from oil extraction in Nigeria, but it also gave a look into how this was not simply just a black and white conflict. There are multiple factors stemming from the geopolitical atmosphere that need to be taken into account as this is such a complex situation. The novel revolves around a reporter, Rufus, and his quest to find a missing woman along with his friend and mentor, Zaq. This led to a journey filled with encounters that shed light on the issues of land control, corporate greed, hypocrisy, and more. My main take away from this story was the huge cultural disparity between how people in other countries view the environment versus how we in the United States and other 1st world countries do. The natives in the book had such a deep connection to their land which is why they were so passionate about protecting it, whereas in the U.S. we simply view it as something that is there for our disposal—just another tool that can make our lives easier. There is a fundamental difference in ideology, which is expounded upon in this research paper. The notion of protecting our Earth as humans won’t come to fruition until there is a common sentiment amongst all people and cultures. Our land and natural resources are something that we should preserve and cultivate so that we can use it for generations to come, not something that we exploit.
Additionally, the short story The Petrol Pump and the short film Pumzi were to me the two most intriguing things that we have been exposed to in the course thus far. The dystopian nature that they gave off was something likened to Netflix’s Black Mirror, a show in which different scenarios are presented in which the world has a significantly twisted, and sometimes bleak view. The idea of producing no waste, or not having any sign of life outside the bubble that has been created to further the human race are notions that seem all too distant now, but very soon we may realize that this is not so far off. I believe the objective that Italo Calvino is going for when describing the last bit of gas being pumped into that sports car or Wanuri Kahiu is representing when depicting a hypothetical world after WWIII “The War of Water” is that we won’t be focusing on the trivial aspects of life anymore when the very basic needs of our planet cease to exist. If we run out of gas, water, food, etc. then our entire dynamic as a society fundamentally changes, and it is interesting to see directors, artists, and more take this topic on and give it their own view. Films such as Mad Max, Blade Runner, and books like Fahrenheit 451 are all other examples of this genre that I personally find to be fascinating.
Works Cited
Calvino, Italo, and Tim Parks. Numbers in the Dark: And Other Stories. New York: Pantheon, 1995. Print.
Habila, Helon. Oil on Water: A Novel. New York: W.W. Norton, 2011. Print.
Pumzi by Wanuri Kahiu
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geophysics/run-out-of-water.htm
http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1070&context=orpc
