Dr. Riki Ott Offers Guidance in Wake of Oil Spill

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Author: Cordelia Kenney

Dr. Riki Ott presented the realities of oil toxicity and the need for Americans to step up in the aftermath of the recent oil spill at the first Science, Society, ‘N You dinner last Wednesday, Oct. 13.

According to students in attendance, her talk was motivating and inspired changes for a better future. “We have an incredible task in front of us, but [the talk] helped me to feel as though it is not as insurmountable,” said Elaine Westcott (junior), a Biology major with an Environmental Science emphasis.

Titled “Changing the Endgame,” Dr. Ott’s presentation discussed the recent Exxon Valdez and Gulf oil spills, the federal government’s reaction to them and their uneven coverage in the media.

Ott stated that the government’s haphazard reaction to the spills affirmed that the system is broken and that it is now time for citizens to band together to take action.

Science, Society, ‘N You dinners aim to “connect science to other dimensions of intellectual life,” said Psychology department Chair Dr. Nancy Dess, who organizes the events. She said she invited Dr. Ott to speak at Occidental because of Ott’s experience with activism.

“She is passionate about her work, has gotten involved, and is making a difference,” Dess said.

“It is important for students to see that scientists can do that, especially through something other than a traditional academic route,” since “many students are pondering their own career paths.”

Dr. Ott’s path to becoming a scientist-activist shows the variety of paths available. A graduate of Colby College, Dr. Ott majored in geology and biology.

Her oil pollution research experiences in Bermuda, Malta and England, combined with earning the Thomas Watson Fellowship, which offers recipients a full year of independent study abroad, guided her to her present path.

When the Exxon Valdez spill occurred, she felt a call to get involved. “Everything added up. Seemingly random choices led me to a moment of revelation,” Ott said.

From reading Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” at a young age, to moving to Alaska to take a summer off after graduating, each choice Dr. Ott made ultimately connected to bring her to her current position. Her experiences molded her into an advocate for the people’s right to reclaim their democracy and empower themselves at a grassroots level.

In her presentation, Dr. Ott referred to the Gulf oil spill as “America’s largest drunk driving accident.” After it occurred, she said, large oil corporations failed to completely disclose the toxic effects of oil on plants, wildlife and humans. The corporations also suppressed images, data and eyewitness accounts of the oil’s effect on the Gulf.

Dr. Ott pointed out that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in oil affect humans in the same way as they do in wildlife, causing health problems ranging from respiratory and central nervous system damage to weakening of the immune system. While the mainstream media acknowledged the damage to wildlife that PAHs caused, it did not cover the harmful consequences to clean up workers and residents of the Gulf.

Dr. Ott’s experience with the Exxon Valdez spill taught her that policies have not changed to incorporate new scientific discoveries that have shown exactly how toxic oil and oil fumes affect the human body. According to Ott, the use of respirators, which prevent the inhalation of these toxic chemicals, was banned by British Petroleum (BP) during the Gulf spill clean-up.

In the course of her most recent trip to the Gulf, Dr. Ott took two photographs on the same beach to see firsthand the shortcomings of clean-up efforts. The first photograph showed clean-up workers in protective gloves and footwear. The second showed carefree American families playing barefoot in the very same surf hours later.

Ott explained that these images demonstrate the failure of the federal government to protect its citizens. She criticized the media and the government for insisting that “it’s all over, we can all go back to normal again,” when, in fact, the opposite was true. This, she said, is exactly what makes it critical for us to “stand up and speak with one voice” to insist that this “normal” is not what the people want or deserve.

The solution that Dr. Ott proposed advises people to join together on a grassroots level, since “power is rooted in the people and in community.” She emphasized that now is the “time to shake things up and take back the power of the people” by building power at the base.

In order to accomplish this, Dr. Ott suggested that corporations adopt triple bottom line accounting, which aims to balance environmental, social and economic wealth. When these factors are properly balanced, a living economy is created in which food, water, energy and jobs are accessible regionally.

To build power at the base, Ott said people must take “physical time to sit down and talk” to one another and explore ways to organize for the cause.

When considering getting involved, Dr. Ott suggested that individuals get in touch with their younger selves and remember their passions.

“We must find the purpose within each of us that links us to the rest of the universe,” she said. “Rather than be bogged down by the media or the distraction of midterm elections, we must talk to each other and make the choice now whether or not to be a problem solver for the future.”

For more information on visionary thinkers and Dr. Riki Ott, visit bioneers.org, yesmagazine.org, and rikiott.com

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