CNN Vets Sam's Report #StopCorexit

CNN producer note

SamAtkin and his father produced this video after traveling to TEDxOilSpill on June 28. I spoke with them and also conferred with CNN producers, who told me that many people have expressed strong opinions on this issue and that Sam certainly has his point and that many others may strongly disagree on these points as well.
- nsaidi, CNN iReport producer

Please Tweet #StopCorexit

Report From TEDxOilSpill

Here is my report from the conference.





Please tweet #StopCorexit.  Thank you!  -Sam

Live feed from TEDxOilSpill

We are at TEDxOilSpill today with our video camera.  We will attempt to begin posting our coverage on Wednesday when we return to New York.

The Gulf of Mexico: What's at Stake

If you haven't been on Google Earth lately, take a look at the new "Gulf of Mexico Oil Slick" icon. This is a video stream from that page.



Google Earth also has another icon Southeast of the one for the Oil Spill with this video and a profile of an oceanographer named Sylvia Earle.

Anyway, take a look at this.  It's another really good video I found there.

Okay. This time it's personal.

This isn't a personal blog.  Posts have to be either about sharks or the oceans they live in but today was my graduation from Montebello Elementary School and there was an award from the New York State Comptroller. It was awarded for academic excellence and civic commitment.

NOLA Kids in Harms Way

The kids at the Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in NOLA are doing videos and having town hall meetings on the oil spill. You should bookmark their YouTube channel and keep an eye on these kids.



Hey Nola kids. I noticed you like Owl City. So do I. Check out this video.

Shark Alliance Video: Effects on Marine Life

PBS, BBC and Shark Scientist Magazine to cover TEDxOilSpill in DC

Members of the TedxOilSpill Expedition return from the Gulf of Mexico to Washington, DC on June 28th for a conference and global broadcast in conjunction with 70 web events originating around the world. PBS, BBC and Shark Scientist Magazine will have TV crews covering the event live inside the conference hall.

 

Thanks for the tweets TEDxOilSpill.

A Group of Small Thoughtful People

Today, we were watching Mike deGruy's great TED talk, Hooked by an Octopus.  If you never watched Mr. deGruy on TV you want to check this one out.  I also have a post on his really cool video about the Cookie Cutter Shark.  I don't suggest watching that one if you get nightmares though.

I'm going to be interviewing people at TEDxOilSpill and asking, "What can kids do to help?" When we get back to New York, my Dad and I will edit those answers together in a program that kids can watch for ideas about speaking out wherever they live.  Maybe if there are some kids with webcams out there they can get involved when Shark Scientist Magazine goes live from Nantucket.  That would be pretty great.

Duncan Davidson Photo

This photo is getting a lot of retweets. For me, it tells the story in a way I can really understand.  I know a lot about the environment but mostly I'm just trying to figure out the BP Oil Spill as I go along. 

Burning Oil, originally uploaded by duncandavidson.

Cookie Cutter Shark

One of my favorites.

What's Wrong With Killing a Shark?

I hate seeing pictures of sharks killed just for their fins. Many species are being fished into extinction by the demand for shark fin soup. 

Here's a great video about a guy who has every reason to kill sharks but doesn't.  Please bookmark Shark Scientist Magazine before you leave.

The Pit Bull of the Sea

Some people say the Bull Shark was responsible for the shark attacks on the New Jersey shore in the summer of 1916.  That was the inspiration for the book Jaws.  I have an original hardcover of this Peter Benchley novel.  It's my favorite book.  Here's a good NatGeo video about this guy.

Search For The Great Sharks

This program has some beautiful footage of the big stuff.  You know... the Whale Shark and the Great White.  That's a Whale Shark up on the header of Shark Scientist Magazine. 





There's also some great shots of a guy on the ocean floor in a big Lexan tube with a school of Great Whites.  You can see it in the screen shot.  We used Lexan for the solar panel's face.

The Freakishly Excellent Hammerhead

Here's a really good BBC video of one of my favorites.  The scientific term for the flattened head shape is cephalofoil. 

Let's Eat Some Rotting Flesh

Here are some people having a good time in Iceland. Caution: There are dirty words in this video. A man says, "pee". Shark meat has a high urea content in cold waters. It works like antifreeze and smells like pee because it has ammonia in it.

Tiger Shark Eats Video Camera

Video camera lives to tell the story. 

A New Shark Tagging Method

Here's an exciting video of guys pulling live whites out of the ocean with a really big fish hook. They're tagging them for TOPP (Tagging of Pacific Predators).