July 20, 2010

Enviro Links: Cameron to Discuss Lockerbie Bomber Release, BP Buys Scientists, and More

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On the three-month anniversary of the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon, here’s the latest on the oil disaster:

British Prime Minister David Cameron is visiting the US today, and conversation with President Obama will likely include the oil disaster.

Cameron will also meet this evening with four senators who have raised concerns that BP lobbied for the release of Libyan prisoners—possibly including convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi—in order to secure a $900 million oil drilling deal.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton indicated yesterday that the issue of the Lockerbie bomber’s release should be revisited. “That al-Megrahi is living out his remaining days outside of Scottish custody is an affront to the victims’ families, the memories of those killed in the Lockerbie bombing, and to all of those who worked tirelessly to ensure justice was served,” wrote Clinton in a letter to the senators who have asked her to open up a probe into the matter.

BP’s “company man” on board the Deepwater Horizon at the time of the explosion, Robert Kaluza, has invoked his 5th Amendment rights rather than testify at a federal hearing on the incident today.

The “seep” identified near the Macondo well doesn’t appear to be related to the gusher.

Gulf seafood prices are soaring.

BP is now buying up scientists in the Gulf for its legal defense.

The Times-Picayune takes a look at Louisiana’s relationship with offshore oil and gas drilling.

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

If you can, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones—that exists to make a difference, not a profit—with a donation of any amount today. We need more donations than normal to come in from this specific blurb to help close our funding gap before it gets any bigger.

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