Smackdown: City Hall vs. Big Oil
Listening to the podcast, I imagine the kind of society we are living in. The case of Chevron Refinery and Richmond Town in California is, without a doubt, a depiction of what is happening out there across the world as a result of the acts of greedy politicians and unscrupulous businessmen and women who do not care about human life. A tour to the Chevron refinery facility by the narrator, together with Andre Soto, paints the ugly picture of the situation in the society. Andre gives an example of the way Chevron bought the city hall by pointing out that some point the company had a desk in the city hall. One executive staff of the company is quoted saying that they enjoy a unique heritage of relationship with city hall where both exist as a family. Listening to this, you ask yourself- is the society now about “not cutting the hand that feeds you,” even if the consequences that come after are adverse?
The Richmond town administration is already aware of the adverse effects the activities of Chevron refinery have had on the locals in and around the area. The podcast points out that of the 188 industrial chemicals that the California environmental department mentioned, 39 comes from Chevron alone. Of this 39, 19 are reported to be carcinogenic and hence exposing the locals to a myriad of cancers. The asthma levels in the area are also high, with the statistics showing that it is twice the national average, and there are also several kidney diseases, liver disease, among other conditions that can be attributed to the facility. Having heard all of that, we are left with a question; what role can we play to end rogue acts that have doomed our society, such as the extreme corruption in Richmond Town, California? Andre has resulted in activism and even engaging politicians in different city councils. I believe he is an inspiration for all of us that we can act; however trivial they may seem.
References
Schoen, C. (2019). Smackdown: City Hall vs. Big Oil. Retrieved from https://beta.prx.org/stories/244722