[Coral-List] Media and Oil Spill Science

[Tom Moore]

To be very clear I think Mr. Challenger may be confused as I am the Tom Moore who works for NOAA and not the author of the referenced post below.  As an active responder to to the Oil Spill I have not and will not be participating in Coral List discussions on the topic.

Tom

------------------
Tom Moore
NOAA/NRDA
NOAA Restoration Center


Sent from my wireless.

On Aug 27, 2010, at 8:13 PM, Thomas Moore <thomas.moore.is at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Sat, Aug 28, 2010 at 3:09 AM, Greg Challenger <gchallenger at msn.com> wrote:
> 
>> The post below from Thomas Moore at NOAA is a clear illustration of the same
>> problem I had in my statement about journalists.
> 
> First (to avoid any further confusion), I definitely am not an
> employee of NOAA or any other US government agency!
> 
>> Rather than discussing the merits of the technical views I expressed (or whether a news story is
>> intended to be accurate), the inclination is to allow a preconception of who
>> you work for to influence your interpretation of someones' technical opinion
>> .....or to somehow raise doubt on the technical opinion without actually
>> engaging in the technical discussion.
> 
> There was no preconception, but in the interests of disclosure, I
> don't see why you didn't say "Hey, I work for BP". It would then be up
> to others to judge your technical merit and impartiality. This would
> accusations of BP buying up scientists and the Ivor Van Heerden /
> Polaris public relations video
> (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-kromm/blacklash-grows-against-b_b_665621.html).
> 
> As for the technical discussion, it's not my area of expertise, but I
> am intrigued. Several people have contacted me off the list who do not
> want to go on record in saying that they strongly disagree with the
> idea that most of the oil has evaporated. I don't think your technical
> opinion was actually that technical... Can you cite references for
> statements such as "It is not a hard conclusion to reach since about
> 30-40% evaporates in the first five days after it hits the surface"?
> 
>> There is no shame in working for BP.  Our mission is to do well
>> so that we may work again.  Should we all have said no?
> 
> Good to hear. No need to be defensive! I'm simply saying: be more transparent
> about your position when discussing vested interests.
> 
>> BP is lucky to have
>> the private industry experts assisting with response and
>> assessment strategies.
> 
> I wouldn't go that far. Money can buy most things, luck has little to
> do with it.
> 
> 
> Thomas
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