Since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010, a multitude of individuals have employed lazy science to influence the opinions of Louisiana residents.
When sifting through the noise of television, blogs and political pundits, we should remember what science really is.
It is frequently forgotten that at its core, science does not involve textbooks or winding lectures overloaded with esoteric jargon. It’s born out of exhaustive experimentation, observation and shots in the dark. More often than not, victories are small and long in the making.
And therein lies the heart of science — an ongoing struggle against the unknowns of the physical world. In this struggle, there is a distinction between what is observed and what is fact, and such conclusions depend on meticulously peer-reviewed methodology.
When natural disasters occur, rational thought is drowned out in an atmosphere of fear and anger, and good science is forsaken.
On April 21, Dr. Mike Robichaux, a Raceland, La., physician, told CNN that he has personally treated about 60 patients for a variety of maladies he has linked to the Gulf spill.
His patients suffer from symptoms like memory loss, abdominal pain and fluctuating blood pressure levels.
As Raceland is located less than 25 miles from Louisiana’s wetlands, Robichaux has been privy to the personal lives of many affected by the spill. It’s likely he has had firsthand experience in dealing with individuals who lost their livelihoods or more.
On the other hand, many Louisianans, including myself, only knew the drama of a lackluster oyster season.
In his statement to CNN, Robichaux said there is “no question” these ailments are caused by contact with both crude oil and dispersants.
What we need to keep in perspective, however, is how little we really know about the health impact of the 2010 Gulf spill and oil spills in general. Contrary to Robichaux’s belief, there are many questions left to be answered.
Whether the crude oil, dispersants and stress are causing hormonal disease or cancer is unknown. If any of these factors are causing disease, the epidemiology has not been sufficiently characterized yet. In fact, the source of all the oil is still not known.
In May and July of 2010, tar balls washed upon the shores of both Florida and Texas. Testing by the United States Coast Guard Marine Safety Lab showed both oil samples were unlinked to the Deepwater Horizon spill, implying a greater level of malpractice in oil-drilling and transportation.
Rather than believe we need to crusade against an enemy to both our health and well-being, we need to understand we have only exposed large flanks of uncertainty.
Aubrey Miller, senior medical adviser to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program, stated, “While extensive data exists on the effects of oil spills on wildlife and ecosystems, the effects on human health from these exposures have not been well studied.”
This gap in medical knowledge spurred the National Institutes of Health to initiate the largest oil spill health study ever conducted.
Launched in February 2011, the study will follow 55,000 cleanup workers for 10 years.
Meanwhile, scientists are examining an array of chemicals and psychological factors to determine what should and should not be a cause for concern, so the state can direct its efforts efficiently.
When considering the scientific communities’ careful and pragmatic approach toward understanding the health effects of the oil spill, one sees how Robichaux’s unwarranted certitude only obfuscates the issue and hampers any chance for intelligent discourse.
If we hastily doll out justice based on emotion and public sentiment, the truth may become buried beneath a mound of misinformation.
Chris Freyder is a 21-year-old biological sciences junior from New Orleans. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_Cfreyder.
 
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Contact Chris Freyder at [email protected]