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The thing is, there's so much we don't really want to know
By dwray in The nature of things
August 25, 2011

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Herman Melville's book "Moby Dick" is one of those quintessential Great Books that people like to bring up. It actually is good though and one of the best points Melville makes in his whale hunting tale is that people on the shore don't really want to know what goes on out at sea to make their comfortable lives possible.

It isn't true for everyone, but let's face it, we all have things we would happily close our eyes and ears to if it doesn't seem to directly impact us.

Japan may be old news but those in the path of the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown are still facing an uncertain future.

The BP oil spill seems like it happened back when the dinosaurs walked the earth (Get it? Because dinosaur soup is essentially what was spilled), but the environmental impacts are still unknown. Meanwhile, BP is has shelled out $5 billion to those impacted by the oil spill, and has about $15 billion more to go. I know, I'd kind of forgot about that one too.

Even the drought we're sweating through down here must seem like a real big shame to folks up north. Here, when that rain finally broke loose this afternoon, even us newsroom types were out there dancing in it. The New York Times noted in its report that this lack of rain is creating an agricultural disaster, but I think it's safe to say that down here, where it's actually happening that means a whole lot more.

Melville wrote "Moby Dick" way back in the 19th century. He only made about $500 from the venture. Of course, that great white devil whale is a metaphor for lots of things, and it's true, when things are happening far away, it's easier, far too tempting, to just look away.