whaling industry

Giants of the Deep: A Prehistory of Whaling

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I want to track this strange oscillating vision, of whales as powerful spiritual beings but also a target of relentless persecution. Human nature is not endlessly malleable, and it contains all sorts of destructive impulses, but we would do well to  turn this on those destroying our seas and not on those who call it home.

Why Oil Didn’t Save the Whales – and Why it Matters

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Far from saving the whales, it was oil that nearly obliterated them, and may yet still do so. The real lessons to be drawn from the history of whaling are more interesting and more complex than the oil salvation narrative.