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While the oil disaster in the gulf of Mexico is certainly no game, app developers are finding innovative ways to raise awareness of the issue, and even raise money for the environment at the same time.
The BP oil disaster is thought to be one of the largest oil spills the world has ever seen, with tens of millions of gallons spilled to date.
The oil slick already covers at least 2,500 square miles, fluctuating from day to day depending on weather conditions.
Scientists have reported immense underwater plumes of oil not visible at the surface and over 400 species which live in the vicinity of the spill are said to be at risk. A horrifying state of affairs indeed.
But while BP recently claimed to have stemmed the flow of the oil with a newly placed cap, many still accuse the firm of not having pulled its finger out sooner to stop the leak and the consternation seems to have spread to people’s cellphones.
A plethora of apps have cropped up to track the spill, monitor cleanup efforts, direct people to volunteering organizations and help them donate to the cause.
Some, like the Mobile Gulf Observatory app, or the Oil Spill Tracker app from the Louisiana Bucket Brigade let users take photos of oily or dead wildlife, beach tar and oil slicks and upload them to a database which pinpoints their location for cleanup workers.
Others, like ‘Instant Oil Spill’ cynically fill web pages with virtual oil before offering an inspirational quote on the blacked out screen along with links to volunteer and donation websites.
Yet others give BP the finger by making a game out of the leak, like Elite Gudz’s Plug the BP Oil Spill! App.
“Stop the oil leak with just one touch of your finger and save the flora and fauna within the World’s Oceans,” boasts the app’s tagline, adding “It’s time to become a life-saver and show your courage!”
The game encourages users to plug the leak by keeping their finger touched to the on-screen pipe, which may sound like a callous and insensitive joke, but also points users in the direction of fund raising websites, and raises awareness for a less serious population perhaps less inclined to take note of the disaster.
“I say we all hold this up in Times Square to protest the oil pigs! I’ve been holding the spill for 2 hours already!” writes one of the app’s reviewers online.
“I laughed, but it also made me think about the whole BP thing and get kind of angry,” wrote another.
