We remarked the other day at lunch how little news the Gulf spill has received in comparison to Hurricane Katrina. It is a disaster: ecologically, financially and politically. This oil gusher doesn’t strike the media as potently as the chaos and annihilation of the Katrina hurricane. Or, is there a lame duck president’s administration to ridicule their nonchalant response? No, this disaster doesn’t translate well to television because who wants to see sludge coming on the coast of shore line homes or gather around marinas of nicely painted boats. This disaster doesn’t fuel the fires of anger or injustice because Katrina exposed the already despicable poverty and confusion from a seemingly apathetic government. No, this disaster is more damaging because it is our fault, everyone in America, and this time no amount of federal action can save us or relieve our guilt.
BP is at fault. They are more at fault for the explosion that killed the eleven workers. They are at fault for their lack of insight to predict the worst possible variable. They are at fault for wanting to make a profit using a natural resource that they do not have to pay for. They opened shop to drill in the relative safety of the American boarders within short truck rides to the most demanding markets. Businesses by their very nature are optimistic. They live off the profit when things go well. It is the public, journalists and government that must think disaster and be ready for it. BP was allowed to perform their deemed necessary function within our boarders and waters because the American people by their government pushed for it.
Louisiana and the Gulf coast are to blame for the disaster. Again the state that had few evacuation plans for Hurricane Katrina has no response but to point the fingers of blame to Washington and the Oil Industry. In a state that ranks annually last in educational services and highest in poverty, they refuse to take responsibility for the infrastructure and people. They want the oil companies to drill off their coast because of the provided jobs and taxes that the billion dollar industry provides. No one knows the pain of disaster like Louisiana and to blame them is like blaming the victim of a bully, but this state reeks of failed policies that again and again make them a mockery and the most failed state government in the Union.
The Government is to blame. The Obama administration wants off shore drilling. Just last week, New Jersey was clamoring to go ahead and put off-shore drilling off its coast (even in the wake of the BP oil spill). This type of greed and obnoxious behavior will one day poison the Jersey, Maryland and New York waters, as well as collapse a Summer vacation industry that creates billions. The Government should be aware at all times what businesses are operating in environmentally sensitive areas. They should be aware of the oil's impact in crippling and affecting other industries. This insatiable lust for oil and energy and ways to exploit fossil fuels for jobs and taxes must be limited. The federal government, to not make regulations for safety not only for the eleven dead workers but also for environmental disasters, is exposed again with the same ignorance and malfunction that resulted in the financial collapse of 2008. Clearly, this government works on the business optimistic outlook until it is too late.
Finally, the American people are to blame. Our incessant need for oil in this country, after years of green movement and scientific studies that speak of the diminishing quality of life that it provides, is absurd. It is so outrageous that after a 9 year war associated with oil, we have not changed our lifestyles or consumption or desire for the crude fuel. It has poisoned California, Alaska and now Louisiana in major ecological ways in the past forty years. We continue to believe that we deserve the oil for our way of life without thinking or believing that our actions directly affect the production and proliferation of this energy source. Again we are faced with an oil disaster and again we shake our heads and throw up our hands and say "What can we do about it?" or "Who is to blame?" The first answer is curb your oil habits. Second, the real entity that is to blame is the whole country. And Louisiana is teaching us once again that our government is inept at providing safety but this time instead of exposing the dire poverty of America, they are taking a direct hit for the whole country's appetite for greed, lack of foresight, lack of creativity, and insensitive lifestyle.
So there is no wonder why this is not being covered like Hurricane Katrina. No one wants to see the repercussions of our oil dependency because no one is willingly to change. It is comparable to someone who has smoked for forty years and all of sudden has lung cancer. It is not a sin and guilt rarely solves anything, but the outcome was inevitable. So we keep smoking and ignoring the news because it will not help us get to work, heat our homes, cut our grass, etc. Natural disasters are something to rally behind because they are from God. But when everyone of us causes a disaster (when we knew it would eventually come again), well the only thing we can do is to put our heads down and be quiet. (and hope God cleans it up).
James Dugan
Reader Comments (6)
Good article. This incredible disaster has been getting a fraction of the press that Katrina did, but may have greater long term repurcussions. We as a nation should at the very least begin a boycott of BP gas stations to show our disgust of how poorly they handled this mess. Our esteemed President seems more concerned about offending illegal immigrants in Arizona coming down hard on these negligent fools.
The problem becomes whenever the topic of our nation's use of oil comes up is "What choices do we have?" We are at the infancy of breaking our dependency on oil. New technology that affects every single aspect of our day to day lives in this country does not takes over in a few short years. I do work in a technology driven field where part of my job is to perfom Return on Investment studies for customers on how they can save on their oil and fuel usage. People just think it is a matter of buying hybrid cars, long lasting lightbulbs and carpooling. That is nice, but it is a drop in the bucket compared to how industry in this nation needs oil and gas as its lifeblood to keep thier companies going. Every hospital I have ever been too has 30,000 gallon vats of oil on their premise just to ensure they can keep their boilers and generators running so that they do not have an interruption of power during surgery. These infant new technologies cost a crap load of money for so-so results and majority of compnies today do not have the capital to invest in such. In a recession, no one wants to hear that ABC company in Ohio went with a totally green approach to their manufacturing process, but had to lay off 100 people to pay for it. Not for nothing, nuclear energy is clean and incredibly more efficient and safe. yet, do you knwo anyone who want a nuke plant built 5 miles from their house?
Personally, I am of the belief there is plenty of technology out there (cars that run on 1/100 the gas they do now, hydrogen fueled cells, etc) but they have been hidden from us.
OK, although I feel the author of this article a little irresponsible in his claims; I do see a problem with the infrastructure our government has set up to "keep us safe." The author will claim that our government is by the people, where I contend they have led the people to believe this with a catchy slogan. I will not accept responsibility for decisions made in the past 8 years led by George Bush when I, nor my state, voted him into the office.
I'd like to add some insight that will add to CJ's comments. My husband works in refineries on the east coast. The agency that governs the safety of these places is mostly absent. If an employee raises a red flag they can expect a lay off. Many refineries choose to accept daily fines resulting in millions of dollars, instead of shutting down to repair a unit that is releasing harmful gases into our atmosphere. This is never reported in the media; it is not easy to film, edit and report on a colorless ecological hazard.
For these things, I cannot and will not blame the American publics. We elect people to office and trust them to create and amend policies for the greater good of our prosperity. Refineries should not be fined less than they can make in a day, or else they will not shut down to make important repairs. Oil companies like BP who have been in trouble three other times for similar circumstances, should be financially responsible for the clean up. The rigs near our shores should be repossessed by our government and fined so heavily that their business can not survive the penalty. Consequently, all sale of their oil in our country should stop immediately.
Mr. Dugan,
Stop blaming those who have no power to change the policies.
Your efforts to exaggerate our culpability came through very clearly to me. This is something we have created through demand for industry, cheap goods and gas, etc. Here's a site with a list of petroleum based products reflecting our insane dependence on this "natural" resource, http://www.saveandconserve.com/2007/05/petroleum_based_products_a_long_list.html. Scanning through the items, you quickly notice that most of them are luxuries, not utilities, even though we have blurred the line between the two. This is a huge aspect of the problem- that too many people don't even realize our gross dependence on this product and only think of their gas mileage as a dictator of their use.
Aprilmae is right however in clarifying that their is little that the average person, especially, the lower-middle class and lower class can do in response to this dilemma. Even though I don't agree with the logic that I didn't vote for Bush and therefore am innocent of all our country's sins and mistakes of the past eight years (you don't get to turn your citizenry on and off based on abstract political alliances), I do acknowledge our system is truly a fallacious democracy, one bent on thriving and maintaining on the people's ignorance and apathy. Obama can pander to the citizens and encourage them to care and take action, but how would he really feel if 5, 10, 20, or 50 million people stormed the beaches of the gulf coast demanding the government take greater accountability, hold BP more responsible and demand an end to off-shore drilling and greater investment in alternative energy? He would probably do what all politicians do when faced with an angry mob: belittle them as uniformed, mock them as out-of-touch, or arrest them as riotous mob and danger to civil democracy.
The extent of this problem is so massive, and the people who need to speak up the most and who will not in the long run will be hurt the most. I believe centuries from now people will look back on our actions and cry, What have we done?
The only thing I can and will do is stop going to BP gas stations. Due to the nature of my job, I drive alot. I will just make surethat my money will no longer go to BP.
I think it is a good start for all of us to boycott BP. But what I agree with mostly is the idea we are thinking about our oil consumption and making ways, even in the lower and middle class to change our lifestyle to lower our dependency. It is not about being green and that is where I think most of us have not thought about it until this huge spill.
It is about creating a symbiotic relationship with our environment. The list Edmonds gave is overwhleming and powerful, but I think most of us can begin with gasoline. One car -- one family -- unless you use it for work like in CJ's case. Rosa Parks started a boycott of the bus system that ended changing the racial caste system in the country. Clearly we can do the same thing with our energy needs, especially drilling and nuclear power. If you think an oil spill is bad, wait to one of these aging reactors can not be contained. Small steps have to make us change.
Here is our own back yard, an issue you addressed in one of your posts last month. http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20100607_DEP_seeking_answers_for_Marcellus_rupture.html#axzz0qDDhgWZd
This is the best alternative we can offer? The comments below are good!