An impatient nation isn't getting answers fast enough in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster. What exactly went wrong? Who messed up?
The unprecedented BP oil spill disaster remains uncontrolled following “top kill” failure , sparking a “blame game” involving industry officials, regional politicians and even the president and his staff. Experts now struggle for another option to solve the crisis. President Obama is “angry,” trying to reflect public mood and maintain a semblance of control. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal fumes over resistance to dredging sand barriers, accusing federal agencies of neglect and inaction. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has all the answers, somehow knowing from his great distance just where the president and BP went wrong. No one seems to remember how little regard those formerly crying “drill, baby, drill!” had for the safeguards and regulation they now accuse the government and oil industry of willfully neglecting.
This newest and most massive Gulf of Mexico oil disaster provides a study into how we behave in crisis, showing that we still have a lot to learn about working together. Some of us who feel not so immediately involved try to turn away: change the channel. The daily resume of formerly crystal clear waters now murky with oil overwhelms us. Day after day we experience heart wrenching sadness as rescuers try to save scores of seabirds soaked in oil, reminding us of Exxon Valdez and other offshore spills. Our minds struggle to comprehend the choking effects of raw crude embedded in already dwindling Louisiana marshlands and we find it impossible to imagine how this seemingly fragile environment might ever recover.
People immediately affected cannot turn away. Their lives are directly affected in a way impossible to escape. States all around the Gulf rim now suffer financial loss as tourists stay away. Those in the fishing industry and related industries face not only immediate financial disaster but also the loss of generational occupation through no fault of their own. An entire region, already slammed by Hurricane Katrina, now seems doomed with the loss of abundant fresh seafood, so essential to a vibrant culture and cuisine.
Even though oil contamination may be hundreds of miles from still pristine beaches, many would be travelers are repulsed at the thought of swimming in a now polluted Gulf. And the menace moves ever closer to areas still untouched. Aerial sensors record a spreading dark mass of what may be sub-surface oil, while other accounts describe a glaring sheen on the surface where water still appears clear. Oil from the massive spill is now reported entering the “loop current,” and commentators speak of oil as spreading “everywhere.”
As in so many fictional accounts of alien infestation, the horror of it all insidiously spreads to consume us all. Another containment attempt, expected within the next seven days, holds limited promise of success, especially as “some” oil may continue to escape. The only real hope now depends on successful completion of relief wells that may finally ease pressure, diverting escaping oil and gas toward controlled capture. But this cannot occur before mid-August. Our minds now struggle to conceive of a once seemingly pristine Gulf filling with noxious crude with little hope of containment for three months to come.
Wiser heads among us know that our best chances to address this crisis will come when we put aside political differences, rivalries and fears to work together in every way we can. There will be plenty of time in months and years ahead to consider blame. There is sufficient responsibility to go around for now. Now is not the time to squabble over blame as acrimony only saps our energies, splintering groups that might otherwise work successfully together in response to unfolding developments.
Pursuing scapegoats only lessens our ability to work collectively in the face of crisis. Who in the oil industry or in government regulatory agencies could possibly say they were without at least some responsibility in developments leading to this disaster? Even the Obama administration, born in such tremendous hope for clean energy and renewed environmental protection, will remain tarnished by this “greatest American environmental disaster” well into a possible second term.
Watching rusty brown fingers weave across formerly clear water, none of us can avoid feeling touched by the cloying oil. Blaming government or industry may seem temporarily satisfying, but it provides no solution for now: the oil still flows and spreads. We can only effectively meet this environmental and economic disaster by uniting our energies to work together toward containment and solution. And we can remember that, in our finest hours, we have faced crisis together before.
We can at least show support for those directly involved. We can send money to aid those facing financial disaster. We can send money, whatever we can, to help with cleanup and containment efforts. Of course, BP has promised to pay all costs, but there will always be need for more immediate or additional funds. We can send money to support volunteers who would help to protect and clear marshes and beaches, while being lodged in motels usually crowded with tourists. All of us in this way could help to maintain an already struggling economy while providing a volunteer army to keep oil from our shores. We can also buy seafood as long as it remains on shelves. This will at least do a little to save a threatened industry.
Together, we can call on President Obama and Governor Jindal to ask for volunteers and for contributions from us all to cover their expenses. While BP remains responsible for costs, their payment may come too late for either people or pelicans. We can act most effectively if we take up responsibility now, together.
Visit Volunteermatch.org to match your abilities with volunteer opportunities.
(c) Copyright. Douglas Boyd-Robinson
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May 31, 2010
The BP Oil Spill Blame Game and a Call For United Action
Posted by Douglas Boyd-Robinson under Commentary, Environment | Tags: blame game, Bobby Jindal, BP oil spill, call for action, Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, President Obama, Tim Pawlenty, top kill |Leave a Comment
An impatient nation isn't getting answers fast enough in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster. What exactly went wrong? Who messed up?
This newest and most massive Gulf of Mexico oil disaster provides a study into how we behave in crisis, showing that we still have a lot to learn about working together. Some of us who feel not so immediately involved try to turn away: change the channel. The daily resume of formerly crystal clear waters now murky with oil overwhelms us. Day after day we experience heart wrenching sadness as rescuers try to save scores of seabirds soaked in oil, reminding us of Exxon Valdez and other offshore spills. Our minds struggle to comprehend the choking effects of raw crude embedded in already dwindling Louisiana marshlands and we find it impossible to imagine how this seemingly fragile environment might ever recover.
People immediately affected cannot turn away. Their lives are directly affected in a way impossible to escape. States all around the Gulf rim now suffer financial loss as tourists stay away. Those in the fishing industry and related industries face not only immediate financial disaster but also the loss of generational occupation through no fault of their own. An entire region, already slammed by Hurricane Katrina, now seems doomed with the loss of abundant fresh seafood, so essential to a vibrant culture and cuisine.
Even though oil contamination may be hundreds of miles from still pristine beaches, many would be travelers are repulsed at the thought of swimming in a now polluted Gulf. And the menace moves ever closer to areas still untouched. Aerial sensors record a spreading dark mass of what may be sub-surface oil, while other accounts describe a glaring sheen on the surface where water still appears clear. Oil from the massive spill is now reported entering the “loop current,” and commentators speak of oil as spreading “everywhere.”
As in so many fictional accounts of alien infestation, the horror of it all insidiously spreads to consume us all. Another containment attempt, expected within the next seven days, holds limited promise of success, especially as “some” oil may continue to escape. The only real hope now depends on successful completion of relief wells that may finally ease pressure, diverting escaping oil and gas toward controlled capture. But this cannot occur before mid-August. Our minds now struggle to conceive of a once seemingly pristine Gulf filling with noxious crude with little hope of containment for three months to come.
Wiser heads among us know that our best chances to address this crisis will come when we put aside political differences, rivalries and fears to work together in every way we can. There will be plenty of time in months and years ahead to consider blame. There is sufficient responsibility to go around for now. Now is not the time to squabble over blame as acrimony only saps our energies, splintering groups that might otherwise work successfully together in response to unfolding developments.
Pursuing scapegoats only lessens our ability to work collectively in the face of crisis. Who in the oil industry or in government regulatory agencies could possibly say they were without at least some responsibility in developments leading to this disaster? Even the Obama administration, born in such tremendous hope for clean energy and renewed environmental protection, will remain tarnished by this “greatest American environmental disaster” well into a possible second term.
Watching rusty brown fingers weave across formerly clear water, none of us can avoid feeling touched by the cloying oil. Blaming government or industry may seem temporarily satisfying, but it provides no solution for now: the oil still flows and spreads. We can only effectively meet this environmental and economic disaster by uniting our energies to work together toward containment and solution. And we can remember that, in our finest hours, we have faced crisis together before.
We can at least show support for those directly involved. We can send money to aid those facing financial disaster. We can send money, whatever we can, to help with cleanup and containment efforts. Of course, BP has promised to pay all costs, but there will always be need for more immediate or additional funds. We can send money to support volunteers who would help to protect and clear marshes and beaches, while being lodged in motels usually crowded with tourists. All of us in this way could help to maintain an already struggling economy while providing a volunteer army to keep oil from our shores. We can also buy seafood as long as it remains on shelves. This will at least do a little to save a threatened industry.
Together, we can call on President Obama and Governor Jindal to ask for volunteers and for contributions from us all to cover their expenses. While BP remains responsible for costs, their payment may come too late for either people or pelicans. We can act most effectively if we take up responsibility now, together.
Visit Volunteermatch.org to match your abilities with volunteer opportunities.
(c) Copyright. Douglas Boyd-Robinson
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