May 14, 2010
America’s Oil Spill
As the finger pointing commences on what will likely be the largest oil spill in American history, I can’t help but shoulder part of the blame. As a citizen of the United States it is our collective responsibility to protect our air, land and waters for future generations. Relying on corporations to do this for us is fool hardy at best and down right stupid at worst. We cannot as a nation expect a corporation charged with making a profit to make a priority out of protecting the very resources they are there to exploit. It is illogical. In this particular case the companies were given free rein by our government to exploit those very resources. The United States did not hold them accountable to any standards. The responsibility for making our government care for our environment rests with the citizens of the United States.If we do not hold our representatives accountable, we can expect no less than the corruption that is currently rotting our government.
Really, can we expect any less than what we have received?
The only way corporations can be expected to treat our air, land and water with any kind of respect is if they are required to do so. Leases that are given gratis to companies because they bring in jobs, teach them one lesson-our natural resources only value is in how much they can pull out of them. As the discussion commences about how much money BP and the others will be required to pay-the bad logic abounds. Can we really put a price on the wetlands of the gulf coast? What is the value of a particular families tradition of living off the land? What price do you put to the white sands of the gulf coast of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida? How much does a barrier island cost? What amount of money can make the breath taking beauty of that place return? I believe there is no amount.
An oil spill of this magnitude is truly like opening up Pandora’s Box. The evil has escaped, can never be put back, and we can only learn to live with a world which is much less beautiful.
As a citizen I must ask myself what am I willing to put up with? How can I make a difference?
Reference The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
