RSSSay I Want to Be an Environmentalist…
Jun 01
Politics and Nation Comments Off
To call me an environmentalist is deceiving, but recent comments BP CEO Tony Hayward almost make a convert. I won’t pretend I have all the facts when it comes to the environment nor the ongoing BP oil disaster after the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig sank two months ago. Giving a party line to the press, Hayward is attempting to downplay both the amount of oil spilling out into the Gulf of Mexico and its impact on the environment.
I can’t blame him. Admitting otherwise is tantamount to destruction of his company. It will weaken his corporation’s defense against already mounting liability troubles. No, I can’t expect any less from Hayward right now. And yet, I find myself inexplicably disappointed that BP seems either unwilling or unable to better control the situation. I think it’s fair to say that between 20 million up to 40 million gallons of oil drifting through open waters is going to have a substantial, long term environmental impact. It seems a little petty, not to mention depraved, to suggest otherwise. But Hayward’s, and BP’s, official stance is designed to protect the company. I may not like it, but I can understand it.
I also don’t blame BP for being in the business of oil. BP has the right to maximize their opportunities to make money. I drive 12 miles round trip to work each day. I fly in planes to visit my family 3,000 miles away. I barbecue on the weekends and heat my home in the winter. And I know that my reliance on oil is deeply ingrained in all facets of my lifestyle. BP is in the business of providing that kind of consumer product to people and I take full advantage of it.
One of the most interesting things that has not come out of this crisis is a message to consumers to change their habits. The media has fixated on the corporate irresponsibility on display. Where are the congruent messages about reducing oil use or adapting to other resources for our needs? Isn’t this a perfect example of why we should reduce on dependency on oil and oil-based products? Wholesale marine ecosystems are being destroyed, potentially 600,000 square miles of the Gulf could become uninhabitable. (For the record, BP is working on a reliable solution, bore holes, that could be in place by August and temporary measures are being attempted this week. Furthermore, at some point the oil reservoir will simply lose pressure and the oil will stop surfacing, although when this might occur is unpredictable.) It’s fair to say the problem started by the Deepwater Horizon rig is spiraling out of control, with no clear solution in sight.
But isn’t also fair to suggest that our dependence on oil is integral to the problem? BP won’t, but shouldn’t somebody being saying it? Isn’t that a story for the media, too? Aren’t we already looking into alternatives to oil? How’s that going? There’s something missing in this tale about BP and the oil crisis in the gulf, and I can’t help wondering what and why. So no, I’m not ready to declare myself a hardcore environmentalist, but for what’s it worth, I’m a lot closer than I ever was before.
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Andrew Marx is the author of Whisper in the Walls, available to download free at www.whispernovella.com.
