I usually strive to bring readers cool, clever eco-innovations. However I must take a quick break to discuss the Gulf Oil Spill which is monopolizing the news in the U.S. over the last month.
Amidst heavy discussion stateside about domestic oil drilling, many opinions have surfaced. Americans are deeply dependent on foreign oil. That has not been much debated as the numbers support consumption. We simply do not have enough oil drilling and processing capacity in the U.S., so we look to Middle Eastern countries to supplement our needs. Americans consume vast amounts of oil per capita. more so than most industrialized countries.
Whether we have enough domestic supply to meet our needs is debatable, and debated consistently. However whether or not we have the capacity is not the dominant issue. We must be talking about consumption and safety. Consumption, because we will run out of oil at some point (leaving Global Warming out of the discussion for now). Safety, because the eleven people who gave their life on that rig have been eclipsed by the continuous press coverage of the oil leak.
Estimates claim 5,000-100,000 barrels of oil/gas are being pumped into the gulf each day. Outside of the shear ecological devastation, we must critically investigate the potential impact of this spill and others we have not yet experienced.
The dramatic cheer “drill baby drill” is but a reflection of the ignorance and short-sightedness of the protagonists of domestic oil drilling. The truth is that the ecological, economic, social and foreign implications of domestic drilling are far too risky to warrant advancement in this field.
Further, as called for by Senator Bernie Sanders (I) of Vermont, the industry as a whole must be evaluated with the most critical eye if the industry is to be allowed to continue operations.
Many pragmatists have said oil is the bridge solution to an entirely renewable energy infrastructure. However I ask this question: will a true clean energy paradigm shift ever happen without the people demanding change from their representatives? The onus of control lies with you.
Image credit: Treehugger
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