Disastrous Oil Spills

Sign the petition to end our dependence on oil at http://pol.moveon.org/nomoreoil/?id=20940-17303344-NedGHYx&t=4.

I feel obligated to say that oil spills are the most interesting thing that I learned this quarter, because I requested that we cover the topic in class. It is a current event, and inexorably linked to global warming, so I find myself pretty passionate about the topic. I learned about the different options for cleaning up oil spills, which is something that I wanted to know more about for a long time. However, beyond the cleanup measures, several political points surround this issue and need to be addressed.

Take a look at the disturbing pictures. We have discussed cleanup efforts for the water and beaches, but what will become of the wildlife? This poor bird, and many others, will die. The Brown Pelican, making a comeback from endangerment, are once again threated to be worse off than when they were originally placed on the endangered species list.

I also found an interesting article on TheEcologist.org suggesting that ecocide should be added as a crime in the International arena. The International Criminal Court cannot bring BP to trial under its four categories of crime, so it is suggested that another type of crime, “ecocide” be added. The major point is that BP paid out $530 million from 2001-2009, which is only one third of one per cent of the company’s profits. Financial penalties are not enough, and criminal consequences, such as CEO jail time in addition to financial retribution, may be a better deterrent.

Another argument for adding ecocide to the list of international crimes is the oil spills in Nigeria. Why are we uneducated and/or unmoved by the lack of environmental controls in Nigeria? According to a commentary in the Miami Herald, there are over 2000 oil spills that have not been cleaned up at a rate of about 300 spills per year. A subsidiary of Exxon-Mobile is responsible for poisoning the sea and marshes, and it has been a little over a month since 1 million gallons of crude oil have been spewed into the Niger River Delta.

Another point of contention is that many Conservatives indicate that the oil spill happened, because environmentalists prevented drilling in shallower waters and in safer locations. However, http://beforeitsnews.com/news/74/116/Enviros_Didnt_Cause_The_Gulf_Oil_Spill_..._Peak_Oil_Did.html">this article argues that companies are drilling in deep waters, because we have reached peak oil, which means that we reached maximum oil production and are now heading into terminal decline. Desperate for oil, companies are drilling in more dangerous locations, wherever they can tap into the oil.

There can be a lot of talk about these topics, but at some point, someone must be held accountable ... and someone needs to do something. Where do we go from here?