by Rona Fried, Ph.D.
Before the catastrophic BP oil drilling failure, polls showed that Americans favored oil drilling as a safe way to increase our energy independence. This was after decades of polls trending in the opposite direction.
Are Americans learning something from this?
I submit that Americans have become too trusting and complacent toward multinational corporations - will this be a wake-up call? Since the Obama Administration came into office, we've seen stark reminders of corporate greed and lack of appropriate regulatory oversight in just about every industry - the recent coal mining accidents, the outrageous behavior of Wall Street firms, a health care industry that raises premiums 40% even in the face of regulation, and now, an oil industry that proves it's completely unprepared to deal with an accident.
It's bad enough that BP has no idea how to stop or contain the oil spill, but why couldn't they and/or the US government protect the shorelines and wetlands from the inevitable drift of oil?
Is it too much to ask that before oil drilling is approved that a plan be in place to prevent it from reaching our shores (and skimmed immediately from the water)? Is it too much to ask that before oil drilling is approved that best available technologies to deal with an accident be identified, purchased and stockpiled?
Now is NOT the time to evaluate and research various oil dispersants! Why wasn't this done long ago? The least toxic oil dispersant - or better yet, a nontoxic biodegradable substance - should have been integrated into protocol by now.
Watching television footage of the spill, it's alarming to see people using garden shovels to lift oil drenched sand and put it in plastic bags! Is this our best available "technology?"
Obviously, there's been no effort to develop appropriate, effective technologies. The same methods used in the Exxon Valdez spill - that didn't work -are being used today. Using paper towels to remove the oil from animals' bodies, using flimsy booms to protect the shore, and using dispersants that are known to be toxic to the very ecosystems we're trying to protect.
It's high time we focus on developing advanced, non-toxic technologies in addition to extensive implementation plans, or sorry, no oil drilling allowed.
We'll see whether Louisiana Governor Jindal changes his mind about promoting oil drilling versus an emphasis on energy efficiency and renewable energy to solve our nation's energy needs.
Although he voted against the stimulus bill as part of the Republican block and criticizes "big government" and deficits, he's being extremely aggressive in obtaining every conceivable avenue for disaster funding for his state.
But his idea for ameliorating this spill is a good one - build barrier islands off the coast to stop the oil from reaching the shore. Barrier islands would not only protect the coast from oil spills, they would help prevent another Katrina by buffeting strong winds and tides.
