I get that, Trudi. But that doesn't take away from the fact that something's got to change. They're about to drill one of these deep ocean wells of the east coast of Canada. Do you think they're going to observe safety protocols any more than they did with Deep Water Horizon? Something has to change. And it's going to have to be the people who put the pressure on.

Personally, I have long felt that if the petroleum companies were truly interested, they could put a large portion of their profits (say, 10%) into research and development of non petroleum based sources of energy. That would put them at the head of the move away from oil, give their employees new training in the new technologies and so no jobs are lost, and their precious profits wouldn't be that badly impacted because the consumer would go to them for alternative sources.

The Canada Tar Sands project is no better than the BP one to my mind. The ecological impact of that is already being felt in Saskatchewan. The groundwater sources are being contaminated. But the economic bottom line (ie. profits) are more important than the damage being done to human lives, animal and birdlife and the environment in general.

It has to stop somehow because when we damage our planet in this way, the damage to our species (because that's the only thing some humans take into account, so that's how I'm putting it) going forward is unimaginable. We have to stop looking only at the ends of our own noses. It doesn't matter to us, maybe, but what are our children and grandchildren going to do? What about their children?

This is truly a case of "sins of the fathers", but the fathers don't seem to care.

And the excuse that other countries are doing it doesn't wash with me. Somebody has to stand up and do what's right. And really, before the deep water wells were started, were studies not done as to what to do if something like this happened? Why were the contingencies not already developed and ready to go at a moment's notice? Why didn't they check to see what would happen to the 'dome' solution at that depth long before they needed it? Why didn't they know that it would be so cold down there the stuff would freeze and get in the way of capping? These are questions I want to ask every government in the world. International waters are governed by rules, too.

Sorry, I'm a tad het up about it right now.

Warm hugs,

Last edited by Inanna; 05/25/10 03:54 PM.
Kat

A life lived in fear is a life half lived.
"Strictly Ballroom"