I spent a lot of time writing a post on the oilrig blowout and leak in the Gulf of Mexico but ended up deleting it. Didn’t want to make some quick-to-the-draw, reactionary comments, which I sometimes do. Well, which I always do although I try to keep them out of this blog.
I don’t want to comment on the impact to the wildlife or the habitat of the affected area, which will be immense. Don’t want to comment on the silence of those have been chanting “Drill, Baby, Drill!” or those who are always saying goverment regulation is stifling private enterprise. Or those, like Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu who as recently as last month, claimed the risk and effect of such an event as minimal. Don’t want to comment on the economic impact to the fishing and tourism industry of the area. Or the economic impact to our economy in general.
You’ll be hearing about these from other sources…
My only comment is to ask if perhaps we should use this as catalyst to move more quickly into alternative energies. While there are limitations and dangers, could a disaster anywhere near this serious ever happen in the solar or wind industry? Are there any circumstances where anything even remotely close to this could happen in these industries?
This may be the sign that we really need to act now to move away from our addiction to oil and gas. This need for this energy is causing us to risk more and more, in economic and environmental terms, in order to satisfy it. And if we can’t change our behavior, the cost of this disaster will seem tiny to what may come next…
Redtree Times 