This is the USA. This isn't suppose to happen to us as if we were a third world country. THAT is insulting to other countries, but, it painfully true. If the USA is allowing exploitation of its natural resources with abandon, it only sets THE WORST INDUSTRIAL STANDARD on Earth.
The reference by Newsweek that the Gulf of Mexico is 'the gulf of oil' for all the water contamination is probably true, however, just because the Gulf of Mexico was previously contaminated along other coast lines doesn't mean that it is 'OKAY' to now do the same in USA waters. Nor is it okay to disregard the livelihoods of Americans that utilize the fisheries now drenched with oil.
That isn't all.
The USA has high standards for wildife protections. It took decades and a lot of US dollars to bring the Louisiana Brown Pelican back from endangered status. It came off the Endangered List as of November 2009. The Louisiana Brown Pelican is probably at least 'threatened' all over again, because, they aren't being returned to Louisiana habitat after they are rescued. I hope the birds are being tagged to return to Louisiana, but, the fact is that a Brown Pelican that lives outside of Louisiana is NOT a Louisiana Brown Pelican. Not only that, but, even if the rescued birds are alive and tagged in Florida, they will probably be replaced by many generations of pelicans before their former habitat can ever be used for habitat again.
In the meantime, the Louisiana Brown Pelicans that can be saved, should be saved and their offspring followed and tagged in order to return them to Louisiana eventually. The problem is that they will have to be oriented to new habitat AGAIN and there is always stress on animals when that occurs and there will be unnecessary deaths as they have to learn their new feeding grounds and nesting grounds, etc. All that takes money and if the Louisiana birds are in Florida, that means the fiscal burden is falling on Florida. So the actual cost of this oil spill won't be known for decades.
But, that is not all.
THE GULF OF MEXICO LOOP CURRENT.
No matter how Newsweek wants to diss the people in their concern for the CONTAMINATION of the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current, it is no minor matter. This is one of the few times, to the best of the knowledge of most of us, that such huge amounts of TOXIC oil dispersants have been introduced to the water column for such an extended period of time. If this is the practice of the Petroleum Industry then governments are NOT doing their jobs in allowing this practice. And the question is, "Why are they using oil dispersants anyway and where has it been used and how much has been used and what were the outcomes of the industy vs the environment and economies it may have effected?"
This is also the first time the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current has been involved in any oil disaster incident. Now, if political figures and the media want to 'blow this off' as nothing and hysteria, they are welcome to do, but, this is not a minor incident. It has the potential to imperil Earth.
SO.
I don't care if there were incidents of oil disasters worse than the BP disaster. THE FACT that this happened at all in the USA is outrageous. It has followed a time that regulations and federal infrastructure has been 'culled' by the Bush/Cheney administration and left the USA vulnerable. The BP disaster is a National Secuity Issue among others thngs.
I don't care if other abandoned oil wells ended up becoming an environmental nightmare, because, of a SIX MONTH 'investigational' moritorium. If there is an oil well that is being abandoned because of the moritorium and something ADVERSE happens, then the company holding that lease has liability. I don't think any company wants that to happen and they better be 'manning' all their wells to standard and in anticiaption of either closing them securely or waiting to find out what the USA government is going to do.
I don't care if 'rigs' leave the area because of the moritorium. It just goes to prove how the USA needs to regulate not just the industry practices of drilling, BUT ALSO, the industry standards it 'fitness of rigs' that come into our waters. So, Oil Rigs are going to have to pass safety standards and be maintained well or they don't come into USA waters again.
And if an industry, of any nature, practicing within the USA does not understand or care to understand the high quality standards this country holds for them, then they can leave. There are independant operators willing and able to meet high quality industry standards and it is those businesses we need to nuture and bring 'online' with businesses and jobs for the USA economy. Operators with RESPECT for our government, ouir standards of living and THEIR place within all that. Operators that don't have CEOs seeking a bonus at the cost to national economies.
The BP disaster will never be completely paid for by the company. It will cost generations of Americans billions US$ and we know it. In that reality, is it EVER worth allowing any business to practice substandard 'trades' when it will only burden the country with debt unending?
NO.
It is just not worth it. The truth of the matter is that oil and gas are as ancient to Earth as the dinosaurs and prehistoric lagoons that supply it. We need to move on in the USA in order to secure the future generation of Americans and global allies and friends. The jobs these industries supply aren't worth it and can be replaced with jobs in 'local eocnomies' where artists are valued, craftspersons produce quality products rather than 'K-Mart' Red Light Specials.
The USA has been indulging corporations under misguided and corrupt Republican leadership and the disasters we are facing as a country today is a direct result of those policies for over 30 years of exploitation. Heck, even American lives didn't matter to the CEOs of health care insurance corporations. American lives were just another bargaining chip in the next CEO bonus.
The USA military needs to understand the Oil and Gas Industry, have personnel at the ready to intervene and be able to carry out a 'closure' to any rupture that imperils our country, its populous, its economy and the global ocean circulations.
ENOUGH.
