I am not OK with stopping drilling that takes place in the gulf. Oil needs to be a part of our short term energy policy while we invest in other (safer, renewable, cleaner) ways to produce energy in the long term.
However, I am OK with pausing deep water drilling in the gulf… as long as the employees of the companies that would be impacted by the moratorium would be fully compensated for their lost wages while the moratorium remains in place.
See, we have learned a lesson here in the gulf that should have been obvious to everyone who has paid attention to how big industry works. That lesson is that while there is nothing wrong with making a profit, big companies cannot be trusted to put worker safety or public safety over the desire to make a short term profit. It was laissez-faire economic theory that allowed BP to determine to not use the appropriate safety features that could have prevented this disaster in the first place.
This is why the rigs operating in deep water need to be shut down in the short term while we make sure they are operating with a reasonable amount of safety measures in place. It has become clear that while the other oil companies have been critical of BP, that none of them have the appropriate response measures if something happened on any one of their deep water rigs. Interesting from that article is this gem:
Exxon Mobil’s response plan includes a 40-page appendix devoted to how it will deal with reporters after an accident — compared with five pages on the plan for protecting resources and nine pages dedicated to oil removal. The media response guide includes talking points on over 65 issues, assertions that the company complies with applicable laws and regulations, and 13 pre-drafted press releases.
I guess we see where the priorities are with Exxon Mobil. We already know that BP has failed to protect us. Am I to believe that the other oil companies are any better at protecting us? Would you?
But Dan, you might ask, what are the odds of another spill occurring in the gulf over the next year? Well, one already has. So now what? How many more oil plumes do we need coming towards the coast of the United States before we realize that perhaps it is time for more drastic PREVENTIVE measures?
We cannot just sit here and trust that big oil will conduct their offshore activities in a safe manner. We need to make sure that no more jobs are lost because of the criminal negligence that big oil is proving it has in our safety.
But we cannot just let the employees of companies who would be impacted by the short term moratorium just starve, nor should we force them to go on unemployment and take a hit to their standard of living. What needs to happen is that money needs to be provided to their employers so they can keep their current employment levels during the moratorium. Then, those employees can be utilized (in the short term) to help clean up the oil spill, lay boom down, etc… until they can go back to work.
But Dan, you might ask, what about those companies who will take their rigs away in the short term. Well, those companies have been allowed to operate for years under relaxed regulations that brought them higher profits. I would think that those companies could afford to wait around a few months while we make sure they are operating safely. Those companies who leave are just telling me that they do not want to drill in a safe way and will go to some other country and put their coast at risk for their unsafe drilling practices. And if those oil companies do not want to drill safely then not only do I not want those oil companies drilling off my coast… but I also blame those oil companies for the long term loss of employment that those oil companies will have caused (and not the government) because of their greed.
