Day 71

Who would have thought we would be on day 71 of the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill? I have to admit that I sure didn't. I--as many others--believed that as technologically advanced beings, we would be able to fix this mess...or at least have an idea of how to fix it. As it turns out, we have no idea what we are doing. To me this is a scary realization, one where humans are unafraid to try anything regardless of the consequences.

Humans believe that we can conquer anything. After all, we are intelligent--I don't deny that. Technology never ceases to amaze me, but we are not by any stretch of the imagination more powerful than nature or the forces of the universe--we are merely a part of it--and are nothing less than ignorant and egotistical to believe that we are anything more. This oil debacle and any type of natural "disaster" proves that we are not more powerful than natural forces.

Bottom line: we should not be drilling in deep water, in an environment where we are unfamiliar with the conditions and how to react and recover from emergency situations. More importantly, BP should have had an emergency plan for every possibility of something that could go wrong i.e., what if a rig exploded causing the pipe to a deepwater well to burst leaking hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil into the water? If you don't have an emergency plan for even the one-in-a-billion chance, then don't drill until we have that technology securely developed along with a response plan to any emergency that might occur. Even if it means that billions of dollars will be missed out on by not tapping into those oil reserves.  Just look at the costs thus far with this disaster...

As is witnessed with this oil spill, not only are the fish, shellfish, shorebirds, dolphins, sea turtles, estuaries, and marshlands being affected but so are the lives and livelihoods of thousands of people. What are they going to do? They know nothing else. How are they expected to find other work if all they have done their whole lives is fish? Not only that, but most of the Gulf Region's economy survives on tourism. If there are no tourists, then there is no other work to be had. Moreover, what are the long-term effects on the region's economy, on its environment? How long will it take to recover? Will it ever be the same? Your guess is as good as mine.