Tag Archives: oil

Political Rants

The boatload principle.

These are indeed remarkable days. I can think of few times in recent history when the most fundamental problems of our civilization have been more obviously placed on display. This oil gusher in the Gulf – practically a non-story when it began – has captivated the nation, providing a gross illustration of the true costs of our current energy regime. Who can deny that this disaster was caused by a headlong rush for short-term profit, an obsession with minimizing costs, and a total disregard for human and environmental consequences? That is the model for oil development in the United States and elsewhere. And with this oil-cano spewing endlessly into an extremely sensitive biosystem, the actual costs of this enterprise simply cannot be concealed. There are spills and toxic contamination all the time, but you rarely see it or hear about it. This time is different. This time, the sludge is coming to us.

What, objectively, can our government do? Well, a lot more, it seems. Our regulatory mechanisms are mere appendages of the industries they are charged with overseeing. In many cases – such as with the Minerals Management Service- that was the intention. We’ve also just come off of a long period – eight years – of having former oil industry executives in charge of the government. That greatly enhanced the culture and practice of “hands off” regulation specific to that industry – an approach that was generalized to the rest of the economy. So the first thing that needs to be said about this crisis is that it is in large part another parting gift from George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. Just add that to the pile, right next to the financial crisis, the Citizen’s United Supreme Court decision, the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and so on. What’s next?

That said, there is little point in defending the Obama administration on this score. His appointment of energy industry favorite Ken Salazar as Secretary of Interior was on par with making Tim Geitner Treasury Secretary. Small wonder the Minerals Management Service, already publicly reviled for its cartoon-like symbiotic relationship with extractive industries, has been allowed to remain essentially unreformed up to this point. Were they waiting until a second term to get started on this? Or were they just carrying on what their predecessors had established, with a smiley face slapped on the side for good measure? Apparently the latter. Aside from some relatively muted trash talk, they’ve done little to force BP and the rest of the industry to change their behavior.

We’ve got bipartisan consensus on one thing: offshore drilling must continue. Why? Because it’s making boatloads of money for the suits. Why else?

luv u,

jp

Political Rants

Money spill.

Now hear this – this is a four-star freaking disaster. We need Superman… or Aquaman, perhaps.

It is possible – just possible – that by the time I post this screed, the “top kill” method BP cooked up out of last-minute desperation (to save their skins) will have stopped the oilcano. It is also possible that it will have done nothing. In the mean time, millions upon millions of gallons of oil sludge and other chemicals (including dispersants) are sloshing about the Gulf, invading wet lands, fouling beaches, destroying underwater biosystems, and otherwise making life impossible for people and other creatures along the Gulf coast. It’s clear that the environmental consequences of this spill will be with us for a good many years.

It’s also clear that this spill was the result of negligence in the extreme; of greed carried to a fatal crescendo. BP and its hirelings were in a tremendous hurry and cut corners drastically. Combine that with the obvious fact that these people do not know how to deal with a well blow-out one mile under the surface and you have the makings of an environmental crime of historic magnitude. You also have the crime of manslaughter, at least, with the deaths of 11 workers in that initial explosion (the photographs of which are flabbergastingly reminiscent of World War II naval battle photography). As with the pirates who own Massey Energy, BP execs must be held accountable, as well as the contracting firms that aided them.

It shouldn’t stop there, of course. The administration needs to seriously clean house. I personally think Salazar should go, but more importantly, the regulatory structure must be strengthened and in a sense reimagined to execute an effective watchdog function, instead of facilitating what amounts to experimental oil exploration with no regard to possible consequences. This will be an important measure of whether or not Obama represents a departure from the Bush years, during which large segments of the federal government – including parts of the regulatory structure – were either staffed with industry sympathizers or outsourced entirely to private interests. If the president is willing to stand up to the energy industry (now that they can provide unlimited resources to any candidate who runs against him in two years), that might augur well for the future of our coastlines, mountains, and rivers.

If, on the other hand, he fails to challenge them sufficiently, he will need a little encouragement from you and I. I’m just saying – this shit has simply got to stop.

luv u,

jp

Political Rants

Backlash.

A few brief and sullen meditations this week. Not much to say, really, but I’ll say it anyway.

‘Lection Show. Primary day was a bit underwhelming, to say the least. Not surprised to see Arlen Specter voted down. Just a bit too much political opportunism there to survive, I suppose. Never been very keen on him, I must admit. He was one of the decisive votes in pulling serious infrastructure spending out of the stimulus package last year, as I recall. And it’s hard for me to forget his spirited defense of Justice Thomas, whose bitter judicial philosophy (such as it is) we have been saddled with for the past two decades (and will likely have to live through for another two). John Murtha’s seat stayed in Democratic hands – that’s a disappointment to some.

So was Rand Paul’s victory in Kentucky, against an establishment candidate avidly supported by Cheney, McConnell and others. While Paul has gotten himself tangled into knots with some absolutist libertarian positions, he shares his father’s disdain for both of our useless wars. That, at least, would be an embarrassment for his party… and a well-deserved one, at that. He would also be one of the only truly anti-war senators. Hard to fault him for that.

What I can fault him on, though, is the logical outcome of his extreme libertarianism, which his recent comments illustrate. He’s troubled by what he sees as a heavy handed approach to BP by the administration, since that violates his sense of the total separation of the public and private spheres. For one thing, it’s amazing to me that he would consider what’s happening between Obama and BP overly intrusive or burdensome to the oil giant. If anything, it’s way too cozy and too permissive. Personally, I think they should break BP into a million pieces and cash each fragment in as a downpayment on the damage they’ve done through their greed and negligence. But Paul refuses to acknowledge human agency in either the BP undersea oil volcano, or the Massey Energy mine disaster, or I imagine any similar circumstance. “Accidents happen”, and when they do, government looks for people to “blame”.

In that respect, he sounds severely unhinged. But only because he’s willing to say out loud what many right-wing politicians and tea party “patriots” (i.e. former Bush voters) are thinking quietly to themselves.

luv u,

jp