Another day, another oil disaster

It might be relatively quiet on the Hill during August recess these days, but Big Oil hasn’t taken a break from its standard playbook of dirty tricks.

In the wake of the BP Oil Disaster, you might imagine it would be tough for API, Shell Oil Co and the like to round up significant grassroots support for some pro-oil rallies. But that didn’t stop them from gathering a crowd in Texas this week — they just bussed in their employees!

A day after Big Oil staged these rallies using their own employees as props, another oil rig in the Gulf exploded – highlighting the risky and dangerous nature of oil and gas development.

What should we take away from these stories? Let’s start with two simple and pretty uncontroversial points: 1) Oil and gas development contains inherent risks to human life and the health of our environment and economy; 2) It’s long past time to rapidly scale up deployment of off-the-shelf energy efficiency technologies while we unleash the potential of America’s clean energy economy.

How many more rigs must explode before America will demand a shift away from outdated, dangerous fuels? It’s quiet on the Hill because Members of Congress are back home. Send them back to DC with a clear mandate: end America’s addiction to dirty fuels.

TAKE ACTION: Enough explosions! Tighten rules on oil rigs!

Follow me on Twitter @TWSjp

Creative Commons/mikebaird

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Stephanie C.

1:39AM PST on Mar 12, 2011

There are alternitives and have been for many years. But they are not telling anyone because their own profit is to high. Has anyone ever heard of Nikola Teslas who used Ether energy converter to run an auto. Check it out that was in the 1930's.....Why have most people never even heard of this man....

send a green star

Robin T.

6:58AM PDT on Sep 15, 2010

What are you all getting excited about? Plenty more where that one came from.
Why are we panicking, after all this is only, what, the third one to have an explosion and only one did any damage??? Lucky the other two are American companies.

When will the American Govt wake up and stop this insane off-shore drilling?
Are they waiting for another disaster like the Horizon?

If the American Govt has the slightest commitment to fighting Global Warming they will act responsibly and take the appropriate action NOW which of course begs the questions "Can they be responsible? Can they be trusted?"

Reading all the negative postings from its citizens I am not holding my breath. Seems to me Americans have a worse opinion of their Govt than outsiders do.

Make a difference, give Love, Understanding and Tolerance. Plant a Tree.

jane r.

4:53PM PDT on Sep 8, 2010

This is getting boring... Fix the problem Washington or we'll get somebody who will.

Petra L.

10:27PM PDT on Sep 7, 2010

Yup. Keep polluting our oceans. Kill the ocean, kill the planet, including humans. These disasters and these pollutants in our seas our killing our children, our pets, everything. There is no need for offshore drilling, if you want your kids to live. Or maybe you don't care.

Alice L.

11:22AM PDT on Sep 6, 2010

HERE'S THE BIG PICTURE:

One 42-gallon barrel of oil creates 19.4 gallons of gasoline. The rest (over half) is used to make things like: antiseptics, cortisone, anesthetics, antihistamines, bandages, food preservatives, soap, shoes, ink, dyes, upholstery & wearable fabrics, tires, cycle & sports helmets, caulking, epoxies, dentures & denture cream, refrigerators, car battery cases, cosmetics & deodorants, boats & life jackets, ballpoint pens, perfumes, transparent tape, film & DVD’s & CD’s, clotheslines, petroleum jelly, eye glasses, rubbing alcohol, heart valves, roofing, parachutes, etcetera.

2+2 always equal 4, DO THE MATH.

~ Alice Liddell

Angela N.

7:15AM PDT on Sep 6, 2010

When will they ever learn...?!

Alberta G.

8:37AM PDT on Sep 5, 2010

Stop drilling idiots.

ruth a.

7:13AM PDT on Sep 5, 2010

Bussed in their employees!?! Obviously we haven't fined them enough if they have money to spare to pay workers to ride in a bus and stand around.

Nina C.

9:24PM PDT on Sep 4, 2010

Obviously GREED rules. It is human beings who are destroying our precious one and only planet earth. Our beautiful planet is suffering at the hands of man. Our wildlife being slaughtered, our environments being wasted, and killed. Unless humans wake up we will have no world at all, its the end

Jane R.

8:50PM PDT on Sep 4, 2010

People of earth. This is not about greed or money. It happens to be a fact that we all need the oil produced no matter where it comes from. Until there is a product to replace it we have to understand that the risk of explosion & lives lost will continue.