The Thrills of Spills

This is going to be a good ole fashioned preacher-style rant, so read at your own risk.

Headline: Multi-National Oil Company Dodges Blame for Record Oil Spill: Taxpayers Foot the Bill--Again.

So...we have another situation where taxes will be used to bail out a large corporation for mistakes made by that corporation (or their partners). Much like the recent financial crisis the dialogue has focused on assigning blame to selected groups (while shielding top executives) with no connection to the role ordinary citizens might have played. In this case it's a no brainer. We use too much oil. Each and every one of us.

Dependence on foriegn oil has become (and has always been) a national security issue, with economic, political and safety implications. In an effort to reduce that dependence our government advocates for more domestic drilling, including off-shore drilling, as the most effective short-term solution. We have yet to hear about the long-term solution. To quell voter anxiety proponents of domestic drilling tout advancements in environmental protection and safety, even though the record regarding spills quite clearly demonstrates that oil exploration, transportation, refinement and combustion is anything but environmentally-friendly. At the bottom of this chain is one simple thing: consumer demand.

As much as I hate to admit it, I too am a part of this problem. We all are, but we refuse to have an honest discussion about it. The real problem behind BP's unbelievable spill is not government regulation, corporate greed or negligence, but consumer demand. We use too much oil, either in our personal driving habits or demand for products that have to be shipped (particularly by truck) from parts distant. It starts with us, not with companies or governments.

To be sure, government policies could have a significant influence on oil (and energy) consumption. We could adopt more stringent standards for fuel economy, building performance and smarter energy grids. We could install permanent taxes on oil to finance more research and development of alternatives. We could incentivize wide-scale adoption of natural gas as vehicle fuel (a la the Pickens Plan). All of these things would have significant short-term impacts, but sooner or later we run into the same problems: demand exceeds supply and widespread usage creates unintended consequences.

To make matters worse, governments are reluctant to take any substantive steps towards energy independence because they fear the reaction by a fickle voting public: losing votes because they strayed too far from the comfort zone. Here again, the finger in the mirror points right back at you and I. We say we want bold and inspiring leadership, but not if it rocks the boat. In other words, we want changes that enable us to keep doing what we've always done, only better and in greater quantities.

I prefaced this rant with the topic of oil, but we could just as easily be talking about the future of our economy (or any other of our myriad issues). In each case there are still far too many citizens who believe that governments will make good decisions on their behalf, that governments CAN actually resolve these issues without significant citizen participation and initiative. This is a belief of convenience because it requires nothing of the citizen and creates a ready scapegoat for when things inevitably go awry.

Political talking heads view this as an opportunity to advocate for their own twisted version of government, when it is quite clear that no one model or approach is a panacea. Every government in the world has problems, problems which appear to be increasing in complexity and scope as the governed population grows. It is also increasingly clear that no government, large or small, can effectively lead an apathetic, blame-driven citizenry.

I don't pretend to have the answers, but I am outraged at the lack of dialogue at every level in our society (from citizens to the Oval Office). This isn't about Tea Parties or other typical anti-government responses, but rather about citizens holding themselves accountable for the problems we create, and pro-actively developing solutions. I am no longer willing to idly sit by while the consequences of my actions reduce opportunities and quality of life for future generations. I desperately want to be a part of this dialogue, to force it to happen, and am ready to be part of the solution.

Perhaps you are too.