Eleven people missing and presumed dead. Over one hundred survivors who easily could have been among the missing due mainly to luck and good timing.
A sunken oil rig off the coast of Louisiana. A massive explosion and thousands of gallons of oil "burned off" – at a minimum, an environmental hazard. And now, a leak that has early estimates of 1,000 barrels of oil seeping into the Gulf of Mexico each day.
Interestingly, I haven’t seen or heard of any massive explosions or environmental disasters at any wind farms. Nothing at solar energy plants either. No massive spills that have to be cleaned up over years. No damage to wildlife or fish or plants in the ocean or Gulf of Mexico either.
What amazes me is that out of the news coming out over the past week about this disaster, that the entire premise of offshore drilling (or "Drill baby drill") hasn’t come into serious question. This is exactly what many people feared during the debate over the past couple of years and not a peep. Not even from the rightists who would rush to defend offshore drilling.
And with Earth Day this week – a perfect time for the talking meatsticks to contrast this (not to mention the coal mine tragedies that we have seen over the past few years – the most recent one only brings this back to the surface again) with alternative cleaner safer energy options, industries and policies – the silence was truly deafening.
This is a tragedy on many levels, but also a warning. More offshore drilling means more opportunity for explosions, environmental disasters and oil spills in the Atlantic Ocean and on our shores.
The explosion, deaths, sinking of the oil rig and oil spill should be the catalyst to finally look at offshore drilling for what it is and not some slogan that is long on danger and risks.
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Update [2010-4-25 13:32:5 by clammyc]: Per an excellent comment by RLMiller, you can comment at the MMS Public Scoping Website about offshore drilling.