As is apparent from the dates on these posts, I've been slacking a little lately (not on following the news, I promise you, but on blogging about it).
But this is enough to pull me back in.
That's right, folks, as of 10 minutes ago there are reports of another oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. Another. Oil. Rig. Explosion.
WFAB.com out of Louisiana is reporting that dozens are injured and rescue helicopters are responding.
I thought that the BP spill disaster would be the catalyst for a whole new era of American energy policy, or at least would change the conversation. From where I'm standing, it has not. How many more dirty-energy related tragedies are we going to have to see, experience, pay for, and debate before we get real?
Showing posts with label clean energy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clean energy. Show all posts
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
'Bout Damn Time
After 8 weeks of oil gushing from the BP well into the Gulf of Mexico, the talk is finally turning to long-term solutions to our country's energy and oil addiction in addition to solutions for the current crisis in the Gulf.
Notice how I said in addition to? Well, some people are conveniently missing that concept when they hear Obama and others talk of clean energy initiatives, saying that our sole focus right now needs to be on spill cleanup and Gulf rehab. We Americans have got to get past this kind of either-or thinking. We don't need to choose between short and long-term solutions, and in fact, if we do choose to only focus on short-term fixes, we're going to be paying for it 100 times over very soon in the form of climate change.
The funny thing is that many of the people who are pushing for cleanup only focus right now are saying that in talking about long-term energy solutions, Obama is politicizing this oil spill for his and his party's gain. In reality, it's those who say that we have to choose, either-or, short or long-term, who are politicizing the debate by making it an issue with two sides. It's simply not helpful to think of our situation as a choice between jobs and environment, between now or the future, between recovery and planning. We have to do it all.
It's time for the U.S. and its leaders to learn to hold more than one priority at a time. The issues that our nation faces right now are too complex to demand that everyone take sides in a fight where we're either all going to win, or we're all going to lose.
Notice how I said in addition to? Well, some people are conveniently missing that concept when they hear Obama and others talk of clean energy initiatives, saying that our sole focus right now needs to be on spill cleanup and Gulf rehab. We Americans have got to get past this kind of either-or thinking. We don't need to choose between short and long-term solutions, and in fact, if we do choose to only focus on short-term fixes, we're going to be paying for it 100 times over very soon in the form of climate change.
The funny thing is that many of the people who are pushing for cleanup only focus right now are saying that in talking about long-term energy solutions, Obama is politicizing this oil spill for his and his party's gain. In reality, it's those who say that we have to choose, either-or, short or long-term, who are politicizing the debate by making it an issue with two sides. It's simply not helpful to think of our situation as a choice between jobs and environment, between now or the future, between recovery and planning. We have to do it all.
It's time for the U.S. and its leaders to learn to hold more than one priority at a time. The issues that our nation faces right now are too complex to demand that everyone take sides in a fight where we're either all going to win, or we're all going to lose.
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