The Catastrophic Consequences of Offshore Drilling
It is impossible to overlook the recent environmental disaster caused by human negligence and greed. I am talking about the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, of course. The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig might be cited as the primary reason for the spill but to my mind, the main reason for such potential damage to the world, is the absence of human foresight and even basic intelligence.
Will we never learn? This is not the first time that we have precipitated havoc by toying with nature. The devastation kicked off by the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska still haunts my memory. And I am not only referring to the economic losses suffered but also to the destruction of life. We cannot dismiss that. We have mercilessly slaughtered thousands of birds and fishes and animals. We have ruined coral reefs and coastal wetlands for our selfish gains.
The proponents of progress may yet defend such activities but they can no longer hide that fact that they utter blatant falsehoods. Can they deny that a spill is inevitable with our present methods of offshore drilling and the overuse of industrial lubricants? Can human growth be thwarted if we invest in renewable energy instead and protect our delicate eco-systems?
Alternative power projects can produce many more new jobs than the offshore drilling industry. There lies the real solution. We can still maintain our lifestyle without degrading the environment. We only need to switch to hybrid and clean energy.
However, it will not be easy to defeat the advocates of ‘drill, baby, drill’ because they work for immediate profits. They have exchanged their conscience and intelligence for insane sums of money. And they will continue to sell hogwash to the unsuspecting masses.
It is depressing that one event like this recent oil spill can negate years of work put in by environmentalists but perhaps, this will lead to a kind of awakening. Perhaps now, we will find the will to say an unambiguous ‘no’ to offshore drilling.
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