The Price of Oil

These days we are bombarded with news reports about the tragic oil spill in the Gulf. A month before we came home from Florida President Obama gave permission for drilling offshore in the Gulf. The restriction was that drilling could be offshore one hundred and fifteen miles. The BP tragic explosion killed many workers, caused an environmental disaster and killed the offshore drilling in Florida. The order next day rescinded the okay for drilling.

The impact of this oil spill will be felt for an undetermined time depending on the ability to shut the oil spill down. The Gulf States have already been hit so hard by hurricanes and floods but this makes all that happened in the past pale by comparison. Th e wildlife , both above and below the waters of the Gulf will be forever changed and birds which were just recovering from spraying and pollution may be wiped out for a long time.

What staggers my mind is that the Canadian government has just this month issued a drilling program off Newfoundland which is even deeper by half than this disaster and not a word has been said. The G8 and G 20 billion dollar mistake has captured the news media eye. Could we be heading for a similar disaster off the east coast? YES. YES. YES. There is no proper controls in place as the big oil industry has been permitted to regulate itself. Since the oil industry in Canada has tremendous resources and hold deposits of over a third of the known reserves we must be diligent. The largest involvement in our oil patches are foreign. Even China with its thirst for oil has a monetary investment in our oil.

Mother Earth must feel very sick over the way we have used our stewardship seeking the almighty dollar over good common sense. Maybe, just maybe there are enough people sickened about the way this tragedy has been handled to make a difference. Lets hope so for now and the future.