Spill, Baby, Spill

I was going to use this Photo borrowed from the New York Times to do a thoughtful blog on humor.  But I found myself so bitter about drilling for oil–about drilling for profit in the midst of a resource that belongs to everyone, that I just stared at the page.

Just recently, I walked Hacker Creek where irresponsible growers let between 600-1000 gallons of diesel spill.  Two years since the diesel slid downstream.  Two years.  And I can still smell diesel over a hundred yards across the water from where it spilled.  Two years.  And I can still walk on land that squelches diesel up from under my feet.  Two years and Two Hundred Thousand dollars in cleanup and the smell still wafts from the stream bed below the spill.

Today BP’s well is pumping oil at what may be 1,000,000 gallons per day. How long will that take to clean up?  How long will the Gulf ooze oil?

I know soundbites and posters do a disservice to thoughtful reasoned dialogue.  I strive to ignore the easy quick response but sometimes I’m just too outraged to give a damn.

Someone said, “Everyone who said ‘Drill, baby, drill’ should be flying down to the coast of Louisiana now to clean up their mess.”

I  know that is hyperbole.  I know that it isn’t really helpful.  I’m sure there is a reasoned thoughtful argument I should make. Something that sees both sides.

But I just can’t find it.

Can you?

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17 Comments
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Linda Winkler
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Linda Winkler
13 years ago

I know Kym, it makes me sick. When I think how we have violated Mother Earth, I feel ashamed. I think Sarah Palin should fly over the spill in her helicopter and jump in.

Linda Winkler
Guest
Linda Winkler
13 years ago

I know Kym, it makes me sick. When I think how we have violated Mother Earth, I feel ashamed. I think Sarah Palin should fly over the spill in her helicopter and jump in.

Kitty
Guest
13 years ago

I am also at a loss for words. I can barely watch the news it upsets me so much.

There is humor in everything and it does help with the anger. When you’re ready, let it rip.

Kitty
Guest
13 years ago

I am also at a loss for words. I can barely watch the news it upsets me so much.

There is humor in everything and it does help with the anger. When you’re ready, let it rip.

forkboy
Guest
13 years ago

It’s a tough dilemma though. We don’t want to see oil spilled across the Gulf. We don’t want our air fouled by CO2 and diesel particulates. We don’t want a lot of things that hurt our air, water and land.

But we also don’t want to give up the civilization we have. The electricity. The freedom of mobility. The consumer electronics. The air conditioning or heat.

It is a world made of compromises. And while I definitely do not wish to see more off-shore drilling (instead being a firm believer in green(er) technologies) I am surprised at how rare these major events are. We have either been very lucky or drilling can and has been done reasonably safely. Who can tell?

forkboy
Guest
13 years ago

It’s a tough dilemma though. We don’t want to see oil spilled across the Gulf. We don’t want our air fouled by CO2 and diesel particulates. We don’t want a lot of things that hurt our air, water and land.

But we also don’t want to give up the civilization we have. The electricity. The freedom of mobility. The consumer electronics. The air conditioning or heat.

It is a world made of compromises. And while I definitely do not wish to see more off-shore drilling (instead being a firm believer in green(er) technologies) I am surprised at how rare these major events are. We have either been very lucky or drilling can and has been done reasonably safely. Who can tell?

Staff
Member
13 years ago

I don’t know Forkboy. I read someone claiming that the big oil spills happen rarely only one in 500 wells have end up with a big leak. But as a senator replied to that, if one in 500 planes crashed we wouldn’t think that safety record was very impressive. I’m inclined to agree. The stakes are very high. We oughtn’t to be playing Russian Roulette with our food sources. Cats don’t shit where they eat. We ought to be as least as smart as cats.

Staff
Member
13 years ago

I don’t know Forkboy. I read someone claiming that the big oil spills happen rarely only one in 500 wells have end up with a big leak. But as a senator replied to that, if one in 500 planes crashed we wouldn’t think that safety record was very impressive. I’m inclined to agree. The stakes are very high. We oughtn’t to be playing Russian Roulette with our food sources. Cats don’t shit where they eat. We ought to be as least as smart as cats.

t
Guest
t
13 years ago

Funny you mention the hacker creek spill, as i was just reading through some of the backlogs of GROW and read that exact article again!

The gulf spill is a mess. No pun intended. It saddens me to see it happen.

t
Guest
t
13 years ago

Funny you mention the hacker creek spill, as i was just reading through some of the backlogs of GROW and read that exact article again!

The gulf spill is a mess. No pun intended. It saddens me to see it happen.

Staff
Member
13 years ago

Me, too!

Staff
Member
13 years ago

Me, too!

Goldie
Guest
Goldie
13 years ago

I am still in shock over the spill, the geyser, that is in such a big area and it will move and that it is not stopped gushing out yet. I am grieving and fearing what will come next for the eco system, all the creatures. I am sad for the people. Their ways a making a living are gone. The financial impact will be huge and friends and families will have to move away form each other. What I am also in shock about is the lack of impact it seems to be having on most folks, in the media, and chatter from my friends here in Eureka and even on Facebook. Don’t they see it? Don’t they know how deep the damage is ?
Oil can not be cleaned up. Damage control maybe but it does not go away and it is not the common topic I would expect it to be.
I have been seeking humor in other areas but about this, I find none. This is so not funny to me and I am the one who did fifteen minutes of stand up at my grandmothers funeral.

tom
Guest
tom
13 years ago

Obama has authorize 27 new oil leases in the gulf, 26 of which do not require a environmental review of any safety requirements.

tom
Guest
tom
13 years ago

Obama has authorize 27 new oil leases in the gulf, 26 of which do not require a environmental review of any safety requirements.

humboldtkids
Guest
humboldtkids
13 years ago

This is so serious it is hard to even look at. ‘Spill Baby Spill’ is about as much humor as we are going to find I’m afraid and there is nothing funny about that. I’m afraid this is not very constructive, but it may be what it takes for the more timid amongst us to consider just how devastating this is.

In the fifteen seconds it took to look up the Valdez oil spill so I might draw some context on the matter, I discovered that this catastrophe constitutes a Valdez a day. Possibly the worst man made disaster in history repeated daily and the best news we have so far is the ‘sucking it through a straw’ method might not work at all.

You know how hard I try to find humor in everything. Here’s the best I can do for you, Kym.

Cats don’t shit where they eat but children occasionally crap in the bath tub.

humboldtkids
Guest
humboldtkids
13 years ago

This is so serious it is hard to even look at. ‘Spill Baby Spill’ is about as much humor as we are going to find I’m afraid and there is nothing funny about that. I’m afraid this is not very constructive, but it may be what it takes for the more timid amongst us to consider just how devastating this is.

In the fifteen seconds it took to look up the Valdez oil spill so I might draw some context on the matter, I discovered that this catastrophe constitutes a Valdez a day. Possibly the worst man made disaster in history repeated daily and the best news we have so far is the ‘sucking it through a straw’ method might not work at all.

You know how hard I try to find humor in everything. Here’s the best I can do for you, Kym.

Cats don’t shit where they eat but children occasionally crap in the bath tub.