Since the House passed their bill (H.R. 2454) last June, the energy and climate baton has been carried primarily by three Senators: Lieberman – an Independent from Connecticut, Kerry – a Democrat from Massachusetts, and Graham – a Republican from South Carolina. Their work gave rise to the hope that we could – united as a country in spite of partisan politics – successfully develop the legislation our country needs to achieve a sustainable energy future.
But then, just days before the planned release of the Senate bill, Senator Graham stepped away from the table. His departure (see post on April 28th) lowered supporters hopes as a nail in the coffin of a bi(tri)-partisan agreement for energy and climate legislation in 2010. But, then the horrific accident in the Gulf brought the risk of offshore oil drilling to the front-and-center of America’s eyes.
Gulf of Mexico Oil Slick
The growing oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico has already caused irreversible damage. As the oil continues to flow, the amount of damage will surely increase despite the commendable efforts of the United States Coast Guard. How to best stop these leaks and contain the oil is being debated, with consensus arising only with the statement that there will be significant negative environmental impact to our coastline, no matter what we do. To date, BP has been able to stop one of the leaks (though this did not reduce the flow rate of oil into the ocean) and is working to place a second containment dome in the next few days.
The silver lining to this disaster is the awareness that it has drawn to the negative impacts of offshore drilling. The oil industry has an impressive record when it comes to safety on their oil rigs and significant spills are rare occurrences. But, drilling for oil is not without risks as clearly seen by this latest incident. It reminds us of what can happen when the oil we depend on to fuel our cars is let loose in our oceans.
What does this mean for energy and climate legislation? My hope is that this incident – and the realizations and attention that it brings to this issue – will bring Senator Graham back to the table, ideally with his Republican colleagues. News out today shows that this may already be happening. Perhaps we are now ready to make the tough decisions needed to protect our land, air and water.
Bottom Line: There may be a silver lining to the Gulf of Mexico oil slick disaster.
Our aim in this blog is to provide critique and commentary on world energy news in an effort to clarify the issues and allow the reader to reach an informed decision on energy issues.
Gulf Oil Slick – Finding the Silver Lining
Is there a silver lining in Washington?
Since the House passed their bill (H.R. 2454) last June, the energy and climate baton has been carried primarily by three Senators: Lieberman – an Independent from Connecticut, Kerry – a Democrat from Massachusetts, and Graham – a Republican from South Carolina. Their work gave rise to the hope that we could – united as a country in spite of partisan politics – successfully develop the legislation our country needs to achieve a sustainable energy future.
But then, just days before the planned release of the Senate bill, Senator Graham stepped away from the table. His departure (see post on April 28th) lowered supporters hopes as a nail in the coffin of a bi(tri)-partisan agreement for energy and climate legislation in 2010. But, then the horrific accident in the Gulf brought the risk of offshore oil drilling to the front-and-center of America’s eyes.
Gulf of Mexico Oil Slick
The growing oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico has already caused irreversible damage. As the oil continues to flow, the amount of damage will surely increase despite the commendable efforts of the United States Coast Guard. How to best stop these leaks and contain the oil is being debated, with consensus arising only with the statement that there will be significant negative environmental impact to our coastline, no matter what we do. To date, BP has been able to stop one of the leaks (though this did not reduce the flow rate of oil into the ocean) and is working to place a second containment dome in the next few days.
The silver lining to this disaster is the awareness that it has drawn to the negative impacts of offshore drilling. The oil industry has an impressive record when it comes to safety on their oil rigs and significant spills are rare occurrences. But, drilling for oil is not without risks as clearly seen by this latest incident. It reminds us of what can happen when the oil we depend on to fuel our cars is let loose in our oceans.
What does this mean for energy and climate legislation? My hope is that this incident – and the realizations and attention that it brings to this issue – will bring Senator Graham back to the table, ideally with his Republican colleagues. News out today shows that this may already be happening. Perhaps we are now ready to make the tough decisions needed to protect our land, air and water.
Bottom Line: There may be a silver lining to the Gulf of Mexico oil slick disaster.