Seizing an Evolutionary Moment

Written June 15th, 2010
As I write these words, a singular tragedy continues to unfold, as it has done now for over two months. Unparalleled in the scope of it’s devastation, it fouls the vibrant and vital waters of the Gulf of Mexico, poisons the life therein, stains and chokes endless miles of shoreline, wetlands and marshes leaving birds, fish and countless other species to struggle and die in it’s toxic wake, and destroys the livelihoods of countless fishermen and tradesmiths of the tourism industries along the coast of Louisiana and beyond.
For those of us not unlucky enough to be experiencing it’s effects first-hand, the impact is profound nonetheless. There is a sense of helplessness and outrage as we stand by, viewing daily pictures of oil-coated pelicans and wondering how a corporate giant like BP is somehow given “rubber-stamp” approval to proceed with deep-sea drilling - one of the most inarguably dangerous fuel extraction methods that exists – without massive oversight by the Minerals Management Services, a U. S. government regulatory agency designed at least in part to enforce equipment safety standards, best practices and emergency preparedness in such operations for the protection of all. In the case of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion on April 20th, 2010, which killed 11 people, injured others and caused massive breaks in pipelines from wells a mile below the water’s surface which continue to spew sludgy crude oil at a rate far greater than any attempt thus far to capture it, all of these were blatantly lacking.
As we have now discovered, there is documented evidence to suggest not only that the MMS was complicit in allowing their buddies at BP to proceed without such scrutiny, but that corners were cut by BP operations management, knowingly and against the recommendations of multiple on-site engineers, that greatly increased the risk for such a calamity as that which we are now experiencing. No doubt there are further revelations of this kind waiting to be uncovered as both independent and official investigations continue. Therein lies the greatest tragedy of all; that - but for human folly, greed and failed vision - all of these far-reaching, irremediable consequences, as well as those yet to unfold, may have been avoided.
For most of us, this also provides clear proof of two key concepts:
First, that bold action toward a strong national clean energy policy - one which no longer rewards the coal and oil industries with massive tax breaks and government subsidies for compromising our national security, destabilizing the planet, polluting the air and water, compromising human health, accelerating the pace of climate change, suppressing innovation, stifling new markets and stopping the creation of countless new jobs in those markets - is truly what we now need and must DEMAND from our leaders as a major priority. Just imagine the possibilities of reform if, for instance, such mind-bending sums of money could be reallocated toward funding and incentives for industries, businesses, education and research that would greatly accelerate the changes we so desperately need. Whether in the realm of solar, wind, hydropower, advanced biofuels, or some technology not yet discovered or brought to the mainstream, the possibilities lay before us, “shining like a new dime”.
Second, we must acknowledge that our own continued complicity - and complacency – with an ultra-American, hyper-individualized, consumer-driven and ultimately unsustainable lifestyle that celebrates waste and reinforces our dependence on fossil fuels is absolutely something we can - and MUST - learn to modify. If we support clean energy reform ideologically, but do not look at our own consumption habits as a key component of that reform, we achieve nothing but to perpetuate the status quo. Whether at the gas pump or the grocery store, we cast our votes each and every day for the kind of future we REALLY want to create. There is so much we can do that requires minimal “sacrifice”, and actually improves our total health and well-being by restoring us to a more balanced awareness of, and sacred connection to, our place within the larger dance of life.
My prayer, dear reader, is that by the time you see these words, an effective “tourniquet” will have been found to stop the gaping wounds we all helped to create in the Gulf. But real healing will only begin when - and if - we acknowledge the larger implications of the damage done in choosing the road ahead.