I completely oppose offshore drilling. I just don’t think the cost/benefit ratio is worth it.
I challenge BP to innovate and work with us and the government to get ALL companies out of the oceans and into sustainable practices including the development of new technologies and supporting cultural norms to eliminate our dependence on oil.
I’ve been a long time supporter of BP as one of the better oil companies. If you check out the Better World Handbook, you will see that BP is the second best choice for environmentally responsible gas/oil companies. (http://www.betterworldhandbook.com/gasoline.html)
I am opposed to a boycott of BP. If we boycott BP, we are HELPING Exxon and other companies that are doing far worse things to the environment than BP. BP messed up huge here, I don’t deny that. And they need to be held accountable. They also need our support in showing other oil companies how to properly deal with this kind of situation, and prevent it from happening again.
As I see it, our choices are to either stop using gas and petroleum products (aka PLASTIC!), or support the companies that do the best job of being environmentally sustainable, or both.
I don’t think it’s about hurting the oil companies, I think its about voting with our dollars and encouraging them to do the right thing, while assisting them in doing it. When we try to “hurt the oil companies”, we don’t succeed. They have too much money and power, that WE GIVE TO THEM! We keep them going because we are dependent on fossil fuels. We need to focus on shifting our culture and supporting the companies that are the safest environmentally at the same time. Let’s empower those working to do the right thing, and encourage more of that, rather than punish those doing the wrong thing, and encourage them to just find another way to do it that we agree with or don’t know about.
My Recipe for Effective Revolution
1> Let’s be intelligent in the long term by supporting the companies with the best record, rather than being reactive and punishing a company with one of the best records for decades over one event, and simaltaenously supporting (inherently) companies that aren’t investing anywhere near the time and energy that BP and Sunoco are in being environmentally safe and sustainable.
2> Let’s reduce our dependence on oil, starting with those absolutely HORRIBLE plastic bags at the grocery store, which yes, are made from petroleum by-products. Here’s a great list of ten realistic and doable things each of us can do: http://blogcritics.org/scitech/article/ten-ways-to-reduce-our-dependence/
3> Let’s call for and encourage companies to innovate new solutions. The gas/oil companies like BP sell Energy and materials for creating consumer products. They don’t sell gas or oil or plastic bags. Let’s focus as a society on what we want (such as transportation, energy, and a way to carry groceries), and encourage companies like BP to see that is what they provide. Then they can innovate other methods for meeting our needs, that don’t involve oil!
4> Let’s keep the conversation going and talk with our friends and neighbors about reducing our dependency on oil by carpooling, using public transportation, riding bikes, and other alternatives. Learning and sharing ideas, knowledge, and experience with others is our best offense to shift the way things are. Pick one thing you can do different starting today, just one, and focus on that for a month. If it works, then pick another. Don’t try to do it all at once, and don’t do nothing at all. Find a way to be of contribution that fits your lifestyle so you can make a real and lasting difference.
Your thoughts?
What are your thoughts on how we can encourage sustainability and reduce/eliminate oil dependency?
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