A bubblin' crude

After 65 days there is still a geyser of oil spewing approximately 798,000 gallons of black gold into the Gulf of Mexico daily, leaving obvious economic and environmental devastation.
The president has visited the area several times and even used this crisis to stage his first presidential address from the Oval Office.

However, when it comes to actually stopping the “spill” the government has thrown up its hands and passed the buck, letting BP try to resolve how best to stop the perpetual explosion of crude.
The only thing we hear from elected leaders on the right is what the Obama Administration is doing wrong and what the administration should not do.

Top Republican leaders like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, are voicing concern that the administration will use the crisis in the Gulf as a basis to pass energy reform legislation.
“With all due respect to the White House … our waters in the gulf are far more important than the status of the Democrats’ legislative agenda,” McConnell said. This is true, however, American presidents have the entire federal government at their disposal and can multitask.

Other republicans like Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) have said that any attempt to pass energy reform would be a “job-killing national energy tax on struggling families and small businesses.” Similar things were said about child labor laws, minimum wage and food regulation.

Looking at the scope of the crisis in the Gulf and the myriad of other problems that we face because of our energy structure, the Obama Administration should use the disaster in the Gulf as an impetus to pass sweeping energy reform. If not now, when? If we can’t do it because of this, what will it take?

Scientist estimate that more than 50 million barrels of oil has gushed into the water a mile below the surface of the ocean. With the “experts” predicting the mess to continue until mid-August, the sea-life that live in the warm waters could be sipping on approximately 94.2 million gallons of the toxic Texas Tea before BP has a “relief well” in place.

The U.S. spends approximately $1.5 billion a day, more than half a trillion dollars a year, on foreign oil. We are currently engaged in two wars, both in the oil rich Mideast, that have cost more than a trillion dollars combined.

Including Obama, the past eight presidents have promised to break the U.S. of our dependence on foreign oil. There is footage of Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton, Bush 43 and Obama (that’s five republicans and three democrats), each identifying our problems and offering their different solutions.




Yet, 36 years later, we are still suckling the tit of terrorists sponsoring countries and finding dangerous ways to break through nature’s barriers (deep water drilling and hydraulic fracturing, etc), all so we can get our fix for an outdated energy source. In the words of Jon Stewart, we have redefined success and still failed.

Some people want more wind and alternative energy sources, others want more “clean coal,” and some say that natural gas is a bridge connecting all energy possibilities. Realistically, we need them all. We should utilize every possible option until we can build a clean energy infrastructure. There is not one solution, but “drill baby drill” is no longer the only viable option and no matter how loudly we chant it, it will not help us clean up the Gulf.

This past weekend Rahm Emanuel, the White House Chief of Staff, hit the talk show circuit to lay out the president’s agenda for energy reform. He said there were three key goals for energy legislation: reducing our dependence on foreign oil, investments in clean energy technology and dealing with carbon pollution.

Today the President is set to have a meeting with senators from both parties; their goal is to reach a deal on an energy reform bill. The senate needs 60 votes to pass, and according to CNN, there are 50 who want it, 30 who do not and 20 senators that are undecided.

We should let our elected leaders know that now is the time to change our energy habits, we should use the problems of the past and disasters of the present to secure a safer and healthier future.