Hard to think about, harder to change

Beautiful gulf waters - family vacation 2008 

So many of us in Florida have been listening with dread to reports about the BP oil spill disaster. An environmental disaster and an impending economic one too, beaches are being closed as oil begins to wash ashore. It's a mess of epic proportions. And it's our mess. 

It's our home. And it seems there is nothing to be done but sit and wait for oil to wash ashore, killing our wildlife, fouling our beaches, destroying local economies. Ron Cunningham, our local newspaper editor pins the fault on us. We're the ones refusing to change our oil-greedy lifestyles and many of us were even in favor of offshore drilling (until recently). But that's "water under the bridge" so to speak. What to do now?

A recent article in the New York Times describes a little town on the gulf that is doing something. James Hinton, the volunteer fire chief in Magnolia Springs, Alabama took it upon himself to come up with a solution to the oil heading their way - and to put the plan into action with local townspeople.  Using a simple plan requiring a string of barges and rows of "boom" -  the bright yellow plastic barriers we keep seeing on tv usually in a single row (which is failing) - Hinton hopes to protect his hometown's beaches and marshes from incoming oil, without waiting for BP or the government to do so. "We're not biologists or engineers or scientists... We took common sense and what we know about the water from living here." They're prepared to close off the bay entirely, with or without the required permission from BP. "We'd rather ask forgiveness later." 

Ironically, the summer issue of YES! magazine is all about water - how to work with nature to conserve and preserve it, how to protect our water sources, how to achieve "water independence." The gulf disaster had not yet occurred when the issue went to press, but it's got some down-to-earth and practical personal solutions to water issues that remind me of Hinton's plan for his imminently threatened town. And the Yes! website is now full of ideas for taking a positive stand against future catastrophes.

I disagree with our local news editor that the gulf oil spill is entirely the fault of the bad choices of the little people. British Petroleum was out doing what corporations do - make money; safeguards and disaster preparedness are seen as a financial drain (if you are up to the profanity, this is an interesting take on corporate attitude and ineptitude when it comes to environmental protection). And "regulation" was out doing what regulators have apparently been doing throughout industry - lounging in the pockets of the corporations. Finally, there we are at the bottom, the little guy willing to ignore the threat to the environment in order to keep the price of oil down so we can drive all over the place and have lots of stuff. 

Could this finally be a wake up call for all of us? BP's stock in plunging, local "drill-baby-drill" politicians are back-peddling, and folks like Mr. Hinton are taking charge of taking care of their place. It looks like it may be too late for so much of the gulf's wildlife. Could we honor their suffering by finally making changes in how we consume oil and take care of water? And, while we're at it, start dismantling the plutocracy? It's going to take some revolutionary thinking - and action. 

* * * * * * * * 

More inspiration:

John Francis

Eugene Robinson

Comments

[Alicia]

Well said. I hope it is a wake up call, for the big people and the little people. I hope Magnolia Springs has good luck too.

[David]

I am not very optimistic that this will wake us up. It only from the proverbial choir (as in "preaching to the choir") that I hear "its my fault". The blame has been laid and its 'out there'. There doesn't seem to be any room for introspection when so many have projected their anger at BP.