Monday, May 17, 2010

What's At Stake

This past weekend hubby and I had the opportunity to spend some time on my beloved Gulf of Mexico.  His firm has an annual retreat on Longboat Key and we always look forward to soaking in the natural beauty of the Gulf.  This past weekend, however, was marred by the thought of the oil disaster off the coast of Louisiana.  From the moment I set eyes on the Gulf, I was in love, despite the fact that I grew up on the beach in Southern California.  The Gulf holds a special place in my heart and I always feel a thrill when I see it.  Now there is the potential that the Gulf will be spoiled for decades - even centuries - to come.  Right now, barrels and barrels of oil are spilling into the Gulf, with no end in sight.  What will happen if BP and all the other involved interests cannot stop this disaster?  Think about the shell fish, the fish, the pelicans, sandpipers, gulls, manatees, dolphins, and countless other sea life that will be destroyed.  Hopefully, the leak will be plugged and the worst disaster to face the U.S. will be stopped.  Maybe, because of this wakeup call,  we will rethink the "drill, baby, drill" mentality and look to alternative, renewable, clean energy sources.  And maybe, now with the oil companies' credibility destroyed and the cruel reality of our insatiable desire for energy revealed,  we will rethink our priorities.   I'm hoping so for the world's sake.


2 comments:

Deanna said...

I am literally sickened by what is happening. Like you, I hope it will be a wake-up call.

Cherie said...

Deanna - maybe we'll shift towards renewable fuel sources (and the price will come down as well!).