Oil is a necessary evil, is it not?
We use it in everything in our modern world these days, from synthetic fabrics and televisions to fuel and the roads we drive on. It powers economies, both locally and internationally, yet it is also a contentious source of irritation for activist groups, political strong-points for global leaders, and lately, it has even become a device to wage economic warfare on countries, regardless of whether or not said countries are even close to being divided by existing or man-made boundaries.
We’ve all heard about the Nexen fiasco by now I think, considering all of the major networks have picked up on the story, and rightly so, because when oil spills happen, they are always a big deal, but why do politics always have to play such a huge part in the conversation?
If your company screwed up, own up to it and try to prevent it next time.
It bothers me when companies that make such huge profit margins are scared to name names, especially in circumstances like these.
While he apologized for the spill, Ron Bailey, senior vice president of Canadian operations for Nexen, declined to name the company that manufactured the pipeline itself, so I suppose the onus lies directly on the shoulders of the people that Bailey represents, but I wonder.
Who is Bailey trying to protect in this case?
Government interests?
I am not one to suggest anyone play the blame game here, but I really do think that a multi-billion dollar industry might want to take a long hard look at the ways it protects the people, wildlife and the landscape of the places affected by these disasters.
Apologies are great after all, but they are just words blown into the wind, and do nothing for the birds that cannot fly, for the fruit that does not grow, nor for the people who are displaced.
Which, of course, leads me to another point I am bound to get all sorts of feedback about, mainly negative, but I could be wrong.
You will notice I used the word people here as a whole, not just a particular group.
Whenever something environmental happens, First Nations are usually at the top of the list of angry people, and I understand it is important for their voices to be heard, but the focus seems to be entirely on them.
It is as if they are the only ones affected by any of this, but that is not true at all.
There are other people that live in the areas where this kind of incident occurs, yet the only people we ever hear from are First Nations representatives.
I wonder if this is because we are so used to them piping up with their concerns that mirror our own that we no longer care to give our own opinions, but if that is the case, I am worried.
Are we jaded?
