Link on oil spill

[greenie_breizh]

For anyone who think the current oil spill disaster is solely BP's fault, rather than a product of the way that we exploit oil resources... We could not have stopped Gulf oil gusher, ExxonMobil chief tells CongressScapegoating doesn't help, although I have no sympathy for the situation that BP finds itself in. The problem is much more systemic

Comments

[shiraz_wine]

One potentially good consequence of this is that people will be more willing to explore alternate energy sources and Obama is definitely using this incident to push for that: Obama's Oval Office Speech on Oil Spill: Defends Response, Calls for Energy Reform

[greenie_breizh]

I remain pessimistic until I see any kind of reform actually implemented / legislation actually passed. I've seen too many "calls for renewable energy" of some sort or other to believe they make a difference, unless they're backed up by real policy change. (Which is not to say I don't appreciate Obama trying, I'm just waiting to see if it actually has an impact.)

[shiraz_wine]

Well, the problem is that presidents are never in office for more than 8 years and it's really hard to enact monumental change in less than a decade, unless you have a series of politicians all dedicated to doing it. It's going to be even more difficult because Obama has two wars and a recession to counter, while trying to make the country a better nation. He's already starting two steps backwards.

A step in the right direction is that there seems to be a hybrid race gearing up between the automobile companies - the fastest way to have change is for companies to see it as potentially profitable. More states are installing stations for electric cars and there's definitely an impetus for developing electric cars. Hopefully, something similar will happen for wind and solar power.