Why We Have No Right to Blame British Petroleum
In the time it takes you to read this sentence, the world will have used up (forever) about 8,000 barrels of oil - 336,000 gallons; at 1000 barrels per second,
We can't blame BP, they were merely doing the best they could to feed our habit. And we were so busy feeding our habit, we didn't care how they produced the oil. Just so we got our daily fix.
And then, we were upset when an accident occurred. Hello - the amazing part is, that given our over dependence on oil, an accident didn't happen sooner. Blaming BP is like blaming the drug dealer for your heroin habit. Please!
Let's take a closer look at our "oil habit".
Everyday we use products made from oil. Put on lipstick - you're using oil, hit a golf ball, you're using oil, wash your hair you're using oil...
Drive on tires, race a sports car, wash dishes, brush your teeth, comb your hair, tape a Christmas package tape, use deodorant ( and we hope you do), turn up your hearing aid, sleep on a pillow, eat from salad bowl, fertilize your lawn, curl your hair, wear glasses, pluck a guitar string, put on a life vest, repel insects, play tennis, paint your house, slab cold cream on your face ( My , we look pretty), pop in your dentures, watch a movie, go fishing, light a candle, put down the toilet seat ( because your husband doesn't), get a fake leg or a fake hand, color a picture, write with a pen, put up an umbrella, cover that cut with a bandage, mop that floor, take a photo, use your cell phone, go boating, swipe your credit cards, polish your nails, brew some kick a football around, roof a house, pop a balloon, shave, replace a fan belt, pack your luggage, go skiing, break a leg, get a cast, pop in those contact lenses, shampoo that hair, glue that broken lamp together, polish your shoes ( and it's about time!), turn on a faucet, cool off by the air conditioner, buy some new shoes, wax that floor... and by the way, fill your car with gas, oil , antifreeze , power steering fluid, brake fluid, transmission oil and then COMPLAIN about the oil spill.
Yes every product in the paragraph above is made from oil, And if you are drinking bottled water from a plastic water bottle (made with oil) and then throwing it away, remember that less than one percent of water bottles are recycled and that over 28 billion - yes that is billion with a B - end up in America's land fills every year.
28 Billion!
Let's take a second and put a billion in perspective:
A billion seconds ago it was 1959.
A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.
A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.
A billion days ago no one walked on earth.
A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our current government spends it.
And if you are using disposable diapers (made from oil) on your baby, think about this. 18 Billion disposable diapers a year, in the US alone, end up in landfills. And remember that a BILLION is a really big number. 18 Billion is a LOT BIGGER!
The point of all of this? In America we depend (and yes, Depends and other adult diapers are made of oil) - in America we depend on oil products. And we speed up to stop signs, step on the gas at green lights, go 80 miles per hour on the freeway, willingly pay over $3 for a gallon of gas (after all we must support our oil habit) drink out of plastic water bottles, use throw-away trash bags , use plastic razors, disposable lighters and - must I go on?
Hello - do we blame the buyers of heroin or the suppliers? Think about it.
http://www.anwr.org/features/oiluses.htm
http://www.energybulletin.net/node/45594
Published by Philip Theibert
Philip Theibert is available for writing jobs and can be found at www.writingcoachnow.com. His latest book, The Most Creative, Escape the Ordinary, Excel at Public Speaking Ever , will be out in Fall 2012.... View profile
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11 Comments
Post a CommentYou make some great points here (but I still blame BP--heck, I also blame the people who supply heroin). Thanks for the education and nice article!
Very well written with much food for thought.....
Well done! cheers :)
Well put Philip!
Excellent article. I think that BP should be held responsible. I also think that people need to realize that this is not the first time that this has happened. Hopefully this will teach us all to begin using alternative fuel sources.
Well done, Philip.
Interesting perspective.
This puts a different perspective on the situation. I do agree with Mike though, that the design to feed our habit was flawed and BP needs to be held accountable.
We all share some responsibility, although most of us had nothing to do with the design and decisions that led to BP's latest fiasco.
There's plenty of blame to go around... but no way should BP held harmless for the consequences their careless, greed-driven decisions.