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What a Difference a Spill Makes
There are so many questions the spill in the Gulf now raises. What will be the impact on offshore drilling — which has been one of the few growth sectors of US domestic oil production? What kind of political backlash will it produce? Already President Obama and the administration are in damage control mode. How can we reasonably assess and digest the risk that this kind of energy production brings with it? After all, there is risk in the mines as we’ve painfully seen. There is risk in the air when we fly. There is risk crossing the street. It’s all about cost, benefit and consequence — as BP has already acknowledged. Will this be the THREE MILE ISLAND of oil drilling? Remember — after TMI we all but stopped nuclear construction and the industry was — pardon the pun — radioactive. 31 years later and we’re just now — maybe — about to restart the nuclear industry. TMI for oil? Is this the reality that will wash ashore with the spill — or will the public and the pols make a different calculation?
From the climate/energy bill and Obama saying we need to drill more offshore…to this. A new sense of reality. And vulnerability.
What a difference a spill makes.
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On May 1st, 2010 at 3:53 pm David G. Maskalick, Ph.D. Said:
As you say, there is risk in all that we try to accomplish. Now BP needs to call on its best professional engineers to determine how it will better prevent and if necessary deal with any future off shore drilling accidents. Now the Obama administration needs to call on professional engineers working in the Department of Energy and other government organizations to determine how government will be able to create better regulations and oversight/enforcement of regulations to prevent and if necessary deal with any future off shore drilling accidents.
On May 7th, 2010 at 2:26 pm Andy Dumaine Said:
I understand why the Obama administration put a moratorium on new offshore drilling permits after the spill, but it concerns me that their energy plan appears so knee jerk & reactionary. If the WH determined that the United States must begin drilling in coastal waters again, did the reasons behind their initial decision evaporate with the spill? Or did they believe that drilling in coastal waters is absolutely fail safe? Either way, it appears they are making key decisions based on dangerous assumptions and casual analysis. Hoping for the best isn’t an energy strategy that gives me a lot of confidence – especially when we start pushing nuclear again.