oil spill rant

[Prettiest Frog]

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I have quit two jobs because of safety issues. These guys chose to continue to work there, they consented to the additional risk. I'm sorry for their families, just like I'm sorry for the Earnhardt family, but, well, they were there, in that situation, by choice. I'm not blaming those workers, specifically. I am just pointing out that they were there by choice and knew the risks and that this disaster occurred because of the very foreseeable consequences of someone not doing their job properly. I personally chose not to climb scaffolding that did not meet safety standards, but if I had and it collapsed while I was on it, well, so on, so forth.

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I've made a conscious decision to use petroleum products only when absolutely necessary, and the few products I do continue to use are recycled. We no longer have a car and my husband's carpool uses a hybrid. I personally walk or ride a bicycle for most of my errands and carpool for the others. Most of the products used in my home are locally produced, many of them by me. You don't have to sell 'every oil burning vehicle and tool' to make a difference, that's just ridiculous hyperbole. There are many very affordable vehicles suitable for large families that get over 30mph, and most towns at this point have recycling centers. Two easy changes that can drastically reduce oil usages just by themselves, and yet people consistently are full of silly excuses not to use either.

the world is going to die off, with the huge domino effect, of one blown oil well.

Please don't again misrepresent my statements. I specified around 400 species and even listed several of them. I did not say the world was ending because of this one oil well. Strawmen really don't add to a discussion.​

 

[Iowa Roo Mom]

I think....

.....this thread.....

......is on countdown.....

......to lockdown.


That being said- I wonder why these always have to turn into an arguement, usually between a couple or a few people, battling back and fourth because one person just simply will not allow anyone else to have an opinion that does not parallel theirs.

 

[DuckLady]

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You are right Terrah.

Please remember that discussion is ok.
Trolling, flaming and squabbling is not.
This thread was a good discussion until recently and the Staff is watching it.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

We discourage our members from starting these typed of thread because they end up causing a lot of hurt feelings and a ton of reports and subsequent problems for our staff. We would love to be able to allow all discussions on all topics and let our members self-moderate... unfortunately 10 years have taught us that this isn't possible.

If you participate in these threads do NOT get tempted to personally attack or flame other members. If you find that you are unable to refrain from getting pulled into the drama of these threads and can't stop yourself from flaming other members directly and publicly please know that our staff will issue you a warning and then, if necessary will remove your access to the forum.

We hate to have to be so strict, but we love this community and want everyone to get along... even if that means removing a few bad apples that can't reply with personal restraint.

 

[cluckcluck42]

Our worldwide dependency on fossil fuels needs to end. Period. What else has to happen for us to demand green energy? When the entire world is destroyed?

 

[Royd]

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As someone pointed out, the other day, on a talk show, let's see how they will make steel, without the use of fossil fuel....Instead of beating our swords into plowshares, we'll be carving them out of wood....Or maybe, we'll just go back to using a pointed stick.

 

[Prettiest Frog]

If we cut down on the use of fossil fuels where they can be replaced by other options, we will be able to support the industries that cannot currently replace fossil fuels without having to engage in practices that severely damage the environment in order to get the fuels.

And at some point, those industries will be able to work with synthetic fuels and we will eliminate the need for this resource entirely.

There is a middle ground.

 

[speckledhen]

We no longer have a car and my husband's carpool uses a hybrid. I personally walk or ride a bicycle for most of my errands and carpool for the others. Most of the products used in my home are locally produced, many of them by me. You don't have to sell 'every oil burning vehicle and tool' to make a difference, that's just ridiculous hyperbole. There are many very affordable vehicles suitable for large families that get over 30mph, and most towns at this point have recycling centers.

Just a couple comments on the above statements. We can't live that way. We live 12 miles from the nearest grocery store. Can't buy a new car because it is cheaper (no payment, lower insurance) to keep the old ones from the mid-90's and pay a bit more for gasoline. Must have a big truck to haul wood and building supplies or will have to add $$$ onto every purchase to rent a truck every time. To live the way you are describing, you cannot live out in rural areas as we do. The best we can do is that neither of us work so we only make trips to get groceries, feed and medicine, thereby saving on fuel usage. It's lovely to have all these lofty principals if you have the money to back them up. I have a burn barrel and a home dump on my property because those things don't cost money I don't have, which does save a ton on my garbage (which we have to take to the center in town ourselves and pay about 10 cents a pound except for aluminum cans) Frankly, if I lived close enough to anything to walk everywhere, I might as well pack it in and decide my life is over because it's very distasteful to think that I'd have to live that close to crowds of people again.

I'm basically anti-social and like it that way.


Everyone is paying for BP's mistake, I've noticed. All gas prices are going up. Gee, we can't have BP be the only oil company suffering for their screw-up, now can we?

I love nature and hate to see it bulldozed. Told my DH that if I become incapacitated, rather than put me in a nursing home, just wheel me out onto the deck in the morning and wheel me back in at night so I can watch the wildlife and the mountain view. It's a very sad thing what this spill will do to the wildlife, as well as the fishermen.​

 

[yotetrapper]

This is a tragedy. It was an accident. It is horrible. The sad fact is, the people in charge, the high-ups are spending as much time arguing and casting blame as we here are. Everyone needs to stop pointing fingers, and work to solve the problem!

Sure, I hate to see the destruction of wildlife. I love wildlife. I am not, however, and animal rights person. I believe in responsible management of wildlife. This spill will affect wildlife for a long time. More importantly, it will affect most all humans who rely on that wildlife. Be it fishermen, tourists, restaurants, or whatnot, everyone will be affected by the destruction of the wildlife's habitat. Others will also be effected, all of us, by the financial loss and clean up burden on BPs shoulders.

This is a bad deal for every man, woman, child and critter.

 

[Msbear]

well said, SH. I agree that most of us cannot survive with a carbon footprint of zero. But, what is so great about this place, is that we all have the same common interests and most share similar beliefs. We think nature is beautiful and we respect it and try to save and conserve whenever we can. My husband drives a cruddy old honda passport because we cannot afford a hybrid but, I have a compost pile which saves on fertilizers while limiting out trash output. We recycle and grow our own garden ..even though it's in our front yard. We don't have to mow so much anymore. I can count a gazillion different ways we are helping be apart of the solution and it's people like that whom are conscious of the situation that are going to make a difference. Their children learn and share with their friends and it gets taught in schools and, slowly, change will come. I would love to say goodbye to oil right now but that is more than I am willing to sacrifice... but, we are going in that direction and Im satisfied with that.

my front yard garden

later that year

buying locally is a HUGE way of conserving fuel. Conserving oil goes much farther than just how much we, personally, drive our vehicles. Think about everything you have in your home and where it came from. We buy our furniture at yard sales and refinish and fix up. I found this dresser curb side .. for FREE!

We love antiques and quality craftsmenship. My house is not full of broken ugly trash. We just like a great deal and enjoy the hunt. We have an entire lifetime to accummulate stuff and appreciate things that have already lasted the test of time.