we are the children

Once upon a time, I did a school project on BP oil. In front of my class, teaming with fellow left-leaning compadres, I represented the oil giant in a debate. I spent hours researching their environmental policy and their lobby for drilling and pumping oil through the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I even wore a hard hat for that "log it, mine it, pave it" effect.

As I read through company propaganda, I began to convert a little. A smidge. I thought "these guys may not be so bad". I guess in true essence of debate, I really started to believe my argument. Millions poured into protecting the environment, research backing their claims of drilling and pumping safely, bla bla bla di bla. I sang the corporate song of "we are the world, we are the children". I thought, we are an oil based world...better a company aware of their effect, and a devotion to cleaning up their act than the alternative. I was fully aware of biased research, of "all talk and no action". Yet, I still marvelled at the fact that they had such an air tight policy and company values that valued preservation and conservation.

And now this, a blunder, a catastrophy. And now it's all gone to pot. A cast iron pot. A skillet in fact. Yet, I sit here and hope. I hope that all those years invested in developing their enviro policy and all those environmental geniuses hired by the company can fix this. Tragic...the marine death. The ripple effect. And I hope it doesn't get any worse. For our sake, for their sake:


I know, I'm fully aware of the gratuitous image insert...but don't they look concerned for this good green earth in this pic? I thought so too.