The Bp Oil Spill: Who’s to Blame?
Published by Drakdrium13 on June 3, 2010 in Opinions-
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With the oil spill in the gulf still acting as an unstoppable environmental disaster, who is to blame? This article will discuss several groups that have been identified as the cause of the spill.
People are filled with sorrow and outrage about the tragedy of the BP/Deepwater Horizon oil spill that occurred April 20, 2010. With their outrage comes the question: Who is to blame? In this article we’ll take a look at various groups that have been assigned blame.
I will not take any sides in this argument and allow you, the readers to make your own decisions.
BP (British Petroleum)
BP has been blamed more than almost any other potential culprit in this oil spill. They are an easy target, as it was their oil well that caused this spill (leased from Transocean). BP has been called in the gas/oil industry what the blood diamond industry is called in the jewelery world. In other words, BP has been accused of doing what makes money first and what is right/safe second. It has also been reported by the staff of Deepwater Horizon that a BP executive made decisions on site prior to the spill that put the site in jeopardy. A supervisor on the site wanted to close the well off, but a BP executive who was on site said, “Well my process is different. And I think we’re gonna do it this way.” It showed a breakdown in the chain of command and BP overstepping their boundaries. An executive doesn’t know what is safe and what is not. That is not their job. Also, BP had ordered an increase in the speed of the drilling, which caused several problems. So, is BP to blame for this spill by overstepping their boundaries and putting profit before safety? Or, are they simply receiving blame due to being the owners, for lack of a better word, of this oil well?
Deepwater Horizon Staff
As I just mentioned, the Deepwater Horizon staff had been ordered to increase drilling as well as other such things that caused problems on the site. Although the orders came from a BP executive, the staff is arguably responsible for the decisions made. They always have the ability to say no. Also, when chunks of the seal (what’s used to stop a catastrophic blowout) were found in the drilling fluid a supervisor on site said to the man who brought forth this information said, “Oh, it’s no big deal.” This appears to be negligence at its worst. So, are the staff members of Deepwater Horizon to blame because of their poor decisions on the rig? Or, did they have no choice under the pressures of BP executives or did they even realize the dangers?
Obama Administration
President Obama has taken a lot of effort to show that the government will be working to help clean up this oil spill, but also that the cost of this spill will be paid by BP. However, there have also been rumors about a rise in taxes to pay for this spill. That is neither here no there however. Why should we blame President Obama and his administration? Obama’s administration has made no attempts to change the regulations or safety procedures of offshore oil drilling. It is the government’s job to regulate the practices used in offshore drilling, and the safety violations that were made on the Deepwater Horizon could have been taken care of had there been stricter legislation about offshore oil rigs. So, is the Obama administration to blame because they did not put forth any effort in better regulating offshore oil drilling? Or, is the administration simply receiving blame because the government is always the scapegoat?
Environmentalists
Conservatives, as well as other select demographics, have recently been putting the blame for the oil spill on environmentalists. How can people who care so much for the environment be the the cause of this spill? Well, the thinking behind this is that because the environmentalists have made such a push against drilling in Alaska and other places in the U.S., offshore drilling has had to go deeper into the sea and been forced to step up production to accommodate the U.S.’s need for oil. In other words, the claim is that if environmentalists simply allowed for drilling in Alaska and certain nature preserves then the spill could have been averted. So, are the environmentalists to blame because they’ve forced the oil rigs deeper into the ocean and to more unsafe sites? Or, would the oil companies have drilled in the ocean anyway even if Alaska and other areas were being drilled at?
Bush Administration
A viewpoint most prevalent among democrats, some have placed blame for the oil spill on the previous administration. There are still many questions unanswered about the relationship that the Bush administration had with the oil companies. This has led some to believe that the Bush administration let many violations and issues simply slide by. So, did the Bush administration’s close relationship with the oil companies set up the events that caused the oil spill? Or, is the Bush administration simply falling victim to the blame because they are such a popular target due to many other accusations about their administration?
Oil Industry
A group that has had little blame in most media outlets, the oil industry is still being blamed by the average Americans. The industry is seen in a very negative light as a group seeking only profit, without any regard for the environment or the safety of its workers. People that blame the oil industry also blame BP because BP is part of the oil industry, however they place the blame on the organization as a whole, rather than on one particular piece. Some feel that the offshore oil drilling has gone too far and despite the new depths that are being exploited for oil, prices have still risen for oil. They are still below where they about a year ago, but they are slowing creeping back up. So, is the oil industry to blame for drilling so far out in the first place and creating an industry bent on profit without concern for long-term consequences? Or, are they simply a group of corporations that are seeking to meet the world’s need for oil, and this is an unfortunate accident?
America’s Morality
By far the least supported and most far-fetched claims, some religious groups have blamed America’s morality for the oil spill. They feel that this is divine punishment for America’s growing acceptance of gays, abortion, and other similar ideas/practices. So, is America’s morality to blame for the oil spill and is this divine punishment from God? Or, is this simply the deranged ravings of people who need to learn tolerance?
You Decide!
That’s all for now folks! I was a little opinionated here and there (especially on that last one), but I hope you gained some information from this article and know a bit more about the candidates to receive blame for the oil spill. Perhaps the blame falls a little on all of us? Well, that’s not for me to decide. Either way, feel free to comment and let me know who you think is to blame.
Oh, and here’s link to a very cool interview from 60 minutes with a man working on the Deepwater Horizon when the spill occurred.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/16/60minutes/main6490197.shtml
Unfortunately you neglected to mention the US consumers most of whom drive gas-guzzling cars which put such demand on the oil producers to find more oil to feed those cars.
An advert on TV in USA last year seemed to suggest that the main selling point for a particular brand of new car was because it could do 40 MPG. This figure is NOT impressive, it is what you can expect from any modern car in the UK.
Why did you leave out the fact that the Obama administration has a very cozy relationship with BP? It seems that you have attempted to whitewash the Obama administration in your hit piece and then tried to lay blame on the previous administration. However that will not wash. It is not kosher. It does not fit the facts.
There are two areas where there is blame, if we must use “blame” to explain the detail. The first is the cause of the explosion. I believe that both BP and the people on the rig share equal blame for the explosion. The second area is that of containment.
The oil spill, if everything possible was being done could have been better contained by sticking to the disaster plan as set out in the 1990 legislation. The Federal government is the one who is supposed to be in charge of the effort to contain the spill. However, nothing substantial was done in the first weeks. The Feds did not provide the booms; the Army Corps of Engineers have not gotten off their butts, and instead insisted that there had to be an environmental impact study before the necessary sand berms could be built to protect the marshes in Louisiana. It was up to the Obama Administration to waive this kind of crap… it was not done. Then the fishermen on hand, who were there to help with the clean up were not allowed to go out to do their job because they had to wait for the results of drug tests… again this could have been waived.. instead it caused further delays.
With regard to the slackness of the MMS, I would suggest that the lack of oversight of them in previous years was a grave error. It does not however make the former Bush Administration culpable for the oil spill. This is because we are now more than 18 months into the disastrous Obama regime… and that is long enough for whoever was in charge to have made changes. The granting of licenses and waivers rests solely with the Obama regime, not the Bush Administration.
Actually, I feel we all share the blame a little bit. it’s not really any one person or group’s fault. i just thought a lot of people would read this and i would make money to be honest. you thinking that i’m trying to sway people one way or another is something you came up with.
p.s. I LOL when people describe any administration as a “regime”
awesome article. people need to stop pointing fingers in the media and just get this fixed. It is truly a dark event in american history
What about Transocean?
Everyone who uses plastic bags, cars, and so forth is to blame..
@B Nelson
So, everyone in otherwords right?
i hate bp they hurt the pelicans
If none of us used oil then this wouldnt have happened, As for americans blaming BP, americans use more oil than any of us, cant moan about breaking a few eggs, when you ordered the biggest omlett in the world.