A member of the Presidential Oil Spill Commission offers his broad perspectives on the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The aggressive drive to exploit the oil and gas resources of the deep Gulf, restrained governmental oversight, deficient safety culture and lack of forethought on containment of deepwater blowouts all contributed to this tragedy. While the longer-term impacts are yet to be determined, even in the worst case these impacts pale by comparison to the effects of humankind’s insatiable consumption of petroleum and other fossil fuels on oceanic and coastal ecosystems.
Sponsored by the Program in the Environment.