Jun
16
Stick it to Big Oil
The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has become one of the worse oil spills in history. Its extremely unfortunate and very upsetting. Lets not forget about gulf residents who have to live with the damages. However, people need to know where to direct their anger.
Too many people want to just stick it to big oil and boycott oil use. These people most likely do not know what all oil is used for. If they want to boycott big oil they will most likely have to give up their whole lifestyle – that includes all plastics, most clothes, some foods, and even furntiture. Seth Borenstein comments on this issue.
This reminds me of the UC Santa Cruiz student who got people to sign a petition to ban DHMO, dihydrogen monoxide. He informed citizens that DHMO was fatal if inhaled, was found in tumors, corroded metals, can cause severe burns, and causes car brake failure. People gladdly signed the petition to ban DHMO. Those who had missed chemistry 101 were later informed that dihydrogen monoxide is another name for H20, or water.
The main problem, or issue, we are facing was the lack of BP to make proper inspections and maintenance of their equipment. Sure, the oil is what is killing the local environment, but the proper containment of the oil is what was missing. Consumers can avoid using some of BP products, such as Castrol, Arco, Aral, Amoco, and Wild Bean Cafe if they wish to be more effective.