The Observation Deck

I have to drive down Madison a lot on errands and doctor's visits. I'm always angered at the number of people buying BP.

I'm too old and tired to do it, but why aren't younger people out there picketing? Why are people there spending money?

What more does it take before Lakewoodites get a conscience and stop subsidizing a company that is killing our oceans, our South, our environment and ultimately our children.

People need gas to keep the circle of needing gas going. Until we no longer need gas, BP and other oil company's are still going to rape the land and kill the villagers. No amount of picketing is going to stop that.

Because boycotting BP will have almost no effect on BP itself but could have devestating consequences for the local owners and employees of gas stations. Not to mention the fact that no other supplier is any better.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Money/2010/061 ... better-way

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/06/07/boycott-bp.html

If you drive BP into bankruptcy, who's going to continue paying for the cleanup?

BP all by itself is not the problem. They're just the particular oil company that got unlucky this time. Patronizing other stations instead of BP is no different than going to BP. Has it been long enough to go back to Exxon? Do you really think BP is more negligent than all the rest?

They're the ones who blew it. Those owners may suffer but in the meantime, their product is destroying our ocean, economies of soooooo many fisherpeople, shrimpers, vacation and resort locations, sea life, water. The air we breathe. They are the target, right here, right now.

DO NOT SPEND ONE MORE CENT THERE.

And as far as bankrupting them? What about them bankrupting your childrens future?

Why are you driving a lot, fueling the demand for oil?

Exactly. Add up all the oil spilled in the Gulf, turn it all into gasoline and Americans would burn through it in four hours. Everyone wants to blame BP. No one wants to look in the mirror.

My mirror says one tank 3 months. You?

My mirror says, no paper towels, no print papers, sorry Jimmy, 3 minute showers. Air conditioning (which I don't even pay for) on only when it's 85 degrees or more (and I don't do well in heat). I use a fan when possible.

One light on at a time. Books from the library. Dishes done with rinse in sink. Many more things. I think about what I do, I think about how I spend my money.

Obviously it's too much to ask others to do the same. I have no grandchildren. Even if I do get that lucky it won't be more than one. My kids are very aware of the world around them.

I pity the next generation, the grandkid's growing up knowing that they weren't treasured by those who came before.

My kids know I tried, what is your legacy?

Thanks Sharon. I actually came back here to apologize to you before I even read your rebuttal. My post wasn't intended for you...just Americans in general. I'm very sorry it came across that way. I just think it's easy for many to blame BP (even though they are massively at fault) without making any lifestyle changes themselves. If there was no demand for this product, they wouldn't have been drilling there in the first place.

BTW...I've read that washing dishes by hand actually uses twice as much energy as a new energy-efficient dishwasher.

This past Saturday.

Sharon I am not surprised at all. Many simply do not care, "too much bad news."

AS Mike pointed out, many do not get it, in this new religious movement called "green"

A good example you cited the Lakewood Observer, much more efficient and green way to
get out information that anything else. Newsprint has not been a tree for decades. Just
rags and and paper rewashed and repulped. Pretty low energy process, our entire run
of 14,000 papers this week took 17 minutes to print! All with soybean ink.

When you look at just how ungreen computers are, it is kind of amazing newspaper
got a bad name for not being green. Electricity to build and run. All of the peripherals,
the printing on bright white un-recycled paper, etc. Newspapers are about as green as
one can get. Even use them in your garden to grow food good enough to eat!

FWIW

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Mike - thank you so much.

Dishes done with a sink of rinse water, uses much less than running water. I can also do this because I don't have kids, they're all grown up.

Jimmy - I'm in the habit of not having paper and I know you have greened the Observer all along the way. I live in an apt. and the city does not pick up recyclables here. Calls have been made but still hasn't happened.

http://wallstreetpit.com/32898-the-bp-and-mms-spill-more-of-the-story-begins-to-emerge
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/04/AR2010050404118.html

Federal MMS deserves at least some blame for what happened. That's not minimizing the actions of BP.

During the Bush administration there was systematic downsizing of budgets, personnel, salaries and enforcement capabilities of all enforcement agencies.

Look at the coal mine disasters and the lack of safety enforcements.

When you strip budgets of these agencies and take away their ability to enforce or propose good regulatory practices, you wind up with what we now have. A disaster of epic proportions.

Those of you who rant about making government smaller, pay close attention to what has and has not gone on with these agencies. Do you really want smaller and even less efficient government. Shall we let corporate American police itself.

Take a little trip down to New Orleans, see what it really means.

Sharon,
You're doing the right things and many people could learn a lot from your example. I try to do my part too.

But again, boycotting BP will not hurt BP. It makes some folks feel better but only reducing oil usage overall will have an effect. It's similar to those boycotts calling for everyone to not buy gas on Tuesday or something.

And if I don't go to BP, where do the boycotters recommend one go? Exxon? (Valdez) Mobil? (Atlantic Empress) What company doesn't have an evironmentally horrible record?