JUST A COUPLE QUICK THOUGHTS


It seems like Sarah and her conservative cohorts are mysteriously silent about off shore drilling (or any drilling in sensitive areas) since the oil rig explosion, and major environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

After years of hearing from her and her ilk, that drilling was perfectly safe for delicate ecosystems, (can we say ANWR), and endangered species or wildlife areas had nothing to fear from the oil industry, we’re now hearing dead silence.

Where is the “raping and pillaging of the environment” poster girl now? I don’t hear her screeching “Drill baby drill”. Maybe she could scream “Spill baby spill”, better yet, “Kill baby kill”, because that is a perfect mantra for the situation in the Gulf.

The Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill is killing millions of creatures, both land and sea. Its devastating flora and fauna along the coast of several states, endangering wetlands, and coastal national treasures. And if the plight of the environment or of non-human creatures does not touch your heart, then maybe the economical impact can get around that hole in your soul and cause some emotion.

According to Felicia C. Coleman, Director of the Coastal & Marine Laboratory at Florida State University, "many of these communities rely entirely on the high ecological productivity of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, whether they are involved in commercial or recreational fishing (valued in the billions of dollars in this part of the country) or tourism (yet more billions). In some areas, it's not a question of recovery. It will mean the loss of a way of life.''

The personal impact this disaster will have on humans is mind numbing. If money is your passion, and you don’t care about other people, or the environment, this catastrophe should still cause you to think about what we’re doing to the earth. Ill conceived actions, and mis-managed energy priorities affect everyone, even conservatives, whether they accept it or not.