I don’t notice a lot of attention being paid in the news to activities directed toward discovering the true causes of the spill, the reasons why drilling is being pushed in technology-stretching directions, or whether the companies involved realistically address risk in their projects.

I don’t believe the oil spill broadcasts “a message” independent of the observer. A rather obvious message would be to review current regulations with the intent to determine their adequacy, the extent to which they’re followed, and to question whether new regulations, if enforced, could help prevent spills in the future. But an entire range of messages could be inferred depending on the point of view of the observer.

I don’t notice a lot of attention being paid in the news to activities directed toward discovering the true causes of the spill, the reasons why drilling is being pushed in technology-stretching directions, or whether the companies involved realistically address risk in their projects.

I don’t believe the oil spill broadcasts “a message” independent of the observer. A rather obvious message would be to review current regulations with the intent to determine their adequacy, the extent to which they’re followed, and to question whether new regulations, if enforced, could help prevent spills in the future. But an entire range of messages could be inferred depending on the point of view of the observer.

Putting aside the regulatory, media, and environmental catastrophic quagmire (among others) of this, I think the message is most telling in the language: “What can we do to make sure this never happens again?”

Well, the easy-but-hard answer is “We will phase out fossil fuels, starting with offshore drilling. If we don’t do it again, it can’t happen again.”

Wait until the ecological impact from this catastrophe makes an impact on wallets, dinner tables, and other things far more tangible to folks not living along the coast. Then, I hope, we’ll see a better message broadcast.

Thank you, FOUR YEARS. GO — I need your optimism.

Putting aside the regulatory, media, and environmental catastrophic quagmire (among others) of this, I think the message is most telling in the language: “What can we do to make sure this never happens again?”

Well, the easy-but-hard answer is “We will phase out fossil fuels, starting with offshore drilling. If we don’t do it again, it can’t happen again.”

Wait until the ecological impact from this catastrophe makes an impact on wallets, dinner tables, and other things far more tangible to folks not living along the coast. Then, I hope, we’ll see a better message broadcast.

Thank you, FOUR YEARS. GO — I need your optimism.

Friends and Questions Team,

The amazing thing to me about the public response to this disaster so far is the lack of a substantial focus on what we can do about it. I read a lot of stories or complaints about whether the Administration or BP is doing enough to deal with the crisis; but not much about what more ought to be done to deal with the crisis responsibly.

Similarly, I read about how BP and other oil companies bypassed current regulations, ignored even the warnings of their own workers, are in cahoots with MMS, but almost nothing about what needs to be done to change this situation so that it can’t happen anymore with other off shore oil operations, etc.

I read a blog by the Nature Conservancy explaining its relationship with BP and how it has to become an even more responsible relationship; but then the President of the Conservancy says that a transition to renewable energy is a long term challenge and we have to live with off shore oil drilling in the meantime. And NO ONE is challenging this??

On the contrary we could make most of the shift to a renewable energy economy within 15 or 20 years with sufficient political will and proper funding and for probably less than what has been spent by the US in Afghanistan and Iraq over the last 10 years; and certainly considerably less than we spend on the military overall. So this is where our focus primarily has to be placed.

I mention these things because I think that the questions that are posed need to focus more on the institutional changes that are needed as well. I am not opposed to including a focus on personal actions and responsibility; but really we will only make it through the transition that we are all desiring by shifting our institutional responses to how things are on the planet.

After writing this I have now gone to last week’s question and read the responses. I was happy to see that several respondents were focusing on ways that we can respond that are more political or institutional in nature. It seems to me that if 4YG can develop the means on the website to post specific actions on specific issues that others can also support, or partner with Change.org on doing something like this, that this could be most helpful.

For example, I notice that Ellie mentions oil tankers that could vacuum up the oil and reclaim it; but that not much is happening yet with this. Imagine if FYG could thus make it easy for many of us to support Ellie’s efforts to get some kind of action on this. Similarly, I saw a videoabout using hay to absorb the oil; and then read an article this morning about how the Nature Conservancy gets $10 m from BP and has an ongoing relationship with them. So I wrote to the Conservancy and asked them to follow up with BP and the government on this hay absorbing idea. Imagine if hundreds of others at FYG could help encourage such a thing as this. Maybe the Nature Conservancy would actually follow up on it and BP would feel compelled to finally begin to really clean up the mess.

Thanks,

Rob Wheeler
Citizens Network for Sustainable Development
World Transforming Initiatives
robwheeler22 @ gmail.com

Friends and Questions Team,

The amazing thing to me about the public response to this disaster so far is the lack of a substantial focus on what we can do about it. I read a lot of stories or complaints about whether the Administration or BP is doing enough to deal with the crisis; but not much about what more ought to be done to deal with the crisis responsibly.

Similarly, I read about how BP and other oil companies bypassed current regulations, ignored even the warnings of their own workers, are in cahoots with MMS, but almost nothing about what needs to be done to change this situation so that it can’t happen anymore with other off shore oil operations, etc.

I read a blog by the Nature Conservancy explaining its relationship with BP and how it has to become an even more responsible relationship; but then the President of the Conservancy says that a transition to renewable energy is a long term challenge and we have to live with off shore oil drilling in the meantime. And NO ONE is challenging this??

On the contrary we could make most of the shift to a renewable energy economy within 15 or 20 years with sufficient political will and proper funding and for probably less than what has been spent by the US in Afghanistan and Iraq over the last 10 years; and certainly considerably less than we spend on the military overall. So this is where our focus primarily has to be placed.

I mention these things because I think that the questions that are posed need to focus more on the institutional changes that are needed as well. I am not opposed to including a focus on personal actions and responsibility; but really we will only make it through the transition that we are all desiring by shifting our institutional responses to how things are on the planet.

After writing this I have now gone to last week’s question and read the responses. I was happy to see that several respondents were focusing on ways that we can respond that are more political or institutional in nature. It seems to me that if 4YG can develop the means on the website to post specific actions on specific issues that others can also support, or partner with Change.org on doing something like this, that this could be most helpful.

For example, I notice that Ellie mentions oil tankers that could vacuum up the oil and reclaim it; but that not much is happening yet with this. Imagine if FYG could thus make it easy for many of us to support Ellie’s efforts to get some kind of action on this. Similarly, I saw a videoabout using hay to absorb the oil; and then read an article this morning about how the Nature Conservancy gets $10 m from BP and has an ongoing relationship with them. So I wrote to the Conservancy and asked them to follow up with BP and the government on this hay absorbing idea. Imagine if hundreds of others at FYG could help encourage such a thing as this. Maybe the Nature Conservancy would actually follow up on it and BP would feel compelled to finally begin to really clean up the mess.

Thanks,

Rob Wheeler
Citizens Network for Sustainable Development
World Transforming Initiatives
robwheeler22 @ gmail.com

It will be interesting to see how the media treats this ongoing disaster as it unfolds along the coasts of LA, FL. Katrina was an inconvenience compared to this. Or maybe it won’t quite matter as much until the slick starts moving up the eastern seaboard. And who knows. One day, the oil content of the Chesapeake Bay, where Dick Cheney sits in comfortable retirement, may even lap up against his shore.

But it isn’t only the phasing out of offshore drilling that will prevent this from happening agin. It’s a sane regulatory environment, in which Senators no longer kow-tow to K Street.

It will be interesting to see how the media treats this ongoing disaster as it unfolds along the coasts of LA, FL. Katrina was an inconvenience compared to this. Or maybe it won’t quite matter as much until the slick starts moving up the eastern seaboard. And who knows. One day, the oil content of the Chesapeake Bay, where Dick Cheney sits in comfortable retirement, may even lap up against his shore.

But it isn’t only the phasing out of offshore drilling that will prevent this from happening agin. It’s a sane regulatory environment, in which Senators no longer kow-tow to K Street.

The time has come to speak the truth to the powers in elected office and big business corporations. Make your voice heard notifying those who have participated in the leasing of the space to Deepwater Horizon and BP that the resolution must be prompt and complete.
The US Senators, especially from Louisiana, must be addressed, as well as members of the House. The Governor of Louisiana must be addressed. Who will take a stand? Tell those participants that the cleanup must continue until the restoration of the wetlands is complete. Migratory birds nest in coastal Louisiana. Indigenous species of the coast and the gulf are threatened with extermination. The seafood industry of Louisiana is already impacted. Conventions have been canceled from Mobile to New Orleans. Tourism is impacted. BP will pay the price to those who have lost their livelihood. Join me in addressing the CEO of BP and the Executive Office in Washington D.C.

The time has come to speak the truth to the powers in elected office and big business corporations. Make your voice heard notifying those who have participated in the leasing of the space to Deepwater Horizon and BP that the resolution must be prompt and complete.
The US Senators, especially from Louisiana, must be addressed, as well as members of the House. The Governor of Louisiana must be addressed. Who will take a stand? Tell those participants that the cleanup must continue until the restoration of the wetlands is complete. Migratory birds nest in coastal Louisiana. Indigenous species of the coast and the gulf are threatened with extermination. The seafood industry of Louisiana is already impacted. Conventions have been canceled from Mobile to New Orleans. Tourism is impacted. BP will pay the price to those who have lost their livelihood. Join me in addressing the CEO of BP and the Executive Office in Washington D.C.

Rob, thank you for dropping by. You make a number of excellent points and I won’t try to address them all. But the main one might be that 4YG can (eventually) facilitate communication and action on specific issues. At the moment I am not sure how much 4YG wants to be doing that, but the fact is that the infrastructure is not in place yet for that to happen. As for whether anyone is challenging the narrative that we still need offshore drilling, you might not be looking in all the right places.

The most provocative statement you made was about how we could transition to renewable energy for less than we spend on the military. I realized that the military runs on fossil fuel–ever heard of a solar powered tank?—and the military-industrial complex depends on a continued need for a military to engage in resource wars to secure future sources of fossil fuel. So any transition to renewables–globally–implies the loss of millions of jobs and the disappearance of entire industries. Which national security advisor or member of the Joint Chiefs is going to say we’re not transitioning fast enough. And which oil company that you know of has ever come out against a war?

Rob, thank you for dropping by. You make a number of excellent points and I won’t try to address them all. But the main one might be that 4YG can (eventually) facilitate communication and action on specific issues. At the moment I am not sure how much 4YG wants to be doing that, but the fact is that the infrastructure is not in place yet for that to happen. As for whether anyone is challenging the narrative that we still need offshore drilling, you might not be looking in all the right places.

The most provocative statement you made was about how we could transition to renewable energy for less than we spend on the military. I realized that the military runs on fossil fuel–ever heard of a solar powered tank?—and the military-industrial complex depends on a continued need for a military to engage in resource wars to secure future sources of fossil fuel. So any transition to renewables–globally–implies the loss of millions of jobs and the disappearance of entire industries. Which national security advisor or member of the Joint Chiefs is going to say we’re not transitioning fast enough. And which oil company that you know of has ever come out against a war?

I imagine that those who predicted 2010 for Peak Oil, which means that oil reserves are now TOO REMOTE and TOO EXPENSIVE are patting themselves on the back with their calculators. Good work!

I imagine that those who predicted 2010 for Peak Oil, which means that oil reserves are now TOO REMOTE and TOO EXPENSIVE are patting themselves on the back with their calculators. Good work!

I don’t watch the news, but i do read internet articles and what I’ve noticed about them is there is a general tone of expectation that the next solution will fail, and that there is little that we can do but watch, wait, and see. There is also a number of Facebook pages where hundreds of people will comment on what they think about various aspects of the oil spill. Some are very intelligent, hope inspiring comments. Some are of despair and anger, but you get everything in between as well. In voice converstaion i’ve had most people get to a point where it makes them so sick that they dont want to talk about it anymore, or they do and feel suffering. Alot about the physical reality of it makes me sad. At the same time we stand on the forefront of an opportunity for enormous change that could potentially help us to operate as a more unified and cooperative species. It’s a big mixed bag. All I can do is do as much as I can in working toward what I believe in and what I want to see in the world. Much love everybody! My condolences to us and to any and all species to which this oil spill will befall.

I don’t watch the news, but i do read internet articles and what I’ve noticed about them is there is a general tone of expectation that the next solution will fail, and that there is little that we can do but watch, wait, and see. There is also a number of Facebook pages where hundreds of people will comment on what they think about various aspects of the oil spill. Some are very intelligent, hope inspiring comments. Some are of despair and anger, but you get everything in between as well. In voice converstaion i’ve had most people get to a point where it makes them so sick that they dont want to talk about it anymore, or they do and feel suffering. Alot about the physical reality of it makes me sad. At the same time we stand on the forefront of an opportunity for enormous change that could potentially help us to operate as a more unified and cooperative species. It’s a big mixed bag. All I can do is do as much as I can in working toward what I believe in and what I want to see in the world. Much love everybody! My condolences to us and to any and all species to which this oil spill will befall.

The Gulf Oil Eruption can function as a galvanizing event if individuals step forward and channel the reactions we are all having to one degree or another, horror, indignation, frustration, outrage into a focused action on the distorted role corporations play in the structuring of our daily lives.
Major shifts of consciousness are usually preceded by prolonged periods of persistent endeavour towards that goal.

Is the question,”Are we there yet?”

The Gulf Oil Eruption can function as a galvanizing event if individuals step forward and channel the reactions we are all having to one degree or another, horror, indignation, frustration, outrage into a focused action on the distorted role corporations play in the structuring of our daily lives.
Major shifts of consciousness are usually preceded by prolonged periods of persistent endeavour towards that goal.

Is the question,”Are we there yet?”

Great stuff – Thanks for putting up that information, I think that it largely answers my question.

Great stuff – Thanks for putting up that information, I think that it largely answers my question.

I believe that this is just a load of crap, for monymakers and greedy people to get richer. 11 people died and they can be considered collateral damage. I find it so incredible that that much oil would actually be stoop. A well that size could be plugged? Well, if you can plug it now , it could’ve been plugged at first. Are we really so blinded by the silly notion that this does not happen in America? Who is truly greedy in the world? What’s so sad is that all of us will suffer, rich, poor, white, black and everyone in between if this earth continues to be damaged for profit.

I believe that this is just a load of crap, for monymakers and greedy people to get richer. 11 people died and they can be considered collateral damage. I find it so incredible that that much oil would actually be stoop. A well that size could be plugged? Well, if you can plug it now , it could’ve been plugged at first. Are we really so blinded by the silly notion that this does not happen in America? Who is truly greedy in the world? What’s so sad is that all of us will suffer, rich, poor, white, black and everyone in between if this earth continues to be damaged for profit.

why 4 years???

why 4 years???

Many reasons:
Scientists began saying 5-6 years ago that we have 10 years to make a difference.
Four years is short enough to convey urgency and enough time to get something done.
Four years coincides with Millenium Development Goals–2014-15

Many reasons:
Scientists began saying 5-6 years ago that we have 10 years to make a difference.
Four years is short enough to convey urgency and enough time to get something done.
Four years coincides with Millenium Development Goals–2014-15

No change, except window dressing at the national level. The power of big oil companies in the seats of power in Washington, is overwhelming. At least so far. I see no signs of significant change. People by-and-large do not get the connection between the behemoth vehicles they drive and the Gulf oil disaster. We’re collectively fat and complacent.