Democratic US Congress Candidate Natalie Mosher's Opinion on the BP Oil Spill

The BP Oil Disaster: A Case for Really Going ‘Beyond Petroleum’

“I cannot tell a lie. I chopped down this cherry tree.” As legend has it, this famous phrase came from our founding father, George Washington. And while it is only a legend, it endures because it captures one of our most basic and fundamental beliefs: when you do something wrong, you must own up to it. Take responsibility for your actions and take the steps necessary to remedy the situation. Now, we seem to be living in a society where passing the buck is a virtue.

For more than a month, oil has been pouring into the Gulf waters, wreaking havoc on the environment, after the tragic rig explosion which killed eleven people. What’s truly outrageous is that the largest oil spill in history could have been prevented if proper safety and maintenance measures were taken. BP, Transocean, and Halliburton all had a role in failing to secure that oil rig. But instead of accepting responsibility for their part in this disaster, we saw a circular firing squad, as the corporations passed the blame to each other at recent Congressional hearings.

Let’s be clear: this was not just an accident. BP and its corporate partners caused this oil spill with intentionally inadequate rig and well management. According to experts, BP could have prevented this disaster for $500,000. BP made $5.5 billion in first quarter profits this year. For 1/100th of a percent of their first quarter profits, BP could have prevented the deaths of those eleven workers and spared the Gulf from the worst oil spill in history. Where is the sense of responsibility?
BP claimed that the spill releases about 5,000 barrels a day, while scientists are now saying it is more like 100,000. As far as clean-up, BP is using a chemical dispersant, Corexit, which has been banned by other countries due to its high level of toxicity. Workers helping out with the cleanup are getting sick. Why has the EPA allowed this to go on? Why has the Obama administration allowed BP so much control in dealing with this oil crisis? Why isn’t our representative in Congress demanding oversight and why hasn’t he made any public comments about the Gulf disaster at all? Where is the leadership? We should be seeing congressional action everyday with both sides fully engaged. This crisis is too big for one party alone while the other stands silent on the sidelines or insists that offshore drilling is a sensible energy solution.

The truth is lobbyists are too cozy with lawmakers and officials. In an effort to protect BP and other corporations, obstructionist senators in Washington are blocking legislation that would raise the liability cap from $75 million to $10 billion. This leaves the tax payers to foot the rest of the bill. When is enough, enough?

We see a lack of responsibility everywhere these days, from the Big Banks on Wall Street, who almost ushered in another Great Depression with their irresponsible derivatives trading, to the executives at Massey Energy Company, who ignored safety regulations and caused 29 deaths in their West Virginia coal mine. Regulations are in place for a reason, and they must be enforced. Americans simply won’t stand for anything less.

We hear pundits like Rush Limbaugh, blaming environmentalists for the disaster, while, at the same time, denying it’s a problem at all. Others are sticking to their chants of ‘Drill, Baby Drill’. We have to stop playing politics with our energy policy. We have to recognize this disaster for what it is: a warning about the costs of our addiction to oil. We can’t and we won’t drill our way to energy independence. We need to work together as Democrats, Republicans, and Independents for clean, safe, and renewable forms of energy.

I promise if I ever make a mistake, I will own up to it. No hiding behind slogans, passing the blame, or staying silent at a time when strong leadership is most necessary. As with Harry S. Truman, the buck stops here. Attempting to trivialize the effects of this disaster or ignoring the urgent need for a sensible energy policy is irresponsible and it’s not the kind of leadership we deserve in corporations, our regulatory agencies, or especially in the Congress. It’s time to stand up together, take responsibility for what we do and always look for the best solutions. It’s time to move ‘beyond petroleum’.

Natalie Mosher
Candidate for U.S. Congress, Michigan's 11th District