The Damage From Oil

It is not bad enough that gas prices have risen to the point that families are regularly trying to decide not whether to buy a loaf of bread, but can we afford to drive down to the store to buy it.

Now, we have a broken oil rig sitting in the middle of the gulf, directly connected to some of the most environmentally sensitive areas in the United States.

Soon, we will begin seeing the sad pictures of dying fish, injured birds, and oil soaked animals; all struggling to stay alive.

Then comes the damage to homes and businesses along the coast. Finally, the disastrous injury to business owners dependent on the Gulf and the coastal areas for their livelihood.

Can we afford to risk the economic and environmental damage caused by Gulf coast drilling? Can we afford to risk the livelihood of honest business people because errors are made that allow hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil to escape into the Gulf? Can people afford to lose jobs and businesses?

I am not suggesting I have the answers to these questions, but this catastrophe certainly presents a time for reflection on these questions and on recent legislation passed. Can we afford to trade gas for disaster?