And then there was BP

And then there was BP.

My full-time job involves working with energy efficiency. I almost fell into the job, and I'm very glad I did. My view of our proper relationship to our planet is a stewardship view. This earth was not given to us to use in any way we wish. Rather, it's our task to care for it and pass it on in the best shape we can manage. I want all of my kids and grandkids - and all of your kids and grandkids - to enjoy this world, this marvel of God's creation, just as I have.

And then there was BP.

Working in energy efficiency does have its discouraging aspects. Even if we in the U.S. build every building to maximum possible efficiency - even if we convert our entire automobile fleet to all electric cars - even if we manage as an entire society to become completely carbon neutral - the increase in energy demand from China would eat our entire energy savings for breakfast. The problem with the Kyoto protocols (remember those?) wasn't what they demanded from us. It was in what they didn't demand from anyone else.

Even from China, there's some hope, although that hope is accompanied by another note of discouragement for us. The Chinese have moved into using more wind power. They have moved into the manufacture of the equipment for wind generation in a big way. The discouraging note? This is a field that could have opened up a lot of green jobs for us. The Chinese beat us to it. I'm not shocked. Our view of history tends to go back no further than the last election. Our idea of long-term financial planning gyrates between the Democrats' tax-and-spend-like-drunken-sailors policies, the Republicans' don't-tax-and-spend-like-drunken-sailors-anyway policies, and the new entrant, the Tea Partiers' all-we-want-is-everything-for-nothing policies. Our corporate mentality rarely thinks beyond the next quarter. Long-range planning, long-term investment? In any arena, at any level - FUHGEDDABOUTIT!

And then there was BP.

There have been those who suggested that President Obama should meet with senior executives of British Petroleum to discuss the situation. Never mind that an investigation has started to determine if the Gulf oil leak was a result of a crime or crimes. Just meet with the guy, will ya?

Gee, why didn't Herbert Hoover have a cup of tea with that nice Al Capone?

There is a congressman from Alaska who said that this was no catastrophe.. This was the same congressman who wanted the "Bridge to Nowhere" built. It's enough to make one think that Alaskan politicians have a loose attachment to reality. There is other such evidence. Alaska did have the Exxon Valdez. That incident was a fraction of the size of this Gulf spill, and clean-up should have been simpler. The Alaska coast was rocky, and water sprayed at high pressure was an available tool.

It's been 20+ years, and the effects are still felt.

A Republican does get some props from me. Governor Jindal of Louisiana has responded with the passion I'd hope for. Part of the reason I supported Obama in 2008, and will again in 2012, is his coolness of temperament and his formidable intellect. But this is a situation in which I'd like to see him fire in anger (not literally, OK?) as Jindal has done. I'd like to see how much this matters on a visceral, emotional level. There is such a thing as constructively losing it.

Even Jindal whiffed on the question of resuming and even expanding deep water drilling. I fear that the administration may miss this one too. My question for the "Drill, baby, drill" folks (and Sarah Palin is not alone on this front): You have now seen how things have gone terribly, terribly wrong. Before this happened oil executives talked much about their ability to drill safely in deep water. You saw the ads. You now know that they were lying. Not misinformed. Lying. But we bought it. Where was the voice that asked, "this well is under a mile of water. If something goes wrong, what's the action plan? You can't get divers down there and all equipment acts differently under the kind of pressure that's down there?" Nowhere, that's where the questioners were.

You have seen two explosions at these facilities in the past five years claim 26 lives. Are you OK with that?

Southern Louisiana has roughly 40% of our nation's wetlands, with incredible biodiversity. These wetlands may already have been thrown into a slow-motion but irreversible decline. That tool that was so handy in Alaska - that high-pressure water - would destroy those wetlands. Once the oil gets into the wetlands, there may be no cleanup available.

You want more deep water drilling? With no more assurances than we have now that the safeguards are adequate? We found out that there are no safeguards. Even if all the oil companies offered every assurance that this would never happen again, would we seriously believe them?

This evening as I walked from the kitchen to my den-home-officey-kind-of-room, Logan, our 6-year-old grandson, was playing at the kitchen table on our daughter's laptop. This caused some consternation to said daughter because Logan was supposed to be eating his dinner at the time. Meri, our 9-year-old granddaughter, just on the edge of preadolescent hormonal upheaval, was eating her dinner. Lovely brown-blond hair, green eyed, long-limbed Meri. Next week the Colorado grandkids will come here for a visit. We've got three in Quincy that we think about every day. And, one of our daughters married a guy with three kids, and they are now our grandkids too. Twelve in all. Twelve.

To all twelve of you: I have wanted to hand to you a world at least as awesome as the one I have had the privilege to enjoy. I've been to the top of Pikes Peak, and I have seen the view that inspired the writing of "America, the Beautiful." I've been on the ocean, and have seen darkness so thick it seems to have a density of its own - you feel like you could reach out and touch it. I've seen stars reflected in the ocean waters. I've felt the power of earthquakes and seen the might of thunderstorms. Just the quiet by an Iowa farm field is awe-inspiring if you know what to listen for. I have hoped to help preserve all of that for you.

I have done what I can. I am so sorry I could not do more.

Because then came BP.