TO THE EDITOR:
The oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico should teach us a lesson.
Beyond the implications for regulation, safety, and disaster preparedness, this human and ecological catastrophe should signal to us the perils of a culture that continuously pushes the boundaries of Earth’s capacity. President Obama, in his address to the nation, reminded us that oil is a finite resource. Indeed, all of Earth is finite, and learning to live responsibly on our planet will require that we grow accustomed to living with enough, rather than insisting on always more.
An economy that relies so heavily on staggering quantities of fossil fuels cannot be called “responsible.” Our relentless drive for production and consumption—even at the expense of human lives, communities and ecosystems—cannot be called “safe.” The devastating, wide-reaching, and long-lasting effects of this crisis make it clear that our present course simply cannot be sustained.
I was taken aback by Bill Patenaude’s article of June 24. “…drilling for oil on land or offshore has been a reality for many decades, and it has occurred more often than not without incident” Please click here or a more accurate version of the truth. http://www.marinergroup.com/oil-spill-history.htm It will take your breath away to note the amount of oil we have systematically been pouring into our oceans all over the world.
I also would debate his idea that “increased domestic petroleum use is good not just for our nation’s security, but for the lives of soldiers yet to be born.” Indeed, increased domestic petroleum use is the number one cause of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere presently causing global warming which is affecting global border security, food production, water shortage, drought, increased storm activity, disease and on and on.
We have to face our addiction to oil and begin to change the way we live so that others who share this planet have a fair chance at life. I’d call that environmental justice and much more accurate Catholic Ecology.
Mary Pendergast, RSM
Sisters of Mercy Ecology Initiatives Director
Pawtucket
