Big Change, Big Difference: The Dirtiest of the Dirty Dogs

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This is my new series. After focusing for quite some time on the small changes we can make to make a big collective difference, I decided I wanted to spend some time focusing on some of the bigger sources of our ecological crises. Oddly enough, it was plastic straws that made me want to do this. Perhaps you are unfamiliar with this crisis, so I'll give a brief version.

I'm guessing you're aware there is a movement to rid the world of single use plastic straws. However, there are certain disabilities that make plastic straws necessary. People with these disabilities have tried paper, metal, and bamboo straws, and for one reason or another they don't work. So, with all the other things on their plate, they now have to fight Eco warriors just to get a straw at a restaurant. It's a clear place where we have to backtrack and make sure we aren't making life harder for our brothers and sisters. Not to mention that at least Starbucks decided to replace plastic straws with plastic lids you can drink from. I know, right?! I'm sure they're not the only ones, but I love making fun of Starbucks.

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Something else really important came out of this conversation too. A friend of mine pointed out that plastic straws actually account for a tiny percentage of ocean trash. She also pointed out that before we nitpick regular folx to death, we'd be using our time more efficiently if we put big pressure on the big polluters. She also pointed out that solutions should be the responsibility of industry, not the consumer. I think we all play a part, but hers is a really valid point.

Clearly, we have a lot of issues in this world, but I want to start with ocean pollution because the sea is an important part of my life and the life of my community. It is also closely tied in to several other major ecological crises. The ocean is a source of food, play, transportation, and oxygen, and obviously a big part of the water cycle. It will take several weeks just to get through all the nasty major ocean polluters, but let's start with those guys we all love to hate: the oil companies.

I'm excited to share some excellent news on this front with you! Belize recently became the first country to put an indefinite moratorium on offshore oil drilling and exploration! This came up several times in the last decade or so, and every time the Belizean people protested loudly. The second largest barrier reef in the world lies just to our east - almost the full length of the coastline. Between fishing and tourism, Belize is heavily dependent upon a healthy sea. In fact the reef is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but it's been on the endangered list during this whole debate. When the ugly business was officially put to rest, the reef was immediately removed from the endangered list. This is a major victory for a country the size of Massachusetts with a population under 400,000 that is known for outrageous corruption and scandals. We still have to deal with destruction of the reef from tourists and rising ocean temperatures, but at least we don't have to add oil to that list.

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Some of the oil that finds its way into the ocean is simply natural seepage. There are deposits of oil under the ocean floor, and some of that just seeps into the water. There's not much we can do about that, and I think it's safe to assume that amount can probably be safely handled by Mother Earth since it has probably been that way for quite some time.

However. More than half comes from human sources. While accidents that happen during the process of extracting oil from under the ocean floor account for the smallest percentage of oil spilled, this really needs to be zero. If (and this is a huge if in my mind) they are going to continue drilling under the ocean, there must be no room for error. They must be extra safe, check equipment constantly, and repair and replace before it's a damn crisis. Spend the money. I promise it will cost more to clean it up.

Next on the list is spillage from transporting oil. This includes ships carrying oil as well as pipes with oil moving through them under the water. Here again, this is all the result of carelessness and capitalist inspired greedy cheapness. The companies responsible for building and maintaining the equipment, as well as those moving, buying, and selling the oil need to take responsibility for building high quality equipment that will last under those conditions, maintaining it more often than necessary, and replacing it before broken or leaking. And for the love of God not hiring alcoholic ship captains. The amount leaked from transportation is four times that from extraction accidents. This is all preventable. They should incur business-destroying fines for any violation to prevent their carelessness. Money is the language they speak. That's how we have to talk.

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The last source - by far the largest - is land-based oil. This accounts for more than three times what comes from transportation. There are a number of ways this happens, but essentially oil used for energy or vehicles on land finds its way to the ocean. Now, while I definitely believe we all need to be responsible for leaks from our vehicles, I really want to focus this on the big capitalist entities that are ultimately responsible. They can make better cars and parts that are less likely to leak. They need to be held to that standard. Oil and gas from repairs and oil changes must be recycled or disposed of in a way that doesn't land it in our oceans. Oil into the ground and down drains will almost inevitably find its way to our oceans. Proper disposal should be a simple solution. Manufacturers, mechanics, and oil companies need to figure it out.

Now, here's what I really want to say. Why the hell are we still using oil and gas anyway? What we really need to do is switch entirely to electric vehicles. They don't need oil or gas. No one should even be making internal combustion engines anymore. It's dumb, and it's wasteful. Hydrogen and diesels converted to run on waste oil are other awesome options. Make electric vehicles, and make them inexpensive. This will solve the vast majority of the human caused oil leaks. Just the same way that we put tremendous pressure on the Belizean government to put a moratorium on oil exploration, we have to put pressure on governments giving preferential treatment to oil companies and holding back technology that will move us out of the dark ages. We also have to put pressure - financial and otherwise - on car manufacturers. The age of oil should have long been over.

Of course I'm a solar girl, so I hope you will charge that electric car from the sexy solar panels on your roof. Xoxo

Much love, y’all!

As always, all pics are mine or pixabay unless otherwise noted.

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