The political chemistry of oil
As oil washes up against the coast of Florida, does anyone really think BP could ever undo all of the long term damage that is done? The cost in lost tourism alone is huge. It will take a long time before tourists feel it’s safe to return to those beaches. I see commercials from west-coast towns just trying to reassure everyone: “Don’t worry, there’s no oil here.” Of course, this is to say nothing of the fishing economy, and animals killed, many of them endangered species.
We need to get down and do the gritty work of reducing our dependence upon this fuel and these molecules.
Lisa Margonelli: The political chemistry of oil
I just watched this TED talk arguing the cost of gas at the pump does not reflect the true cost. She makes a good point that we keep getting distracted by new technologies, like solar and wind-power, while nothing really changes and the easiest gains could be had by a simple price-signal. We tax things that are bad for us in this country, cigarettes for example, so why not oil?
