The real meaning of BP’s Gulf of Mexico debacle
May 29th, 2010Why such fuss about the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico? True, the leakage is large, but still nowhere near the size of previous oil spills. So far at least 60,000 tons have leaked from the Deepwater Horizon explosion, but the Gulf War oil spill (1991) involved 1.4 m tons, the Atlantic Empress tanker (Trinidad & Tobago, 1979) 287,000 tons, Fergana Valley (Uzbekistan, 1992) 285,000 tons, the nowruz oil field (Persian Gulf, 1983) 260,000 tons, and Amoco Cadiz (Brittany, France, 1978) 223,000 tons. The Exxon Valdez spill off Alaska with which the current Gulf of Mexico is being compared amounted to some 34,000 tons. So what’s so special this time? Answer: because it directly impacts on the US.
No matter that 2,000 major spillages in the Niger Delta has never been cleaned up by Shell, or that rivers and wellls in at least 7 African countries have been badly polluted, or that huge stretches of 3 Latin American countries have been ruined by spillages, blowouts and toxic dumping, or that at least 4 of the 7 ugly Oil Sisters currently confront dozens, even hundreds, of lawsuits even up to $30bn a time (Ecuador). All this can be spun out, got rid of modestly out of court, or brazenly faced down. But not when America is involved and the US President himself takes up the issue. That cannot be right.
The real meaning of this Gulf of Mexico disaster is that the oil industry, with vast wealth unequalled by any other global industry, has hitherto used its colossal financial and political muscle to escape regulation, restriction, oversight and enforcement to amass its untold profits amost unhindered. Continual cost-cutting and production pressures to meet burgeoning demand, combined with inadequate investment, have progressively deteriorated safety margins. The key lesson is that up till now they have been able to get away with it almost scot-free. This time, particularly coming so soon after their Texas oil refinery explosion, BP cannot ignore the consequences.
BP, mighty as it is, will be fully held to account by the US authorities. But what about the rest of the world, especially the developing countries where 80% of the global population live? What is urgently needed is an international treaty that trans-national companies can be prosecuted in their metropolitan countries, not only in the countries where they wreak such terrible damage. And even before such a treaty is secured, the UK should enact such a provision itself for all UK-registered companies – a matter I shall raise with one Vince Cable.
May 30th, 2010 at 10:54 pm
The real meaning of BP’s Gulf of Mexico debacle – Michael Meacher nails it – http://s.coop/oa
May 31st, 2010 at 2:10 am
Thanks for the numbers.
I won’t publicise this one as I think it serves the planet to get a bit of attention.
Also, the planet’s probably a lot better off with this oil not being burnt.
June 1st, 2010 at 12:28 am
Why don’t you let the royal navy help out I’m sure they could come up with a good solution
June 1st, 2010 at 12:29 am
The Royal Navy might be able to help and come up with a solution to the BP disaster
June 11th, 2010 at 11:18 pm
I saw Micheal Meacher speak on Newsnight some minutes ago and he said it all really. However I was very surprised to hear that the multinational oil firms had such lobbying powers in the US.
It’s funny…..we’d never have thought that an oil spill would be the source of such outrage back in Nigeria. I really feel for the lives that have been affected by this spill just like my people in the Niger-Delta. If Shell cannot be brought to judgement yet in Nigeria, I do hope justice can be served in the US and UK or can that also be lobbied?
June 17th, 2010 at 2:59 am
I extend my heartfelt sympathy to those affected by the gulf of Mexico oil spill.
In a very special way I want to commend Michael M. for highlighting in his last interview on BBC the sufferings, environmental degradation and by extension, poverty suffered by the inhabitants of the Niger Delta as a result of the continuous and unchallenged oil spill by multinational companies from ‘different countries of origin’ operating in the region. Recent researches have shown that corporate oil recklessness is among the underlying cause of youth restiveness in the Niger Delta. It is well known that multinational oil drilling firms have grown into an empire within national authorities where it creates its own laws with flagrant disregard for social/environmental responsibility and operational safety standards particularly in developing nations..What baffles me is the seemingly double standards in response to such disaster as pointed out by M.M… and raises the question of long term environmental sustainability in the Niger Delta where extensive oil spill occurs with no clean-up measure or reparation to the inhabitants whose means of livelihood have been permanently terminated. A combination of consistent oil spill and gas flaring has turned the Niger Delta into one of the world’s most endangered ecosystem and yet nobody champions the course of holding somebody responsible or accountable.
I hold similar position with you M.M that an international treaty that allows trans-national companies to be prosecuted in their metropolitan countries, not only in the countries where they wreck such terrible and inhumane damage be put in place…and hope the US and UK take the lead if the political will exist and the multinationals don’t do what they know how to do best…lobby!