West Virginia, March 2010. I cannot tell this any other way than pure tragedy. 29 hard working people died because a fat, greedy piece of human garbage loved money more than human beings. But, that is not the real reason. That piece of garbage was just working in the system as it is set up; a system that demands production of lots of black gunk to burn at cheap prices so no one ever has to be the slightest bit uncomfortable or use a muscle to do anything. A system that not only allows, not only encourages, not only celebrates, not only rationalizes, but actually legally requires officers and directors of publicly held corporations to do everything they possibly can to maximize profits for shareholders regardless of any consequences as long as no specific laws are verifiably broken in the process. So, the putrid Mr. Massey was doing his job in our system.
So what else can we burn?
Gulf of Mexico, April 2010. Finally, we float a giant, black-gunk sucking vacuum cleaner on the surface of the sea (in the area that fuels some of the most powerful hurricanes in the North Atlantic basin) and connect it by a thin reed to a massive underground lake of liquid black gunk. Now, oil burns because it has flammable gasses trapped in it. And, yes, poi-son-ous gasses. Gasses that can explode when exposed to the product of big hunks of metal scraping against other big hunks of metal you know, sparks.
The thing about long skinny tubes stuck into giant pools of liquid under immense geological pressure is that once the liquid starts moving up the tube, it does not just stop on its own the capillary effect. So, when the platform holding up the tube and providing the only structures that can slow or shut down the capillary effect of the poisonous, liquid black gunk rushing to the surface explodes after it sparks and erupts in a massive, killing inferno, then collapses into the sea, well two horrible things happen.
First, eleven human beings die a terrifying death, including the fat-cat oil executives making millions from this absurd predictably dangerous contraption floated on volatile seas. No, I am sorry, the fat-cats are nowhere near the danger zone. Only the men and women who work for a living to make the fat cats rich take the risk with their bodies and their lives.
Second, a giant plume of poisonous black gunk pumps out of the ground at a rate of 42,000 gallons per day, floats to the sea and rides the prevailing winds and currents right into the most sensitive and ecologically, gastronomically and economically important part of our Gulf Coast. The only part of the Gulf Coast near as important as a wetlands and natural sea life hatchery is Galveston Bay, which is basically a giant poison toilet where the nation's oil, petrochemical and synthetic chemical industry take a huge, stinking, morning after, toxic hangoverdump all day long every day. This poisonous floating lake of oil will be absolutely devastating to the flora and fauna in the region and the fact that this disaster would someday occur was as predictable as the sunrise.
Now, we have the brilliant idea to SET IT ALL ON FIRE so it won't float into the wetland zone, but instead, if we are really lucky, just ride the winds as oxidized poisonous black gunk to be inhaled and eaten as fine poison dust particles all over God knows where. And we have no idea what kind of other consequential disasters setting the Gulf of Mexico on fire might cause.
These kinds of things are often referred to as wake-up calls. More like a wake-up cannon. Will we wake up, or just poison our selves in our sleep?
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
2
2
2
