After 75 days we do not appear to be any closer to “plugging up that hole.” Every day I watch the news and see the live video feed of the oil leak, I feel sick. People who live and work along the Gulf Coast continue to be on pins and needles as they contemplate their future. I heard one resident of the Gulf say “I go to bed every night thinking about what I am going to do if the problem is not resolved soon.”
Recently the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) closed approximately 90 thousand square miles of water from fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. This leak promises to be the greatest U.S. ecological disaster of our lifetime.
What is going on? Why is it that the leak is still spewing out thousands of gallons of oil with no end in sight? I believe it is due to a lack of leadership. When the leak first occurred there should have been a call for “all hands on deck.” We needed to make sure we had the best and brightest minds in the room. We know that did not happen. Nations with experience with major oil spills were rebuffed when they offered their help. The leak continues. The people of the United States of America are looking for leadership in the midst of this crisis.
Here is my idea of how to address the problem and inspire confidence;
Both BP and the government should develop a national communication plan.
• As part of the communication plan, leaders need to outline the current and long-term strategy for addressing the crisis in detail.
• They need to explain to the hundreds of thousands of people affected by the disaster how they are going to be compensated for their losses.
All this seems to be a no brainer, but it seems as though when I listen to the news or read about the catastrophe in the Gulf there is no consistency in the communication.
This calamity must be resolved soon; I hate to think about what another 75 days of leaking oil will have on the Gulf and other waterways. To quote one of the Gulf coast residents “It’s not about the money; it’s about a way of life”.
If you were asked to provide a solution, what would it be?
First of all, the US government should have taken over the situation immediately and not counted solely on BP to clean up it's own mess. I can't imagine any oil company opting for the best clean-up solution if it is also the most expensive. If left to their own devises, they will probably try the less expensive alternatives first.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, in an environmental crisis, the US government needs to drop the protectionist attitude and hire companies that are best equipped and experienced to handle such spills, whether or not they are US companies. As you eluded to, the Dutch have better oil-spill technology and offered to help both in the Gulf and earlier in the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. We told them to go home...
This goes back to leadership, or more specifically, the ability to lead. A good leader backs his people and allows them to shine. A little decisiveness and humility would have gone a long way toward protecting the way of life of many Gulf Coast citizens.
-Chris Smith