Climate Cycle's founder says: "Don't Blame BP" ?!

 A Letter from the Executive Director
Photo: Tricia Koning
Joey Feinstein


Dear Climate Cycle supporter,

As an organization, Climate Cycle is founded on the belief that each one of us can make a difference that benefits us all. As the founder and executive director of Climate Cycle, I consider it important to improve how I align my actions with this basic tenet.

Today, we find ourselves in the midst of what many are
calling the worst ecological crisis in US history, and it's washing up on
American shores. As we call upon BP and politicians for answers, let us
not ignore it is we Americans who consume five times more oil per capita than the average world citizen.1 Although BP negligently ignored safety warnings and took shortcuts, they are filling our demand like other oil and
energy giants. Much like BP, we too are ignoring nature's safety warnings with our ever-rising consumption of fossil fuels.

Over time, issues like energy have become
Photo: Telegraph.co.uk
BP oil spill
increasingly politically contentious. Yet it was W. Bush's 7th State of the Union Address that he declared "America is addicted to oil." As unnerving as the rallying cry of "drill baby drill" is to many of
us, it is the message that is sent to oil rigs and volatile regimes all
over the world every time we fill our gas tank, whether white, brown,
Republican, Democrat, man or woman.

At 12:40 p.m. today, I am flying to Brussels, Belgium. The arrangements have been made by the
U.S. Mission to the EU so that I can share ideas on sustainability and
education with European delegates in the days leading up to Europe's
Earth Day on June 5th. It is an awesome honor. At the same time, the irony
of traveling in a gas guzzling jumbo jet across the ocean to discuss
issues of climate and energy is an unsettling juxtaposition. For all I know, this plane could be filled with fuel from underwater wells like the one that is gushing out of control.

Although it is easier to look back 1,000 years than forward 50 years, the oil
spills lining our seas pale by comparison to what catastrophic climate
change could look like within our children's lifetime. Society is
dragging anchor and in danger of ecologically capsizing.
Photo: Tricia Koning
Polaris Climate Cyclists
Where this will exactly lead nobody knows, but we must beware of the rocks. As in times of great crises, it is imperative we each do our part to stem the tide.

To this end, upon returning from Europe, I pledge to donate my car to charity and convert most of my long distance travels from airplane to train. While such decisions require increased travel time commitments, until the crude method of combustion we are reliant upon is rendered obsolete,
time is of the essence in reducing our fossil fuel riddled ways.

Let us not allow the miracles of the modern age we all enjoy become dynamite in disguise for the children we love. Together, we can ensure that our greatest dangers become opportunities
for a societal renaissance on par with the Industrial, Space Age and
Computer Revolutions.

To refueling our future,Climate Cycle logo
Joey Feinstein                                                                             
Founder and Executive Director


1 WorldWatch Institute - http://www.worldwatch.org/node/808




His e-mail subject was: Don't Blame BP
Many of us got this e-mail.

This guy is suspiciously wrong .
This enormous environmental disaster was not caused the end users of the fossil fuel.
11 workers were killed by BP and it's policies not by the end users of the fossil fuel.
90%+ of the blame clearly is at BP's door.
1 for allowing  the accident in the first place.
2 for lobbying to change  the rules that allowed them to get away with it.
This lame argument is like saying that users of electricity are responsible the the 29 dead coal miners at the recent coal mine disaster instead of blaming the mine operators. Or like blaming children for lead poisoning of themselves, for wanting  toys instead of blaming the Chinese manufactures.
Has this guy turned into a corporate slug?

I say:
BOYCOTT BP -------and Boycott  all it's parts
am/pm mini mart
ARCO

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boycott-BP/119101198107726
http://www.earthyreport.com/site/boycott-bp/
http://www.citizen.org/page.aspx?pid=3311
http://boycottbptshirt.com/
http://www.fubp.org/


Views: 208

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on June 2, 2010 at 1:53pm
I think he has a good point, it's not just BP, it's about a lifestyle change.
Permalink Reply by Liz W. Durham on June 2, 2010 at 2:07pm
Obviously people are part of the supply and demand chain in regards to the consumption of fossil fuel. And I get the message to look to my own actions and behaviors and I also get the temptation to use a major disaster like the BP oil spill as a platform, as a greater call to action.

I do agree though that this is not the time nor place to focus blame on consumers. I do not understand the value or usefulness in using this disaster and BP's choices to finger wag/point at the consumer. This spill is a horrific disaster with far-reaching effects.

I am glad that criminal and civil investigations are underway to examine BP's actions in this matter. I can only hope that the results of this investigation yield just and appropriate consequences. And sadly, I recognize that even so, no consequences can undo the damage that has been done.
Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on June 2, 2010 at 2:13pm
He has little to no point.

Yes, we have an issue with reliance on oil and much of it has to do with our culture but if you think we are bad just wait and see what is going to happen in the countries just now experiencing industrial growth and readily available cars for all that have almost no environmental or efficiency standards such as China or India...

Yes, our demand is what makes BP work so hard to get the oil out of the ground but at the same time their corporate culture of greed is what causes corners to be cut. BP could get just as much oil out of the ground just as fast at a slightly higher cost and still bring it to market at the around the current price if it was willing to make just a little less money. We could have a million wells tapped and a glut of fuel at 93 cents per gallon or 1,000 wells tapped and a shortage of fuel at 81 dollars per gallon and the likelihood of an incident such as this is going to be more dependent on the precautions the oil companies take then it is the demand for oil.
Permalink Reply by rik on June 2, 2010 at 3:27pm
notoriousDUG
You can't include China in that emerging countries group along with India.
China actually has better standards for cars than the US!
The US cars do not meet up to the Chinese standards.


http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/07/icct-releases-n.html

notoriousDUG said:
He has little to no point.

Yes, we have an issue with reliance on oil and much of it has to do with our culture but if you think we are bad just wait and see what is going to happen in the countries just now experiencing industrial growth and readily available cars for all that have almost no environmental or efficiency standards such as China or India...

Yes, our demand is what makes BP work so hard to get the oil out of the ground but at the same time their corporate culture of greed is what causes corners to be cut. BP could get just as much oil out of the ground just as fast at a slightly higher cost and still bring it to market at the around the current price if it was willing to make just a little less money. We could have a million wells tapped and a glut of fuel at 93 cents per gallon or 1,000 wells tapped and a shortage of fuel at 81 dollars per gallon and the likelihood of an incident such as this is going to be more dependent on the precautions the oil companies take then it is the demand for oil.
Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on June 2, 2010 at 3:50pm
I was misinformed about China.

To anyone and everyone:

Tell me how to get a couple thousand pounds of tools and parts anywhere within 100 miles of Chicago in 2 hours on a random schedule 24/7 without the aid of oil and I will then admit to the 'blood on my hands.'

Otherwise I am unable to do my job supporting the industries that make structural steel, keep your food cool, bring you 'fresh' veggies when they are not in season here, and otherwise make your world happen with out the aid of oil and I dislike the idea that I have 'blood on my hands' because I don't have a lot of career options.

Find me a 'green' job that can use my skill set where I can bike commute and I'll quit my current one the next day; they ain't out there Bubba.

I also find the idea of trying to remove any amount of blame from BP to be distasteful; they made choices in how they choose to run their oil exploration that resulted in this accident and they would have made those choices no matter what I choose to do oil consumption wise because there are billions of people out there itching to buy their oil who simply do not give a shit about any form of environmental impact.
Permalink Reply by Dr. Doom on June 2, 2010 at 4:13pm
I'm glad this guy is nutting up and getting rid of his car but if he wants to drop Real Talk on his email list he should tell them that if they want to eat guavas in January (etc.) they're just going to have to get used to this sort of thing and that, moreover, they're just as guilty as anyone else.

BP is a pretty scuzzy outfit but they didn't elect politicians who refuse to pass a carbon tax and they're not the reason whatever absurd percentage of Americans think climate change is a fraud. It's easy to say "fuck BP," but the public—not counting the population of the enviro paradise of Latveria, of course—is the problem, and the answer isn't a boycott that will just send more money to some other equally reprehensible company but more on the lines of giving up meat and learning to sew or garden, which doesn't have much of a visceral thrill attached but is pretty useful.
Permalink Reply by JKH on June 2, 2010 at 6:55pm
the answer isn't a boycott that will just send more money to some other equally reprehensible company

Hell yes the answer is a boycott. BP has a history of half ass safety practices. Imagine what happens if BP is driven out of the US market, or even better, driven out of business. There's not an oil company in the world thats not going to double their spending to make sure that they have effective environmental safeguards. I could care less if BP is any better or worse than other oil companies. They messed up and if destroying them serves as an object lesson to other companies than so be it.
Permalink Reply by rik on June 2, 2010 at 6:57pm
Dr. Doom
You are right, BP does not elect politicians; They just BUY them; dozens and dozens of em.

Dr. Doom said:
I'm glad this guy is nutting up and getting rid of his car but if he wants to drop Real Talk on his email list he should tell them that if they want to eat guavas in January (etc.) they're just going to have to get used to this sort of thing and that, moreover, they're just as guilty as anyone else.

BP is a pretty scuzzy outfit but they didn't elect politicians who refuse to pass a carbon tax and they're not the reason whatever absurd percentage of Americans think climate change is a fraud. It's easy to say "fuck BP," but the public—not counting the population of the enviro paradise of Latveria, of course—is the problem, and the answer isn't a boycott that will just send more money to some other equally reprehensible company but more on the lines of giving up meat and learning to sew or garden, which doesn't have much of a visceral thrill attached but is pretty useful.
Permalink Reply by rik on June 3, 2010 at 3:04am
Where is this guy when we really need him?


We need him to deliver several truck loads of common sense to BP.
It would be great if he and his crew confiscate all the beer back from all BP stores and am/pm mini marts.
Just like he did to the skybox people who were not paying attention to the game.
I would love to hear his rant while he is taking back the beer.
Permalink Reply by Dr. Doom on June 3, 2010 at 3:10am
BP fucked up, so their record is going to get picked over, but the problem is less their corner cutting than that they're working at the limits of engineering technology. Drilling that deep is like mining the moon by remote control, and they don't have a plan to fix it because there is no way to fix it. The issue is that they were allowed to drill at all, and that's down to public apathy and ignorance, not bought off politicians or corporate greed.

It might be a good idea to think about just how big BP is, by the way. After the collapse in their stock price, their market capitalization is about as big as Cisco or Toyota or Coca-Cola, larger than New Zealand's GDP. They're a lot more likely to get bailed out than bankrupted.

The point here just being that if this has you really mad, seriously, the thing to do is go vegetarian or sell your car or learn a useful skill that would make you less reliant on petroleum. If all the vague anger at BP in Chicago were directed to useful ends, plenty of empty lots could be worked over into young gardens by August or some other Worthy Cause would be helped a lot.
Permalink Reply by Liz W. Durham on June 3, 2010 at 3:17am
Ooooo, I like it! Empty lots into gardens!

Dr. Doom said:
The point here just being that if this has you really mad, seriously, the thing to do is go vegetarian or sell your car or learn a useful skill that would make you less reliant on petroleum. If all the vague anger at BP in Chicago were directed to useful ends, plenty of empty lots could be worked over into young gardens by August or some other Worthy Cause would be helped a lot.
Permalink Reply by Duppie on June 3, 2010 at 3:51am
Clark said:
The US long ago reached Hubbert's Peak, [...]

I actually had to look that one up. While I am familiar with the concept of peak oil, I wasn't aware that it was based on M.King Hubbert's work. Thanks

Clark said:
Notorious Dug's specious claim that he has no alternative but to pollute, rings hollow in our ears. Helplessly throwing up his hands doesn't cut it. Certainly he has alternatives...get a different job! Many of the rest of us have.

Changing jobs might be a drastic approach, specially if you love what you do. But changing your fleet over time to more fuel efficient vehicles does not sound like rocket science. Even the CTA is switching to hybrid buses. Why? Not because of some feel-good-tree-hugging, but because it can save them considerable dollar amounts. BTW, that is also why we need a consistent high oil price. So that a business owner can be sure that if he pays more for a hybrid vehicle, he will still save money over over the expected lifetime of the vehicle.

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