Poisoned Gulf. Poisoned Minds.

14. May 2010 by admin.

A recent poll shows that 6 in 10 Americans are still in favor of “Drill, Baby, Drill.”  Huh?  Have they not seen the estimated 70,000 barrels of oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico each day, the equivalent of an Exxon Valdez tanker every 4 days!?  Have they not seen images of dead birds coated in oil?  Have they not seen the photos of dead fish and aquatic mammals?  Have they not read about the Gulf Coast fishermen and residents who will lose their livelihoods?  Have they not seen the effects on tourism along the Gulf Coast?  Have they not heard the concern by scientists of the devasting effects of this environmental catastrophe?

What could they be thinking?  (Assuming, of course, that they actually are capable of lucid thought.) 

The answer is that they are thinking only of themselves.  They have succumbed to the all too prevalent condition known as “head-up-the-butt” disease.  Apparently, they are more concerned about maintaining our artificially low gasoline prices than the health of our environment.  Damn the other species that inhabit this planet, especially the ones underwater that we can’t even see.  Damn the future generations. 

No doubt these selfish asses would tell you that they are environmentalists.  How much they like watching Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.  How often they take the kids to zoos.  How they recycle bottles, cans, paper and cardboard (as long as it’s convenient).  How they now purchase “environmentally-friendly” soaps and household chemicals (as long as they don’t have to pay more).

Yeah, that’ll save our planet.

Of course, they conveniently ignore reports of floating “continents” of plastic debris in our oceans.  They never hear of the “small” oil spills that regularly occur when drilling for oil.  And they actually admire the obscene profits being raked in by big oil and mining companies at the expense of our environment and workers’ lives.  (Profits are good for the 401k, right?) Unfortunately, most people don’t care about any of that.  They’re more interested in who got kicked off American Idol.  Or who their favorite celebrity is sleeping with.  Or who will win the latest episode of Survivor.

If only they were as interested in the survival of the nearly 17,300 species that are currently under threat of extinction.  Likely, humans will soon join them.

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