Heartbroken Over Oil

Is it just me or is anyone else heartbroken over the BP oil spill? I can't bear to watch anymore footage of oil soaked wetlands and wildlife. I can't believe that corporate bosses may have ignored managers' safety concerns, that government watchdogs may have handed out permits without enough oversight, and that politicians and pundits use the disaster for votes or ratings.


Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Chapman compares the lack of a plan to cap an accidental blowout to sending a man to the moon without a way to get home. I agree.


Water is supposed to be clean and clear. For many it's sacramental, a symbol of life and all that is good and abundant on our earth. To me, this brown oily death symbolizes the greed and corruption and division that keeps us confused and stuck.


Why can't we use "the nation's worst oil spill" as a catalyst to unite our nation in the search for sustainable sources of energy? Why can't we come together over this disaster just as we did immediately after 9/11?


During World War II, Americans made great sacrifices for the war effort. They rationed gasoline, sugar, and all kinds of extras for the common good. Why can't we decide that yes, we have enough, that maybe we could drive less, or drive smaller cars, or even pay a little more for energy, until the technology catches up to our needs.


Why can't we trade greed for generosity and corruption for real leadership? Why can't we make sacrifices for a better world for our children and grand children?


Maybe it's not about winning an election or winning in the ratings. Maybe it's about finally coming together as stewards of the earth say "to create a sustainable future for humanity and all of life."

If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive.  ~Eleonora Duse