The dramatic explosion on an oil rig 50 miles off the Louisiana coast on April 20^th was a shocking display.  The resulting leak in an underwater well continues to pour mass quantities of crude oil into the waters off of the Gulf Coast, threatening delicate ecosystems and the livelihoods of many.  Despite efforts to seal the leak, every day about 210,000 gallons of oil are spewing into the ocean, creating a giant oil slick that has been working its way toward the coast, and wreaking environmental havoc.

Various cleanup tactics have been employed, but there is no doubt that the effects of the spill will persist even after BP manages to stem the flow.  Communities in the Prince William Sound are still recovering from the Exxon Valdez oil spill that took place there in 1989.  We have been told that the Gulf Coast oil spill is not as bad as the Exxon Valdez spill…yet.  But so far the well has leaked approximately 4.2 million gallons of oil, and an interactive map of the spill shows how the slick is spreading and expanding.

(picture courtesy of http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-20003894-52.html)

The economic implications of the spill are equally devastating.  It is estimated that it will cost $300 million just to plug the leak, and that doesn’t even include clean up costs.

This whole episode forces me to question the structure of our economy.  We have become so dependent on oil that we are willing to put time, money, wildlife, and even human life on the line in order to pursue a costly and risky drilling technique that perpetuates our addiction to a non-renewable energy source, and ultimately does nothing to solve our energy crisis.  Even if we pour billions of dollars into drilling more offshore wells, those, too, will eventually run dry.

Shouldn’t we be directing these resources toward developing clean, safe, renewable energy techniques?  Instead of dirtying our waters and jeopardizing the jobs of coastal workers, shouldn’t we be increasing employment opportunities through the creation of green jobs? It is clear that we have to push for a transition to a clean energy economy, and yet this shift will undoubtedly take some time.

So what can we do in the mean time?

Reducing our current energy use is the first step toward decreasing our oil dependence and preventing disasters like the Gulf Coast spill.  In the face of this dire and depressing event, I am again reminded of the urgency of our situation.  We have to create a powerful movement toward a clean energy economy. Starting here, starting now…

Start by making DC a model green city, and an example for the rest of the Nation.