Long Story Short » Tree Hugging

"Let the Sea Resound"

Tom Long — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 11:57:59 +0000

As news sources like USA Today tout headlines like, “La. marshes damaged by oil, but surprisingly resilient” and Fox & Friends Sunday says its not the oil killing turtles but low oxygen in the water and ABC News likewise downplaying the environmental impact, voices speaking the truth are rarely heard. As a Christian environmentalist, it is often difficult for me to accept that the church does not advance the biblical stewardship of earth’s resources better than we do. So, I was very pleased to see this article in Christianity Today. BP and the government we elected to oversee them both may have been negligent and it is understandable (though not good) that both entities want to back away from dealing with this disaster in a straight-forward manner. BP has apparently called for reducing the resources working on the clean up and the current administration seems preoccupied with blaming the previous one. I, for one, am thrilled to hear a voice from the church call us as a community to accountability and action.

Obama's Katrina?

Tom Long — Mon, 24 May 2010 23:45:43 +0000

How much worse can it get for the Gulf region? Nature strikes with Katrina and the government fails to adequately respond. BP fails to safely drill and once again the government sits on its hands. Will this be to the Obama administration what Katrina was to the Bush administration? Could our government do any less? Might it not be better to take direct action than to keep saying we’re going to fine or blame BP? Frankly, I don’t care about the blame. Blame the government for approving their plan or blame BP or blame us for selling our souls for a pint of oil. But get off your high horse and do something to help.

Offshore Drilling is Safe?

Tom Long — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:30:40 +0000

It seems ironic that a Texan would not approve more offshore drilling, but the supposedly more environmentally sensitive current president has given the green light. According to the AP “No oil appeared to be leaking from a drilling rig that exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico, the Coast Guard said Friday, though officials were trying to contain what spilled after the blast and prevent any threat to the coast’s fragile ecosystem.” We ring our hands about nuclear power, but put our oceans and reefs at risk needlessly. Does this make sense to anyone?

Even more bizarre, according to the NY Times the current moratorium on expansion will continue everywhere but off of the southeastern states. Isn’t it a little late to be seeking revenge for the War Between the States? After all the last authenticated Confederate soldier died in 1951 (and the last claimants in 1959). Please, Mr. President, instead of feeding our oil addiction, I would encourage you to make a new Emancipation Proclamation – one that promises our emancipation from carbon fuel.